JP2002150173A - Order receiving method and order receiving system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a new order receiving method and system capable of efficiently receiving an order for imported products. SOLUTION: Import information for every import container unit is provided for customers, and the order for the imported products is received for every impart container unit. The import information for every import container unit is provided for a customer information apparatus form a server on a network such as the Internet. An import container loaded onto a ship and an aircraft is set as a minimum unit capable of ordering the products, the import informalities classified and presented with every minimum unit, and the products deliverable to the customers are all products in the import container.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a new order receiving system which enables efficient order receiving and supply of products when importing products and bringing them into Japan.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When providing foreign products to the Japanese market, products loaded in import containers are transported to Japan by means of transportation such as airplanes and ships, landed through customs clearance, and then managed for storage. Conventionally, a method of storing the information in a predetermined warehouse, unloading it to a truck or the like while performing delivery control and packing according to the contents of the order each time, and providing it to a customer has been adopted. Also, on the import side such as an import agency, an order is placed after specifying the type and quantity of the product to an export source such as a factory or sales office in a foreign country in response to an order from a customer, and the product is produced according to the order. Alternatively, products shipped from foreign warehouses were loaded on transportation means such as ships and aircraft, and then carried into Japan.

One of the important points for the customer is how long the required quantity of the product can be reached at the lowest possible price. For the import agency, the quick product that can satisfy the customer is cheap. Whether it can be supplied at a price.

[0004] A customer asks an import agent, for example, a sales person in charge who is in regular contact with the customer, when and what kind of product can be delivered at what price, while the import agent asks the domestic distributor of logistics. It is common practice to refer to a department that handles warehousing and imports and return the results to customers.

[0005] When ordering production at a foreign factory for each customer order, that is, in ordering so-called custom-made products, it is necessary to consider a period required for the order. The customer must wait at least for the period of production and transportation by the vehicle. This period is a minimum period and must take into account the time required from the ordering at the importing agent to the ordering process, the time from the ordering to the production at the foreign factory, and the time from the completion of the production to the loading of the transportation. . In addition, regardless of whether it is made to order or not, products stored in the domestic warehouse are sorted out while checking the product and quantity for each customer's order, and are stacked as cargo on the transportation to the desired customer. Requires administrative work. For this reason, various procedures and tasks have to be taken from the time the customer places an order to the time the product is actually delivered to the customer, which requires a considerable lead time and is not efficient. .

[0006] A series of procedures from carrying-in to delivery to a customer are performed for both small and large orders. That is, regardless of whether a large number of small-volume consumables are imported or a large number of small-volume consumables are imported, the exporter loads one or more types of products on a pallet and The same procedure of storing the pallets in multiple containers and managing the contents, while the importer takes out the pallets from the containers as described above, sorts the products in the import warehouse, and delivers them by truck etc. for each customer. I was taking it.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to provide a more efficient order receiving and carrying method and means by focusing on such conventional order receiving and import procedures for imported goods.

[0008]

According to the present invention, import information is provided to a customer in units of import containers, and orders for imported products are made in units of the import containers.

In the present invention, a server connectable to a network such as the Internet transmits import information in import container units to a customer via a customer information device such as a PC similarly connected to the network such as the Internet. provide.

An import container loaded on a ship or an aircraft is used as a minimum unit for ordering a product, and a product included in the import information for each minimum unit is a product to be stored in a customer.

[0011] Products included in the import container (hereinafter, referred to as
The “container product”) may be one type or a plurality of types. In addition, the container product is appropriately determined in advance according to customer demand, or is determined simultaneously with the order. Further, the import products in import container units may be determined on the customer side.

In order to control the products to be delivered in further detail, the products to be placed in pallets may be predetermined, and the products included in one import container may be selectable in a combination of pallets. .

According to the invention of the present application, the import time, sales period, delivery date, delivery area,
Information including at least one of the import bases is added as import information. In addition, by displaying possible delivery areas as a map, customers can easily grasp the import information visually.

The customer accessing the server can know the content of the product and the lead time until the customer is delivered from the import information for each unit of the import information. This allows the customer to know the import situation, and based on the information, finds a container containing the product that meets his requirements and decides on the order, such as placing an order using the order receiving system provided on the Internet or the telephone. It can also be used as a reference.

