JP2004094566A - Method for managing commodity - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for managing a commodity, which fits for use of a commodity master file under the environment of an interim shop and the likes where no reference is usually possible. <P>SOLUTION: The method for managing the commodity issues a label, which is converted into a two-dimensional code 23, after the method reads a conventional bar code 11 attached to a received commodity with a scanner 24 by calling a commodity data in accordance with a master file 2 included in a host computer 1. The method instantly reads the two-dimensional bar code 23 by using the scanner 24 for a handy terminal 20 in the registration, converts the bar code being read into a character data, displays the character data on a display unit 26, memorizes the required data in a memory unit 29, and, at the same time, issues a receipt 12 by using a printer 21. Furthermore, the data memorized in the memory unit 29 is transffered to the host computer 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a merchandise management method suitable for managing sales, receiving / ordering amount, inventory, etc. of merchandise in a retail business, and is particularly used in an environment where a merchandise master file cannot be constantly referred to in a temporary store or the like. Product management method suitable for:
[0002]
[Prior art]
In recent years, products have been diversified and shortened in cycle, and quick and meticulous product management, such as sales, orders, and orders, has been demanded.
[0003]
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a conventional product management method.
Reference numeral 1 denotes a host computer such as a store controller constituting a POS (Point of Sale) system. The host computer 1 stores a product master file storing information such as a product code, a product name, a unit price, and the number of sales for each product. (In the figure, abbreviated as “product M file”) 2 and input devices such as a keyboard 3 for inputting product information constituting the product master file 2.
[0004]
In the product master file 2, a PLU (Price Look Up) table in which a product code and a product price are recorded in association with each other, and product information such as a product name and a department number are registered.
[0005]
A sales terminal 4 is connected to the host computer 1 via a LAN (Local Area Network) or the like. The sales terminal 4 includes a barcode scanner 5, a card reader 6, a keyboard 7, a display unit 8, a printer 9, and the like.
In these sales terminals 4, when the customer purchases the product 10, the barcode 11 attached to the product is read by the barcode scanner 5, and the code is searched via the LAN and registered in the product master file 2. If so, the sales registration such as printing on the receipt 12 is performed based on the product information and the product price registered in correspondence with the above code, and if not registered, the sales information is manually input from the keyboard 7. Sales registration is performed based on the product information and the product price.
[0006]
A server 100 is connected to a plurality of host computers 1 and sales terminals 4 similar to those described above, although not shown.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
By the way, in order to manage sales, orders, orders, and the like of a wide variety of products at retail stores and the like, it is necessary to be able to search a product master file that always keeps track of the latest status from a plurality of sales terminals 4, and the system is complicated. Once installed, there were many restrictions, such as difficulty in moving or changing the equipment.
[0008]
On the other hand, merchandise management using a handy terminal, a portable personal computer, a PDA, or the like is performed in an in-vehicle sales or a temporary sales floor in an event hall. However, in these cases, these input terminals must be provided with a data storage area for storing a large amount of management information (such as the above-mentioned product master file), so that a high capital investment is required or otherwise, There was no choice but to suppress the kind.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and a merchandise management method of reading a merchandise code display medium attached to a merchandise at a sales terminal and recording a sales record based on the read merchandise code. The code display medium records at least the product code and the price information in a two-dimensional code, and when registering sales at a sales terminal that cannot always refer to the product master file, read the two-dimensional code and read the product name in readable characters, It is characterized in that the price and the like are displayed on a display unit, a receipt in which these are described is issued, the sales results are stored in the storage device of the sales terminal, and the stored sales results are transferred to the host computer.
[0010]
In this case, a product master file is searched for a product to which a PLU code has already been attached at the time of arrival, and a product code display medium with a two-dimensional code is issued. It is preferable to input merchandise data from an input device such as the above and issue a merchandise code display medium with a two-dimensional code.
[0011]
According to the above-described means, since the product information and the product price are recorded in the two-dimensional code attached to the product, the sales terminal that cannot always be connected to the host reads the product information, the product price, and the like from the two-dimensional code, Sales registration can be performed according to this.
