JP2004244181A - Inventor information providing device, terminal equipment, inventory information providing method and inventory information providing program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an inventory information providing device allowing a consumer to easily inquire about the inventory quantity of articles. <P>SOLUTION: This device has an inventory quantity information storing part for holding inventory quantity information on articles for every article identification code and for every sales base, a inventory quantity information updating part for receiving the inventory quantity information for every prescribed time interval from the sales base side or for every article identification code in real time and storing the received inventory quantity information in the inventory quantity information storing part, and a inventory information responding part for receiving the inventory inquiry information including the article identification code from terminal equipment reading the article identification code, retrieving the inventory quantity information storing part based on the received article identification code, and transmitting inventory quantity information obtained as the result of the retrieval as inventory information to the terminal equipment of an inquiry origin. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a stock information providing device for providing information on the quantity of stock of a product and a sales base having the stock.
[0002]
[Prior art]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a mechanism for managing a stock amount of a product and inquiring as necessary, it is implemented in a closed range, such as between a manufacturer and a seller of a retailer or a seller or within a seller. . As a result, it is possible to prevent from losing a sales opportunity due to running out of stock by performing purchasing and production so as to increase the stock amount when the stock amount decreases for a product with a large number of sales. In addition, it is possible to prevent the sales volume from being reduced.
[0003]
2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technology for performing product management using the Internet is disclosed. (For example, see Patent Document 1).
Also disclosed is a technique for storing traceability data (data for identifying an article) in a non-contact single chip attached to an article, and reading the traceability data at a distribution process base to grasp inventory information on a distribution route. (For example, see Patent Document 2).
[0004]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2002-207905 A
[Patent Document 2]
JP 2000-233808 A
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, according to the above-described conventional technology, it is possible to inquire the stock amount only within a closed range, such as between a manufacturer and a seller such as a retailer or within a seller. Consumers who purchase a product must go to the store directly or make inquiries using a telephone or the like in order to know whether or not the desired product is in stock at the store. In addition, if the desired product is not in stock, it is necessary to go to a plurality of sales stores until the stock is found or to contact the plurality of sales stores, and it is difficult and labor-intensive for the consumer to check the stock. there were. In addition, if the stock is not found immediately for the consumer, it may take time to search for the stock, so that the purchase may be abandoned on the way. On the other hand, on the seller side, there is a problem that even if there is a product in some store, the consumer loses the purchase midway and loses a sales opportunity.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and has as its object to provide a stock information providing device, a terminal device, a stock information providing method, and a stock information that allow a consumer to easily inquire about the stock amount of a product. To provide an information providing program.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a stock quantity information storage unit for holding stock quantity information of a product for each product identification code and for each sales base, and a method for identifying the product at predetermined time intervals or in real time from the sales base. A stock quantity information updating unit that receives stock quantity information for each code and stores the received stock quantity information in the stock quantity information storage unit; and a stock inquiry including the product identification code from a terminal device that has read the product identification code. An inventory information response unit that receives information, searches the inventory quantity information storage unit based on the received product identification code, and transmits inventory quantity information obtained as a result of the search as inventory information to the terminal device that is the inquiry source; And characterized in that:
[0008]
In addition, the present invention, in the above-described inventory information providing device, further includes a sales base position information storage unit that stores sales base position information for each sales base, and the stock reference information includes a range of a position of a store to be queried. The inventory information responding unit reads the sales base location information from the sales base location information storage unit, and based on the inquiry target location range information, For only the sales bases located within the range indicated by, search for the stock quantity information is performed and the stock information is transmitted to the terminal device of the inquiry source.
[0009]
Further, according to the present invention, in the inventory information providing device described above, the sales base position information storage unit further stores map access information for accessing a map information server corresponding to the sales base position information, The inventory information responding unit transmits the map access information to the inquiry-source terminal device in association with the inventory information for a sales base at a position within the range represented by the inquiry target position range information. I do.
[0010]
Further, the present invention is a terminal device capable of communicating with the above-described inventory information providing device, wherein the inventory inquiry information transmitting unit that transmits inventory inquiry information including a product identification code to the inventory information response unit, A stock information receiving unit that receives the stock information from the stock information responding unit in response to the stock inquiry information.
