JP2005004386A - Allocation management device, allocation management method, and allocation management program - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an allocation management device, an allocation management method, and an allocation management program that can meet many requirements for allocation. <P>SOLUTION: The seat allocation management device 10 stores a plurality of requirements for the allocation of each staff member in a contact center as a plurality of "seat allocation rules" in a seat allocation rule DB 15c. Conflicts between the plurality of seat allocation rules are solved, the seat allocation rules with conflicts solved are applied to limit allocatable positions (allocatable seats) for each staff member, and allocation is decided in order from a staff member with the fewest total allocatable seats. After the allocation of a certain staff member is decided, the allocatable seats are limited again for unallocated staff members, and allocation is decided in order from a staff member with the fewest total allocatable seats limited again. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an arrangement management device, an arrangement management method, and an arrangement management program for managing the arrangement of each person in order to arrange a plurality of personnel at a plurality of positions, and in particular, can satisfy many requests regarding arrangement. The present invention relates to an arrangement management device, an arrangement management method, and an arrangement management program.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, in a contact center (call center) having a large number of seats, a plurality of staff members are generally arranged according to a predetermined algorithm. For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 3373506) discloses an algorithm for arranging a specific staff on a specific seat, an algorithm for arranging two specific staff on adjacent seats, and the like. In each algorithm, each staff is arranged in order of work start time (and rearranged in order of job level), and from the top, “specify a specific staff to a specific seat” or “specific two” The assignment is made so as to satisfy the placement requirement of “place human staff in seats next to each other”.
[0003]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent No. 3373506
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above-described conventional technology is merely a response to a single arrangement request such as “place a specific staff on a specific seat” or “place a specific two staff on adjacent seats”. It was not possible to meet the case where there were multiple placement requests for each staff member.
[0005]
Specifically, the above algorithm tries to assign each staff in the order of work start time or job level, so if you want to respond to multiple placement requests, staff with few placement requests ( For example, the seat of a staff member who can accept any seat) is decided at the beginning, and the remaining seats are few. (Staff who are few in number) may be tried. This increases the number of cases where the latter staff cannot respond to the placement request, and as a result, there may be many placement requests that cannot be handled.
[0006]
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems caused by the prior art, and provides an arrangement management device, an arrangement management method, and an arrangement management program capable of meeting many requests regarding arrangement. Objective.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, the invention according to claim 1 is an arrangement management apparatus that manages the arrangement of each person in order to arrange a plurality of persons at a plurality of positions, respectively. A placement rule storage means for storing a plurality of placement rules relating to the placement of each person at the position, and a plurality of placement rules stored by the placement rule storage means to apply the placement positions of each person to the plurality of positions. Among them, the arrangement limiting means for limiting, and the arrangement determining means for determining the arrangement in order from the person with the smallest total number of possible arrangement positions based on the arrangement possible positions of each person limited by the arrangement limiting means. It is characterized by that.
[0008]
According to the present invention, instead of sequentially determining the arrangement by applying the arrangement rule to each person in an arbitrary order, the arrangement is determined in order from the person with the smallest total number after limiting the positions where each person can be arranged. Therefore, it becomes possible to meet many requirements regarding the arrangement. In other words, for example, staff (SV, agent, etc.) at a contact center (call center), etc., that reflects the compatibility and preferences of the agent, the SV monitoring effect, and the allocation suitable for new employee development efficiency It is possible to meet a large number of arrangement requests such as seats, thereby reducing the work burden on the manager who manages the seating and easily forming an optimal work environment that facilitates work.
[0009]
The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the arrangement rule storage means stores an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with a predetermined position. To do.
[0010]
In the invention according to claim 3, in the above invention, the arrangement rule storage means stores an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with another predetermined person. Features.
[0011]
The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the arrangement rule storage means stores an arrangement rule that specifies that a specific person is limited to a specific position.
[0012]
Further, the invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the arrangement rule storage means stores an arrangement rule that specifies that a person in a specific position is limited to a specific position. And
[0013]
Further, in the invention according to claim 6, in the above invention, the arrangement rule storage means stores an arrangement rule that stipulates that personnel belonging to a specific group are limited to positions within a specific area. Features.