[0012]
In addition, for a product to which a PLU code is already attached at the time of arrival, a product master file is searched and a product code display medium with a two-dimensional code is issued, and for a product to which the PLU code is not attached at the time of arrival, a keyboard or the like is used. By inputting product data from and issuing a product code display medium with a two-dimensional code, product information accumulated in an existing POS system can be effectively utilized and manual input work can be minimized.
[0013]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. The same components as those described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.
[0014]
In the present embodiment, a handy terminal 20 and a portable printer 21 are used as sales terminals. In addition, in order to connect the handy terminal 20 to the host computer 1, there are provided wireless devices 32, 32,.
[0015]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functions of the handy terminal 20. The handy terminal 20 includes a CPU 22 and a scanner 24 that reads a barcode 11 and a two-dimensional code 23 attached to the product 10 under the control of the CPU 22. The main body of the handy terminal is provided with a keyboard unit 25 and a display unit 26 for inputting data and commands.
[0016]
Reference numeral 27 denotes a printer interface (abbreviated as a printer I / F in the figure) which is connected to the portable printer 21 to transmit a print command and receive a status. (Wireless) method can also be used.
[0017]
Reference numeral 28 denotes a communication interface (abbreviated as communication I / F in the figure) for connecting the handy terminal 20 and the host computer 1 to a LAN together with the wireless device 32. In the present embodiment, a case of a wireless system is exemplified, but a wired connection may be used.
[0018]
Reference numeral 29 denotes a storage unit for storing data such as sales registration. The storage unit 29 may be fixed in the main body of the handy terminal 20, or may be a unit that can be easily removed or replaced like a memory card.
[0019]
Reference numeral 30 denotes an arithmetic processing unit for performing processing such as price, change, refund processing, and sorting. 24 to 30 described above are connected to the CPU 22 via the bus 31.
[0020]
In the merchandise management method according to the present embodiment, processing of an incoming inspection, issuance and attachment of a two-dimensional code, and sales registration are performed on merchandise received at a retail store from a manufacturer or a wholesaler (see FIG. 1).
[0021]
First, when a product is received, a conventional barcode 11 is often attached to the product. For example, JAN type barcodes are mainly used in the food industry, NW-7 type barcodes are used in the apparel industry, and ITF type barcodes are mainly used in the logistics industry.
[0022]
Since these conventional barcodes 11 can record only about ten and several characters of alphanumeric characters and kana, the barcode attached to each product at the time of shipment by a maker or the like only records about the product code.
[0023]
In the present embodiment, the conventional barcode 11 attached to these products is read by a scanner at the time of arrival inspection and connected to the host computer 1 to refer to the product master file 2 to obtain the price and product name required for sales registration. And the like (see 33 in FIG. 1), and issues a label converted to the two-dimensional code 23.
[0024]
For this work, the handy terminal 20 and the portable printer 21 connected to the LAN via the communication interface 28 are used, but the work can also be performed using the scanner 5 and the printer 9 of the conventional sales terminal 7.
[0025]
For example, PDF417 can be used as the two-dimensional code. The two-dimensional code is capable of recording character information including about 500 kanji and hiragana in about 1.5 cm × several cm and recording it. Increase significantly. Since a method of recording barcode data and the like are well-known, the description thereof is omitted.
[0026]
In view of the characteristics of the two-dimensional code, the present invention can instantly read the two-dimensionally coded product information by the scanner 24 of the handy terminal 20 at the time of sales registration, immediately convert the product information into character information, and display it on the display unit 26. Then, data such as the product name, the ID of the salesperson or the terminal, the price, the date and time, the payment method, the discount, the special treatment point, and the like are stored in the storage unit 29, and the receipt 12 is issued from the printer 21.
[0027]
Then, the sales records stored in the storage unit 29 are transmitted to the host computer 1. This data transfer may be performed via the wireless communication interface 28, and when the storage unit 29 is removable such as a memory card, the data may be moved via these memory cards.
[0028]
As described above, according to the present invention, it is not necessary to constantly access the host computer 1 to search for necessary information based on an input barcode as in a conventional POS system. The data necessary for sales registration can be obtained simply by reading the data, so that a wide variety of services and product management can be performed in sales while moving, such as in-car sales, and in hypothetical stores at event venues.
[0029]
Next, a procedure for issuing a two-dimensional code label performed at the time of receiving inspection will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
[0030]
In step 1 (abbreviated as “S1” in the figure, the same applies hereinafter), the scanner 24 of the handy terminal 20 reads the conventional barcode 11 of the received commodity 10.