[0011]
The present invention also provides the terminal device as described above, further comprising an IC tag reading unit that reads the product identification code from an IC tag attached to a product or an advertisement by a wireless signal, and the inventory inquiry information transmitting unit includes the IC inquiry reading unit. The product identification code read by the tag reading unit is included in the stock inquiry information and transmitted.
[0012]
Further, in the above-mentioned terminal device, in the above terminal device, an optical reading unit that optically reads a product identification code attached to a product or an advertisement, and the inventory inquiry information transmitting unit includes a product identification code read by the optical reading unit. Is included in the stock inquiry information and transmitted.
[0013]
In addition, the present invention receives inventory quantity information for each product identification code at predetermined time intervals or in real time from a sales base, and stores the received inventory quantity information for each product identification code and for each sales base. Is stored and updated in the stock quantity information storage unit that holds the stock quantity information. The stock reference information including the product identification code is received from the terminal device that has read the product identification code, and the stock quantity information is stored based on the received product identification code. The storage unit is searched, and stock quantity information obtained as a result of the search is transmitted as stock information to the inquiring terminal device.
[0014]
The present invention also includes a step of receiving inventory quantity information for each of the product identification codes at predetermined time intervals or in real time from the sales base side, and storing the received inventory quantity information for each product identification code and for each sales base. Storing and updating the stock quantity information storage unit that holds the quantity information; receiving stock reference information including the product identification code from the terminal device that has read the product identification code; Searching the inventory quantity information storage unit based on the information, and transmitting the inventory quantity information obtained as a result of the search as inventory information to the inquiring terminal device. .
[0015]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an inventory information providing device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a stock information providing system to which a stock information providing device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention are applied.
In this figure, the inventory information providing system includes a maker's terminal 1, an IC tag 2, an advertisement 3, a sales base terminal 4, an inventory information providing device 5, a terminal device 6, a map information server 7, and a network 8, Provide an inventory traceability service that allows consumers to view the inventory amount and information on sales bases.
[0016]
The maker's terminal 1 registers a product identification code, which is information for identifying a product sold by itself, in the inventory information providing device 5. Here, the product identification code is information for identifying the product, and the color, pattern, size, and the like of the product can be identified by the product identification code. The code system of the product identification code may be machine readable such as a barcode or a two-dimensional barcode, or human readable using alphanumeric characters or symbols, or a combination of both.
[0017]
The IC tag 2 stores the product identification code of the product to be sold and is attached to the product body or package. The IC tag 2 is, for example, an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag.
The advertisement 3 is an advertisement for a product to be sold, and a product identification code is printed on each product described in the advertisement 3.
[0018]
The sales base terminal 4 registers the sales base position information in the inventory information providing device 5. The “sales base location information” is information on the location of the sales base, and includes the store name, address, contact information (telephone number, e-mail address) and the like of the sales base.
[0019]
The inventory information providing device 5 transmits information on the stock amount of the product and the sales bases and stores having the stock to the requesting terminal device 6 in response to the request from the terminal device 6.
In the stock information providing device 5, the stock quantity information storage unit 51 stores stock quantity information indicating the stock quantity of the product for each product identification code and each sales base.
The sales base position information storage unit 52 stores sales base position information for each sales base. Further, the sales base position information storage unit 52 stores map access information for accessing the map information indicating the location of the sales base stored in the map information server 7 corresponding to the sales base position information. The map access information is a URL (uniform resource locator) indicating a location where the map information is stored.
[0020]
The stock quantity information updating unit 53 receives and receives the stock quantity information for each product identification code at predetermined time intervals or in real time from the sales base side (either one or both of the terminal 1 and the sales base terminal 4 of the maker). The stock quantity information is stored in the stock quantity information storage unit 51.
The inventory information responding unit 54 receives the inventory inquiry information including the product identification code from the terminal device 6 that has read the product identification code, searches the inventory quantity information storage unit 51 based on the received product identification code, and performs a search. Is transmitted as stock information to the terminal device of the inquiry source.