[0014]
The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the arrangement rule storage means stores an arrangement rule that specifies that a specific person is limited to an angular position.
[0015]
The invention according to claim 8 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the arrangement rule storage means stores an arrangement rule that stipulates that a specific person is limited to a position having a specific environmental factor. To do.
[0016]
The invention according to claim 9 is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the arrangement rule storage means stores an arrangement rule that specifies that the arrangement of specific personnel is limited to adjacent positions.
[0017]
The invention according to claim 10 is the above invention, further comprising an arrangement rule setting means for receiving the setting of the arrangement rule, wherein the arrangement rule storage means stores the arrangement rule received by the arrangement rule setting means. It is characterized by doing.
[0018]
The invention according to claim 11 is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the arrangement rule setting means receives the setting of the arrangement rule through a GUI (Graphical User Interface).
[0019]
The invention according to claim 12 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the arrangement rule setting means receives a setting of an arrangement rule related to the selection by causing the arrangement rule setting means to select a predetermined person or position through the GUI. .
[0020]
The invention according to claim 13 further includes contradiction elimination means for eliminating contradiction that occurs between the plurality of arrangement rules stored by the arrangement rule storage means in the above invention, wherein the arrangement limitation means comprises: The arrangement | positioning position after each contradiction is excluded by the said contradiction exclusion means is applied, and the arrangement | positioning possible position of each person is limited, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.
[0021]
The invention according to claim 14 is the above invention, wherein the placement rule setting means receives priority of the placement rules when setting the placement rules, and the contradiction elimination means causes a contradiction. Any one of the combinations of the arrangement rules being made invalid is invalidated according to the priority received by the arrangement rule setting means.
[0022]
Further, in the invention according to claim 15, in the above invention, the contradiction elimination means eliminates contradiction that occurs between the same type of arrangement rules and also eliminates contradiction that occurs between different types of arrangement rules. It is characterized by.
[0023]
According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the above invention, the placement rule setting means presents an initial value of a priority order according to the type of placement rule to be set and receives the priority order of the placement rule. It is characterized by that.
[0024]
The invention according to claim 17 is characterized in that in the above-mentioned invention, there is further provided an output means for outputting the arrangement rule invalidated by the contradiction elimination means so as to be viewable.
[0025]
In the invention according to claim 18, in the above invention, the arrangement limiting means applies only an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with a predetermined position, The arrangement possible positions are limited respectively.
[0026]
The invention according to claim 19 is the above invention, wherein the placement limiting means applies placement rules in descending order of priority, but applies to placement rules that have no placement positions after application. It is characterized by being invalidated.
[0027]
The invention according to claim 20 is characterized in that in the above-mentioned invention, there is further provided an output means for outputting the arrangement rule whose application is invalidated by the arrangement limiting means so as to be viewable.
[0028]
Further, in the invention according to claim 21, in the above invention, after the arrangement determining means determines the arrangement for a predetermined person, the arrangement possible position is re-limited for the non-arranged personnel, and the re-limited arrangement is performed. The arrangement is determined in order from the person with the smallest total number of possible positions.
[0029]
The invention according to claim 22 is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the arrangement determining means re-limits a position where arrangement is possible for an unallocated person whose schedule overlaps with the predetermined person whose arrangement is determined. And
[0030]
In the invention according to claim 23, in the above invention, the arrangement determining means arranges a person who has no arrangement position due to the re-limitation in a position where no person is finally arranged. It is characterized by doing.
[0031]
Further, the invention according to claim 24 is characterized in that in the above invention, there is further provided an output means for outputting, in a viewable manner, a person who has no placement position due to re-limitation by the placement determination means.
[0032]
Further, in the invention according to claim 25, in the above invention, the arrangement determining means applies an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with another predetermined person. It is characterized by re-limiting the position where arrangement is possible for the personnel of arrangement.
[0033]
In the invention according to claim 26, in the above-mentioned invention, the placement determining means places no placement-possible position after application when the placement rule is applied to re-limit the placement-possible position. Is characterized by invalidating the application.