[0031]
In step 2, it is determined whether the barcode 11 is a barcode (PLU code) that does not include price information. If yes (Y), proceed to the next step 3 to search the product master file 2; if no (N), proceed to step 7.
[0032]
In step 4, it is determined whether or not the product code is registered in the product master file 2. If yes (Y), proceed to the next step 5 to read out product information, and if no (N), proceed to step 7.
[0033]
In step 6, the merchandise information read in step 5 is processed into a two-dimensional code 23, printed on a label, and issued from the portable printer 21.
[0034]
If the answer is no (N) in step 2, that is, if the conventional barcode is of the NON-PLU type, the price need not be entered because the price is already recorded in the conventional barcode 11. However, as described above, the conventional barcode can record only about ten and several characters of alphanumeric characters and kana, and if the price has already been recorded, there is no room for recording other product information. Therefore, a message urging the user to input the missing product information to the keyboard unit 25 is displayed on the display unit 26 (step 7).
[0035]
In the next step 8, it is determined whether or not the manual input has been completed. If the answer is yes (Y), the process proceeds to the aforementioned step 6, and the label of the two-dimensional code 23 is issued based on the input information. If no (N), the process returns to step S7.
[0036]
As described above, a product master file is searched for a product to which a PLU code is already attached at the time of arrival, a product code display medium with a two-dimensional code is issued, and a product to which a PLU code is not attached at the time of receipt is provided. By inputting product data from an input device such as a keyboard and issuing a product code display medium with a two-dimensional code, the product information accumulated in the existing POS system can be effectively used and manual input work can be minimized. , Work efficiency can be improved.
[0037]
Thus, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to operate even temporary and irregular stalls and temporary stores at event venues where it has been difficult to introduce a POS system due to the conventional structure. Product management can be performed with almost the same accuracy as operation in a typical POS system.
[0038]
Then, after the sales result data is transferred from each handy terminal 20 to the host computer 1, by comparing the sales result data with the data recorded on the receipt 12, the time / who / where / what from the plurality of sales terminals 4 are determined. / It is possible to grasp how the product has been sold, and even if the customer returns the product sold at the temporary store, the refund process is smoothly performed based on this information.
[0039]
In the above-described embodiment, clothing is illustrated as an example of a product. However, the present invention is not limited to this mode, and the sale of “product” is not limited to selling a ticket that can be converted into a service, lending or lending. It is an idea that can be applied to the rental business such as clothing / video rental.
Further, the PDF 417 has been exemplified as an example of the two-dimensional code, but it is merely an example and the present invention is not limited to this.
Although a keyboard is exemplified as an input device of the sales terminal, an input device such as a touch panel or a tablet may be used, and a magnetic card reader or an IC card reader for reading a prepaid card, a credit card, a membership card, or the like may be provided. .
[0040]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to collect fine sales information at a temporary sales floor or the like that opens at an in-car sales / event venue or the like even under conditions where the product master file cannot be always referred to. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating functions of a handy terminal.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure for issuing a two-dimensional code label.
FIG. 4 is a system configuration diagram showing an example of a conventional POS system.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Printer, 2 ... Product master file, 4 ... Sales terminal, 5.24 ... Scanner, 9 ... Printer, 12 ... Receipt, 20 ... Handy terminal, 21 ... Portable printer

Claims (2)

A merchandise management method of reading a merchandise code display medium attached to a merchandise at a sales terminal and recording sales results based on the read merchandise code,
The product code display medium records at least a product code and price information in a two-dimensional code,
When registering sales at a sales terminal that cannot always refer to the product master file, read the two-dimensional code, display the product name, price, etc. in readable characters on the display unit, issue a receipt describing these, and sell A merchandise management method characterized by storing results in a storage device of a sales terminal and transferring the stored sales results to a host computer. In the merchandise management method according to claim 1, a merchandise code display medium with a two-dimensional code is issued by searching a merchandise master file for a merchandise to which a PLU code has already been attached at the time of arrival, and the PLU code is determined at the time of arrival. 2. The product management method according to claim 1, wherein the product data is input from an input device to a product that is not attached, and a product code display medium with a two-dimensional code is issued.

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