In addition, when the stock reference information includes inquiry target position range information indicating a range of the position of the store to be inquired, the stock information response unit 54 stores the sales base position information from the sales base position information storage unit 52. Is read, and based on the inquiry target position range information, the inventory quantity information is read out from the inventory quantity information storage unit 51 only for the sales bases in the position indicated by the inquiry target position range information, and the read inventory quantity information is read. It is transmitted as stock information to the terminal device 6 of the inquiry source.
[0021]
When transmitting the inventory information, the inventory information responding unit 54 associates the map access information with the inventory information and associates the map information with the inventory information with respect to the sales base located within the range indicated by the inquiry target position range information. To send. That is, the stock information is information that includes information on the sales base, such as the sales base position information and the map access information, in addition to the stock quantity information.
[0022]
The terminal device 6 communicates with the inventory information providing device 5 via the network 7 and inquires information on the stock amount of the product and the location of the store that sells the product.
In this terminal device 6,
The IC tag reading unit 61 reads a product identification code from a IC tag 2 attached to a product or an advertisement by a wireless signal.
The optical reading unit 62 optically reads a product identification code attached to a product or an advertisement. As a configuration for realizing the optical reading process, for example, there are the following methods (1) to (4).
(1) A product identification code (barcode) is photographed by a digital camera to generate image data, and a product identification code is extracted from the generated image data by an OCR (optical character reader).
(2) When the product identification code is a barcode, the digital camera captures the barcode to generate image data, and the barcode included in the generated image data is extracted by a barcode recognition program.
(3) If the product identification code is a barcode, read it with a barcode reader.
(4) When the product identification code is a two-dimensional barcode, the product is read by a two-dimensional barcode reader.
[0023]
The inventory inquiry information transmitting unit 63 transmits inventory inquiry information including the product identification code read by the IC tag reading unit 61 or the optical reading unit 62 to the inventory information responding unit 54 via the network 8.
[0024]
The inventory information receiving unit 64 receives the inventory information transmitted from the inventory information responding unit 54 in response to the inventory inquiry information transmitted from the inventory inquiry information transmitting unit 63.
The output unit 65 is, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display device or a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube), or an audio output device such as a speaker, and outputs the stock information received by the stock information receiving unit 64.
[0025]
The map information server 7 has a map database that stores a map around the store as map information. The storage location of the map information corresponds to the map access information, and by specifying the map access information, It is possible to read map information. The map information includes the location of the store on the map, latitude / longitude information indicating the latitude / longitude of the store, store information such as the store name, address, and contact information (such as telephone number).
[0026]
The network 8 includes the Internet, a dedicated line, a public line network, a LAN (local area network), or the like, alone or in combination.
[0027]
Next, the operation of the inventory information providing system in the above-described configuration of FIG. 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.
First, the maker's terminal 1 applies (registers) to the inventory traceability service based on an instruction from the maker's product management staff, and then registers the product identification code in the inventory information providing device 5 by using the product identification code. The code and the registration request are transmitted to the inventory information providing device 5, and the sales base position information regarding the store or the sales base where the product is wholesale is transmitted to the inventory information providing device 5 together with the registration request (step S1). The stock quantity information updating unit 53 of the stock information providing device 5 stores the product identification code transmitted from the manufacturer's terminal 1 in the stock quantity information storage unit 51 and stores the sales base position information in the sales base position information storage unit 52. Remember.
[0028]
Next, the product management staff of the manufacturer prints the registered product identification code on the main body or package of the product or attaches the IC tag 2 storing the product identification code to the product (step S2). Further, the product management person in charge of the maker creates an advertisement 3 in which a product identification code corresponding to the product is posted (step S3).
[0029]
The sales base terminal 4 applies (registers) to the inventory traceability service based on an instruction from the seller at the sales base, and if the sales base position information is not registered for the own store, a registration request is issued together with the sales base position information. Is transmitted to the inventory information providing device 5 and registered in the map information server (step S4).
Next, the sales base terminal 4 purchases a product to which the IC tag 2 is attached by the maker based on an instruction from the seller at the sales base, and provides stock information as stock quantity information on the stock amount of the product at the local store. The data is transmitted to the device 5 (step S5). This registration is transmitted at regular time intervals or in real time (according to an increase or decrease in the stock amount of the product) based on the difference between the purchase amount and the sales amount. This transmission process may be performed manually by the seller, or may be automatically transmitted by the sales base terminal 4.