[0034]
According to a twenty-seventh aspect of the present invention, in the above-described invention, the invention further includes output means for outputting the placement rule whose application is invalid upon re-limitation by the placement determination means.
[0035]
The invention according to claim 28 is an arrangement management method for managing the arrangement of each person in order to arrange a plurality of persons at a plurality of positions, and a plurality of arrangements relating to the arrangement of each person at the plurality of positions. An arrangement rule storage step for storing the rules in the arrangement rule storage means, and an arrangement limitation for limiting the positions where each person can be arranged among the plurality of positions by applying a plurality of arrangement rules stored in the arrangement rule storage step. And a placement determination step of determining the placement in order from the person with the smallest total number of placement-possible positions based on the placement-possible positions of each person limited by the placement limiting step.
[0036]
The invention according to claim 29 is an arrangement management program for causing a computer to execute a method for managing the arrangement of each person in order to arrange a plurality of persons at a plurality of positions, respectively. A placement rule storing procedure for storing a plurality of placement rules relating to the placement in the placement rule storage means, and a plurality of placement rules stored by the placement rule storage procedure are applied to determine a position where each person can be placed in the plurality of locations. And a placement determination procedure for determining the placement in order from the person with the smallest total number of possible placement positions based on the placement possible positions of each person limited by the placement restriction procedure. It is made to perform.
[0037]
The invention according to claim 30 is characterized in that, in the above invention, the arrangement rule storing procedure stores an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with a predetermined position. To do.
[0038]
The invention according to claim 31 is the above invention, wherein the arrangement rule storing procedure stores an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with another predetermined person. Features.
[0039]
In the invention according to claim 32, in the above invention, the computer further executes an arrangement rule setting procedure for accepting the setting of the arrangement rule, and the arrangement rule storage procedure is an arrangement accepted by the arrangement rule setting procedure. It is characterized by storing rules.
[0040]
In the invention according to claim 33, in the above invention, the computer further executes a contradiction elimination procedure for eliminating a contradiction between a plurality of arrangement rules stored by the arrangement rule storage procedure, and the arrangement limitation is performed. The procedure is characterized in that an arrangement rule after the contradiction is eliminated by the contradiction elimination procedure is used to limit the position where each person can be arranged.
[0041]
In the invention according to claim 34, in the above invention, the arrangement limiting procedure applies only an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with a predetermined position, The arrangement possible positions are limited respectively.
[0042]
In the invention according to claim 35, in the above invention, after the placement determining procedure determines the placement for a predetermined personnel, the placement possible position is re-limited for the unplaced personnel, and the re-limited placement is performed. The arrangement is determined in order from the person with the smallest total number of possible positions.
[0043]
The invention according to claim 36 is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, the placement determination procedure re-limits a position where placement is possible for an unassigned person whose schedule overlaps with a predetermined person whose placement is decided. And
[0044]
In the invention according to claim 37, in the above invention, the placement determination procedure may be performed by applying a placement rule for limiting a position at which a predetermined person is placed in association with another predetermined person. It is characterized by re-limiting the position where arrangement is possible for the personnel of arrangement.
[0045]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Exemplary embodiments of an arrangement management device, an arrangement management method, and an arrangement management program according to the present invention will be explained below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following, main terms used in the present embodiment (0: description of terms), overview and features of the seating management device according to the present embodiment (1: overview and features of the seating management device), allocation Flow of overall processing of the seat management device (2: overall processing of the seating management device), configuration of the seating management device (3: configuration of the seating management device), and flow of each processing by the seating management device (4: setting) Processing, 5: Consistency check processing, 6: Arrangement narrowing processing, 7: Assignment processing) will be described in order, and finally various modified examples (8: Other embodiments) of this embodiment will be described. .
[0046]
[0: Explanation of terms]
The main terms used in the present embodiment will be briefly described below. The “rule” used in the present embodiment is an arrangement rule (seat arrangement rule) regarding the arrangement of each staff (SV, agent, etc.) of a contact center (call center) having a plurality of seats as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, it is divided into six rule types: “direct rule, post restriction rule, adjacent seat designation rule, corner seat designation rule, group color rule, environment designation rule”.