According to the present invention, in the case of order-made production, the export side of a foreign factory or business office or the like receiving a product order via the import side such as an import agent point, etc. Each time it is loaded into a container and exported to Japan.

[0016] When a container product that has already been ordered is imported by ship or air mail, a storage warehouse for long-term storage is not particularly required. Products that have passed customs are loaded on a carrier such as a truck waiting at a predetermined location in units of the contents of each container and shipped to customers.Therefore, it is necessary to take out products from each container and sort them out. do not do. Therefore, the importing side basically does not need the sorting work and the storage warehouse for the remaining products, which have been conventionally required, or requires only a small space.

[0017]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a system configuration for providing container information.

On the import side such as an import agency or an import department, there is provided an information provision and order receiving site 1 that can be connected to the Internet 20 for providing imported product information to customers and receiving orders. This information providing and order receiving site 1 is a router 2 for connection to the Internet.
1 has a web (WEB) server 4 connected by a local area network (LAN) 3 and a database server 5 similarly connected by the local area network 3.

The database server 5 stores data for various types of information such as imported products for customers and orders received from customers. The WEB server 4 provides the data stored in the database server 5 through the information device 21 to the customer who has accessed the information device 21 such as a personal computer from a public communication network such as the Internet as imported product information or receives an order. Etc. can be input. In addition, access from the information equipments 22 and 23 of the shipping company and the export site can be enabled.

A management site 10 for import management is provided separately from the information providing and order receiving site 1. In the management site 10, an information device 11 for providing information and updating import information data to the database server 5 of the order receiving site 1 is provided in a separate LAN 12. The LAN 12 is provided with a router 13, which can be connected via the remote access server 6 or via the Internet 20 in order to access the database server 5. Also, this L
The AN 12 is provided with a separate database server 14, which can provide information and receive order data obtained at the order receiving site 1 from the database server 5 and store it.

A display device such as a CRT or an LCD of the customer's information device 21 connected to the WEB server 4 provides a display as shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, for example.

The right screen in FIG. 2 shows “CONTAINER ORDER SYSTEM” which is a menu screen displayed when the web server is accessed for the first time. Various selection items are displayed at the center of the menu screen. When you move the icon to the container order (CONTAINER ORDER) and make a selection by clicking or the like, a dialog of “CONTAINER LIST” is displayed at the upper left of the screen.

In the "CONTAINER LIST", for example, input or selection area of "AREA SELECT" and buttons such as "LIST" and "PORT" are displayed.

When the "PORT" button is selected, the delivery area (delivery area)
In response, a port (PORT), which is a base at which a cargo ship can enter, is displayed in a list format. For example,
In Figure 2, if the delivery area is Hokkaido,
The port of call is Tomakomai (TOMAKOMAI), and when Aomori Prefecture is the delivery area, Tokyo (TOKYO) and Yokohama (YOKOHAM
A) indicates that it is a port entry port. In the case of import by air mail, the base where the aircraft lands is shown instead of the port that can enter the port.

When "AREA SELECT" is selected from the "CONTAINER LIST", a delivery area for each area where delivery is possible (Delivery Area)
Is displayed as a list. Then, when an arbitrary area (location) is selected from the list, the product type to be imported to the port of entry corresponding to the area is displayed in the lower column.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a product list when Hokkaido (HOKKAIDOU) is selected as "AREA SELECT".

This product list is divided for each container, and information on products loaded in the container is displayed for each container. For example, "Value Rainbow Set A (VALUE RAINBOW SET)
A), “Value Rainbow Set B (VALUE
RAINBOW SET B) ", and further below, information for each container with an item name such as" PRODUCT A set (PRODUCT "A" SET) ".
And if you want to see other container information,
Just scroll the screen.

For this information, for example, a set name or product name such as “VALUE RAINBOW SET A” or “PRODUCT A set (PRODUCT“ A ”SET)” is a container capable of identifying the corresponding container. The number (CTR No.) is shown. In addition to the price (Price) and the product (Products), information of interest to the customer or the like is added as a comment (Comment) as additional information.