[0030]
The inventory quantity information storage unit 53 of the inventory information providing device 5 receives the inventory quantity information transmitted from the sales base terminal 4 and stores the received inventory quantity information in association with the store name of the sales base terminal 4. It is stored in the unit 51 (step S6). Further, the inventory information updating unit 53 uses the map access information (for accessing the map information of the sales base position information registered in the map information server 7) for the sales base position information registered in the sales base position information storage unit 52. The URL is acquired from the map information server 7 and stored in the sales base location information storage unit 54 in association with the sales base location information (step S7).
[0031]
Next, the consumer browses the advertisement 3 created and distributed by the manufacturer, and if there is a product that the user wants to purchase, the terminal device 6 reads the barcode printed on the advertisement 3 for the product. An instruction is input (step S8). The terminal device 6 reads the barcode for which the reading instruction has been input by the consumer with the optical reading unit 63 and temporarily stores the barcode (step S9). This (Step S8) and (Step S9) are repeatedly performed, and a plurality of product identification codes are temporarily stored in the terminal device 6 sequentially.
[0032]
Next, the consumer reads out the temporarily stored product identification code for the product whose stock amount is desired to be known among the products whose barcodes have been read, and performs inquiry target position range information (for example, “A city”). Information of a search order (for example, “in the order of a large amount of stock”) and information of whether or not map information is necessary (for example, map information of “necessary”) are selected from a menu and input as stock inquiry information, An instruction to transmit to the stock information providing device 5 is input (step S10). After applying (registering) to the inventory traceability service using the registration receiving system, the terminal device 6 transmits the inventory inquiry information input by the consumer to the inventory information via the network 8 by the inventory inquiry information transmitting unit 63 via the network 8. The message is transmitted to the response unit 54 (step S11).
[0033]
The inventory information responding unit 54 of the inventory information providing device 5 receives the inventory inquiry information transmitted from the terminal device 6, and determines the position within the inquiry range specified by the inquiry target position range information included in the received inventory inquiry information. Is read from the sales base position information storage unit 52 (step S12). Then, the stock quantity of the product corresponding to the product identification code included in the stock reference information is searched from the stock quantity information storage unit 51 (step S13). Then, the sales base position information and the inventory quantity information are rearranged in the descending order of the searched inventory amount, and the map access information corresponding to the sales base position information is read from the sales base position information storage unit 52, and the sales base position information and The map access information and the stock quantity information are associated with each other and sent as stock information to the terminal device 6 of the inquiry source via the network 8 (step S14).
[0034]
The stock information receiving unit 64 of the terminal device 6 receives the stock information transmitted from the stock information providing device 5, and outputs the same through the output unit 65 (Step S15). Here, on the display screen of the output unit 65, the sales base position information, the stock amount, and the map access information are displayed in the order of the store with the largest stock amount. Then, when the map access information is specified by the consumer and a browse request for the map information is input (step S16), the terminal device 6 accesses the map information server for the map information corresponding to the specified map access information. The map information is output to the output unit 65 (step S17). The consumer can check the sales base position information and the stock amount output to the output unit 65 and go to the store indicated by the sales base position information to purchase a product while referring to the map information. .
[0035]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the maker terminal 4 and the sales base terminal 5 are directly connected to the inventory information providing device 5 has been described. You may make it connect via a connection.
[0036]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the sales base position information is registered by the maker terminal 1 and the sales base terminal 4 has been described. However, when the maker wholesales the goods to the sales base, the maker terminal 1 is not registered. The sales base location information on the sales base of the wholesaler may be registered collectively. Further, after notifying the sales base of the use of the inventory traceability service from the terminal 1 of the manufacturer to the sales base terminal 4, each sales base terminal 4 may register the sales base position information.