[0047]
Among these, the “direct rule” is a seating rule that stipulates that a specific staff is limited to a specific seat, and is set by designating “staff” and “seat” (see FIG. 9). ). Specifically, rules such as “assign staff“ Akane Hattori ”to seat“ C03 ”” and “assign staff“ Akane Hattori ”to a seat other than seat“ C03 ”” correspond to this.
[0048]
“Position restriction rule” is a seating rule that stipulates that the staff of a specific position is restricted to a specific seat, and is set by specifying “position” and “seat” (see FIG. 10). Specifically, the rules such as “seat“ A06 ”with staff of position“ SV ”” and “seat“ A06 ”with staff other than position“ SV ”” correspond to this rule. .
[0049]
Further, the “neighboring seat designation rule” is a seating rule that stipulates that specific staff members should be limited to the neighboring seats, and is set by designating two “staff” (see FIG. 11). Specifically, “Staff“ Midori Kato ”and“ Ran Terahara ”will be seated next to each other, and“ Midori Kato ”and“ Ran Terahara ”will not be seated next to each other. The rule “Yes” corresponds to this.
[0050]
Further, the “corner seat designation rule” is a seating arrangement rule that specifies that a specific staff is limited to corner seats, and is set by designating “staff” (see FIG. 12). Specifically, rules such as “assign staff“ Nana Aida ”to“ Corner seat ”” and “assign staff“ Nana Aida ”to anything other than“ Corner seat ”” apply to this rule. .
[0051]
The “group color rule” is a seating rule that stipulates that staff members belonging to a specific group should be limited to seats in a specific area. The “group color” and “seat color (same color) are used. This is set by designating “seat set” (see FIG. 13). Specifically, rules such as “allocate staff of group“ fourth ”to“ blue seat ”” and “assign staff of group“ fourth ”to other than“ blue seat ”” correspond to this rule. .
[0052]
Further, the “environment designation rule” is a seating rule that stipulates that a specific staff is limited to seats in a specific environment, and is set by designating “staff”. Specifically, the rules are “assign staff“ Akane Hattori ”to seat“ C03 ”” and “assign staff“ Akane Hattori (no smoking) ”to seats other than“ close to smoking area ”. This is the case.
[0053]
Among these rules, the “direct rule, job title restriction rule, corner seat designation rule, group color rule, environment designation rule” is for restricting the position where a predetermined person is placed in association with the predetermined position. According to this arrangement rule, a specific staff is allocated at a specific seat, an SV is allocated at a specific seat, a specific group member is gathered and allocated within a specific area, It is possible to respond to an arrangement request in which “staff” and “seat” are directly associated with each other, such as arranging the staff in a corner seat.
[0054]
On the other hand, the “neighboring seat designation rule” is an arrangement rule for restricting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with another predetermined person. Place the staff and the seats through other staff, such as placing them next to each other, placing staff members who do not match each other so that they do not become seats next to each other, or placing staff members with a lot of waste It is possible to respond to an indirectly related placement request.
[0055]
[1: Overview and features of seat assignment management device]
Next, the outline and features of the seating management apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a seating management apparatus according to the present embodiment. The seat assignment management apparatus 10 shown in the figure is introduced to a contact center having a large number of seats, and roughly, in order to arrange a large number of staff (SV, agents, etc.) held by the contact center in each seat. It is a device that manages the arrangement of each staff member.
[0056]
Here, in the contact center, regarding the arrangement of each staff, “I want to arrange a specific staff in a specific seat”, “I want to collect a specific group member in a specific area and arrange them”, “ There are potentially many placement requirements, such as “I want to place them next to their agents” and “I want to place staff members who do not match each other so that they do not sit next to each other”.
[0057]
However, it is extremely difficult for an administrator (setting person) who manages seating to respond to such a large number of arrangement requests, and assigning each staff in an arbitrary order (order of work start time or order of job level). Even if the conventional seating arrangement algorithm to be used is used, there is a high possibility that so-called “overflowing staff (staff who cannot respond to requests)” is likely to occur, and it is difficult to respond to a plurality of arrangement requests regarding each staff.