The product information includes, for example, general information necessary for selling a product to a customer, such as a product name and the weight of the contents of each product, as well as the state of being loaded in a container.
For example, the number of pallets is included. Further, when the "DETAIL" button shown in the lower section of the container information is selected, more detailed container information as shown in FIG. 4 is displayed as an information service for the customer. For containers that have already received orders, the display of "SOLD OUT" is displayed instead of the "DETAIL" button.

As the contents of the container, a case where a plurality of the same products having the same contents are included, or one kind of contents having different unit capacities such as a “Product A set” such as a container with the container number “GSTU9926472” If only the product is contained in the container, the value is "VALUE" like the container number "GSTU9926834".
A combination product of different products called “RAINBOW SET A” may be included.

The release schedule shown in FIG.
When edule) is selected and clicked, a search screen for a product to be sold shown in the left column of FIG. 4 appears. For example, as a selection item, select a list of ports of call (PORT), and as a container content type (CTR TYPE), a single product (Single) or a composite product (R
ainbow) as a set, enter the contents (CONTAIN),
Sales period (PERIOD FOR SALE), earliest delivery period (EARIEST DE
LIVERY) is displayed on the screen for selection or input items.

Then, when the SEARCH button is pressed, the corresponding product is displayed on the right screen as information for each container as shown in the right column of FIG.

When the button "DETAIL" provided in the lower section of the product information for each container is pressed, the details of the product information are displayed as shown in FIG. For example, in FIG. 3, "Value Rainbow Set A (VALUE RAIN
In the “DETAIL” button of “BOW SET A)”, the set item is ordered from September 8 to 18 (Term for Sale 8 Sep to 18 Sep) and is sold on September 14
The information necessary for the purchase, such as the delivery period (DELIVERY 14 Sep to 19 Sep) from the 19th to the 19th, is clarified as product information for each container.

[0035] The customer can select and order the required product in container units according to the product information.

The detailed product information shown in FIG.
Different product codes (in this example, “JAN code (J
AN-CODE) "indicates that three types of products having") are loaded in the container.

In the upper column, the product name (Product Name), the number of pallets (PLT), the number of cases (Case), the quantity (Qty), and the price (Pri)
In addition to ce), as a merit of purchasing a product in a container unit, a discounted price (Discounted) is added as value-added information and is indicated as product information in the container.

For example, from this figure, 8 kg of product A (Product “A” 8 kg) for 1100 cases is loaded on 20 pallets, and 14 kg of product B for 8770 for 770 cases.
Pallets and 2/270 cases
The loading state in which the product A in kg is loaded on 19 pallets becomes clear.

Further, in the lower left column on the screen, more detailed information of the container contains container information (Container Formatter).
n). For example, container number (Container
No.), port of call (ARRIVAL), container size (CTR SIZ
E), freighter name or number (Voyage), and exporting country (Origin)
Such information.

Further, the delivery date (delivery Dat
The corresponding day or area may be highlighted on a calendar or map so that e) and the delivery area can be more easily visually confirmed.

As shown in FIG. 1, the above information is stored in one database server 5, or is distributed and stored in a plurality of servers, and is presented to a customer who has accessed the WEB server.

If it is desired to purchase a product group loaded in this container, the order (ORDER) button may be clicked. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the subsequent ordering procedure can be performed by any known electronic transaction and settlement method. Therefore, the details thereof are not specifically described here. In addition, if necessary, an authentication process may be added to this electronic transaction for security considerations.

A significant point of the present invention is that the contents of a container being transported on a cargo ship or the like can be presented to a customer via the Internet, for example, and an order can be received as it is. Therefore, it is possible to perform direct delivery, in which the container ordered before the port call is delivered to the customer via the customs authorities as it is by truck.

As shown in FIG. 4, a term of sale (Term for Sale) is provided for products that have not yet arrived in Japan during transportation or production, or for containers that have just arrived. 6% price down (Pric
e Down). Even if a container receives an order after a cruise, it is possible to deliver the entire container without removing the contents. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a sorting operation in the warehouse.