[0037]
Note that specification information, which is information indicating the specification of a product, may be further registered in the inventory quantity information stored in the inventory quantity information storage unit 51. As a result, the consumer can grasp the stock amount of the product and the specification of the product, and can refer to the selection of the product to be purchased. In addition to the above-mentioned specification information, the information that can be registered in the inventory quantity information includes information on how to use the product, information on how to use the product (for example, when the product is food or processed food, cooking examples and recipes, etc.). And information on how to maintain the product, and information such as the contact address and location of the customer center, which is the contact address for the product.
[0038]
The above-described inventory information providing system can be applied to a case where a product is sold at a vending machine in addition to selling the product at a store. In this case, the stock quantity of each product to be managed may be transmitted from the control device provided inside the vending machine to the stock information providing device 5. Further, the stock quantity of a plurality of vending machines may be managed by a server and transmitted to the stock information providing device 5.
[0039]
In the above-described embodiment, the inventory information responding unit 54 may convert the data display format according to the display device of the terminal device 6 to be transmitted and transmit the data. Thereby, the appearance of browsing the inventory information can be improved.
[0040]
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the terminal device 6 reads the advertisement 3 from the advertisement 3 has been described for reading the product identification code. For example, the terminal device 6 goes to a store at a sales base, checks the desired product, and checks the inventory quantity. When it is desired to know the product identification code, the terminal device 6 may read the IC tag 2 attached to the product and read the product identification code from the IC tag 2.
If the product identification code is a human-readable code and the terminal device 6 has an input device such as a numeric keypad or a mouse, the user may input the product identification code via the input device.
[0041]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, after the terminal device 6 makes an inquiry about the stock amount, if the stock exists only for the sales bases located within the range specified by the consumer, the stock is held from the terminal device 6. A purchase reservation may be made to the sales base terminal 4 of the sales base.
[0042]
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the information in the search order is searched in the order of the stock amount has been described. Alternatively, a search may be performed for sales bases that are closer to the center point, or a price may be set for the stock amount of the product, and the search may be performed in ascending order of the price.
[0043]
Also, the functions of the stock quantity information updating unit 53 and the stock information responding unit 54 in FIG. 1, the IC tag reading unit 61, the optical reading unit 62, the stock inquiry information transmitting unit 63, the stock information receiving unit 64, and the output unit 65 are realized. May be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium may be read and executed by a computer system to manage the inventory inquiry. Here, the “computer system” includes an OS and hardware such as peripheral devices.
[0044]
The “computer system” also includes a homepage providing environment (or a display environment) if a WWW system is used.
The “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, and a CD-ROM, and a storage device such as a hard disk built in a computer system. Further, a “computer-readable recording medium” refers to a communication line for transmitting a program via a network such as the Internet or a communication line such as a telephone line, which dynamically holds the program for a short time. In this case, it is also assumed that a program that holds a program for a certain period of time, such as a volatile memory in a computer system serving as a server or a client in that case, is included. Further, the above-mentioned program may be for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions, or may be for realizing the above-mentioned functions in combination with a program already recorded in a computer system.
[0045]
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiments, and includes a design and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.
[0046]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, inventory quantity information for each product identification code is received at predetermined time intervals or in real time from the sales base side, stored and updated in the inventory quantity information storage unit, The inventory inquiry information including the product identification code is received from the terminal device that has read the identification code, the inventory quantity information storage unit is searched based on the product identification code, and the obtained inventory quantity information is transmitted to the inquiry source terminal device. And send it as inventory information, so that it is possible to provide consumers with the amount of goods in stock according to the needs of consumers for reference to inventory. -Eliminates labor, makes it easy to grasp inventory, and improves convenience. For the seller on the sales side, it is possible to prevent consumers from giving up purchase while searching for inventory, and to promote purchase (sales). Further, based on the request frequency of the provision of the inventory information, it is possible to provide the manufacturer and the sales base with information effective for the demand forecast of the product and the planning of the marketing strategy.
[0047]
Further, according to the present invention, sales base position information for each sales base is stored, and sales of positions within the range indicated by the inquiry target position range information are added to the inventory quantity information in response to a request from the terminal device. Only the bases are searched for the inventory quantity information and the inventory information is sent to the terminal device of the inquiry, so that it is possible to know in which store the product desired by the consumer is located, In addition, in an area where various consumers can go, it is possible to go to the store with an estimate of the store where the product will be purchased, and to purchase the desired product efficiently.