The shipping information and product export information may be input at the import side such as an import agency, but the corresponding export company or factory or other export side or ship using the Internet or a dedicated line. The data may be directly input to the database server 5 from the transportation side such as a company. For shipping companies, it is possible to increase the export scale by effectively receiving orders for the products they transport, and for export companies and factories on the export side, effective container-based orders allow container companies to achieve a container-by-container basis. This makes it easier to formulate a production plan for the product, and also makes the loading of containers into a systematic process, which will benefit from the increased export scale.

Thus, the information for each container is:
It is also the smallest unit of information for delivery to customers.
Therefore, by sharing the container information with the importing agency, the customer, and other related departments and companies, it is possible to simplify the handling of the product, especially the transportation and storage procedures.

When this process was internally trialled, the lead time, which conventionally took 6 to 8 weeks from the initial inquiry of the customer to the delivery of the product, was changed from 4 days to 1 day.
Weeks are now possible. Therefore, it becomes easier to make a purchasing plan on the import side as well as on the export and transport sides. By expanding this trading method, costs can be reduced and customers can purchase products cheaper.

Further, by promptly responding to the contents of the container in response to a change in the demand in response to a request from the customer, an opportunity for the customer to be selected is provided, and an effective purchasing as a whole is made possible. Become. For example,
In the container, the products are placed and stored on a plurality of pallets, respectively, but the contents to be placed on each pallet may be determined. In other words, the products placed on the pallet unit are 20 kg of product A, 20 cases, 5 k
g of product A is 100 cases, and 15 kg of product B is 100 cases.

Further, the customer may determine a loading pattern on one or a plurality of pallets for himself and designate a pallet to be put into a container, or may determine the number of pallets in advance. You may.

On the other hand, in order to import more efficiently, the product loaded in the container may be a unit of the greatest common denominator satisfying various customer requirements. Such a unit can be inferred based on data such as a customer's order history and can be obtained by statistical processing or artificial intelligence processing of a computer.

According to the present invention, the container is set as one unit of the purchase and the order, so that the information for each container is
Presentation and update of product information on public networks,
Further, it has made it possible to conduct such transactions. As a result, information is shared using the concept of containers, and actual transaction operations are also shared, so that the efficiency of processing at various locations can be greatly improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a network configuration to which a system according to the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 shows an example of a menu screen and a list display of a port of call of the container-based order system according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an example of a menu screen and a container list display of the container-based ordering system according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 Release schedule (Rel) from the menu screen of the container-based order system according to the present invention.
An example of display when “Ease Schedule) is selected is shown.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a detailed screen of product information for each container.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1. . . Information provision and order receiving site 2,13. . . Router 3,12. . . 3. Local area network . . Web server 5, 14. . . Database server 6. . . Remote access server 10. . . Management sites 11, 21, 22. . . Information equipment 20. . . the Internet

Claims (8)

[Claims] Claims: 1. An order receiving method for an imported product, wherein import information is provided to a customer on an import container basis,
An order receiving method in which orders for imported products are made on a per-import container basis. 2. The order receiving method according to claim 1, wherein the import information for each import container is provided from a server to a customer information device via a network. 3. The order receiving method according to claim 1, wherein a customer can preliminarily determine an imported product for each import container. 4. The order receiving method according to claim 1, wherein a product to be placed on a pallet unit is determined in advance, and a product included in one import container can be selected by a combination of the pallet units. 5. The claim 1 or claim, wherein information including at least one of an import time, a sales period, a delivery date, a delivery area, and an import base of the imported product in the import container unit is added to the import information in the import container unit. Item 2. The order receiving method described in Item 2. 6. The order receiving method according to claim 5, wherein the delivery area is visually displayed as a map. 7. A system for providing import product information to a customer information device from a server via a network and receiving an order for the product, wherein the server converts a product included in the import container as import information for each import container. An order receiving system that provides to customer information equipment and receives orders for products from the customer information equipment in import container units. 8. The import information according to claim 7, wherein the import information is added with information including at least one of an import time, a sales period, a delivery date, a delivery area, and an import base of the imported product in an import container unit. Order system.