[0048]
Further, according to the present invention, regarding the sales base at a position within the range represented by the inquiry target position range information, the map access information is transmitted to the inquiry source terminal device in association with the stock information. Since the location of the store can be grasped by referring to the map for the person, the store can be found without hesitation.
[0049]
Further, according to the present invention, since the product identification code is read by the terminal device, the consumer can easily perform the inventory inquiry of the product without memorizing the product identification code.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a stock information providing system to which a stock information providing device and a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention are applied.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of the stock information providing system in the configuration of FIG. 1;
[Explanation of symbols]
1 Manufacturer's terminal 2 IC tag
3 Advertisement 4 Sales base terminal
5 Inventory information providing device 6 Terminal device
7 Map information server 51 Stock quantity information storage
52 Sales base location information storage unit 53 Inventory quantity information update unit
54 Inventory information response unit 61 IC tag reading unit
62 Optical reading unit 63 Inventory inquiry information transmission unit
64 Inventory information receiving unit 65 Output unit

Claims (8)

A stock quantity information storage unit for holding stock quantity information of the product for each product identification code and for each sales base;
A stock quantity information updating unit that receives stock quantity information for each product identification code at predetermined time intervals or in real time from the sales base side, and stores the received stock quantity information in the stock quantity information storage unit;
It receives inventory reference information including the product identification code from the terminal device that has read the product identification code, searches the inventory quantity information storage unit based on the received product identification code, and stores the inventory quantity information obtained as a result of the search. A stock information response unit that transmits as stock information to the terminal device of the inquiry source;
An inventory information providing device comprising: A sales base position information storage unit that stores sales base position information for each sales base;
The stock inquiry information includes inquiry target position range information indicating a range of the position of the store to be inquired,
The inventory information response unit reads the sales base position information from the sales base position information storage unit, and, based on the inquiry target position range information, regarding only the sales bases within the range indicated by the inquiry target position range information, 2. The inventory information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the inventory information is searched for and the inventory information is transmitted to the terminal device of the inquiry source. The sales base location information storage unit further stores map access information for accessing a map information server corresponding to the sales base location information,
The inventory information responding unit transmits the map access information to the inquiry-source terminal device in association with the inventory information for a sales base at a position within the range represented by the inquiry target position range information. The inventory information providing device according to claim 2. A terminal device capable of communicating with the inventory information providing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
An inventory inquiry information transmitting unit that transmits inventory inquiry information including a product identification code to the inventory information response unit;
A stock information receiving unit that receives the stock information from the stock information response unit according to the stock inquiry information;
A terminal device comprising: An IC tag reading unit that reads the product identification code from a IC tag attached to a product or an advertisement by a wireless signal,
5. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the inventory reference information transmitting unit transmits the product identification code read by the IC tag reading unit while including the product identification code in the inventory reference information. 6. An optical reading unit that optically reads a product identification code attached to a product or an advertisement,
5. The terminal device according to claim 4, wherein the inventory reference information transmitting unit transmits the product identification code read by the optical reading unit while including the product identification code in the inventory reference information. 6. Receive inventory quantity information for each product identification code at predetermined time intervals or in real time from the sales base,
Storing and updating the received stock quantity information in a stock quantity information storage unit that holds the stock quantity information of the product for each product identification code and each sales base,
Receiving inventory reference information including the product identification code from the terminal device that has read the product identification code,
Search the inventory quantity information storage unit based on the received product identification code,
A method for providing stock information, wherein the stock quantity information obtained as a result of the search is transmitted as stock information to the terminal device of the inquiry source. Receiving inventory quantity information for each product identification code at predetermined time intervals or in real time from the sales base side;
Storing and updating the received stock quantity information in a stock quantity information storage unit that holds the stock quantity information of the product for each product identification code and each sales base;
Receiving inventory reference information including the product identification code from the terminal device that has read the product identification code;
Searching the inventory quantity information storage unit based on the received product identification code;
Transmitting a stock quantity information obtained as a result of the search as stock information to the inquiring terminal device.

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