[0058]
Therefore, in the seating management apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment, a plurality of requests regarding the placement of each staff in the contact center are set and stored in the seating rule DB 15c as “seat placement rules (see FIG. 3)”. And after applying these seating rules to limit the positions where each staff can be placed (seats where seats can be placed), the placement is decided in order from the staff with the smallest total number to meet many placement requests. This point has the main feature. Below, based on this main characteristic, the flow of the whole process of the seating management apparatus 10 is demonstrated.
[0059]
[2: Overall processing of seat assignment management device]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of overall processing by the seating management device 10. As shown in the figure, first, the seat assignment management apparatus 10 sets each staff member with the setter via the screens as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 (step S401). As a result, a staff DB 15a as shown in FIG.
[0060]
Subsequently, the seat assignment management apparatus 10 sets a layout (seat) with the setter via a screen as shown in FIG. 8 (step S402), and as a result, FIG. The layout DB 15b as shown in FIG. Further, the seat assignment management apparatus 10 sets the above-described rules with the setter via the screens as shown in FIGS. 9 to 13 (step S403), and as a result, FIG. The seating rule DB 15c as shown in FIG. Details of these settings will be described later.
[0061]
When the setting process related to the staff, layout, and rules is completed in this way, the seating management device 10 receives a seating execution instruction from the setter via the screen as shown in FIG. 14A (step S404). ), Consistency check processing (step S405), arrangement narrowing processing (step S406), and assignment processing (step S407) are executed to determine the arrangement of each staff member. The details of these processes will be described later, and the outline of each process will be briefly described below.
[0062]
That is, the seating management apparatus 10 eliminates inconsistencies that occur between the set arrangement rules as the consistency check process (step S405). That is, for example, when different direct rules are set for the same staff, contradiction is eliminated by invalidating one rule.
[0063]
Subsequently, the seat assignment management apparatus 10 applies the placement rules after the contradiction is eliminated by the consistency check processing as the seat narrowing processing (step S406), and the possible placement positions (placeable seats) of each staff member. ). That is, for example, among the sheets a to d, when the sheets a and d are corner seats and the sheets c and d have a predetermined group color, the “square seat rule” and If the “group color rule” is set, the “placeable seats” of the staff A are limited to the “seat d”.
[0064]
In this way, in the seating narrowing process (step S406), by applying the seating rule to each staff, as shown in FIG. 18A, seats that can be seated are shown for each staff. Create a list of seats that can be arranged. In the figure, “◯” indicates a seat that can be seated, and “X” indicates a seat that cannot be seated.
[0065]
Then, the assignment management device 10 performs the assignment process (step S407) based on the possible arrangement positions of the staff (the list of available seats) limited by the arrangement narrowing process. Decide the placement in order from the few staff. In other words, for example, as shown in FIGS. 19D and 19E, first, “seat a” is assigned to “staff A” having the smallest number M of seats among staff A to E. Next, as shown in FIGS. 5F and 5G, “seat b” is assigned to “staff B” having the smallest number of seats M that can be arranged among the remaining staff members.
[0066]
In this manner, in the assignment process (step S407), the arrangement of each staff is determined as shown in FIG. 20 (n) by determining the arrangement in order from the staff with the smallest number of seats that can be arranged. Then, the seating management device 10 outputs the result of the seating as shown in FIG. 14B, and registers this in the seating table DB 15d.
[0067]
As can be seen from the overall processing described above, in the seat assignment management device 10 according to the present embodiment, the placement rules are not sequentially determined by applying the placement rules to each staff in an arbitrary order. After limiting the seats that can be seated, the arrangement is determined in order from the staff with the smallest total number. Therefore, as described above, it is possible to meet many requests regarding arrangements such as a seating arrangement that reflects the compatibility and preferences of agents and a seating arrangement that is suitable for SV monitoring effects and new employee training efficiency.
[0068]
[3: Configuration of seat assignment management device]
Next, the configuration of the seating management device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the seat assignment management device 10 includes an input unit 11, an output unit 12, an input / output control IF unit 13, a communication control IF unit 14, a storage unit 15, and a control unit 16. Consists of
[0069]
Among these, the input unit 11 is an input unit that receives input of various types of information, and includes a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and the like. For example, the input unit 11 receives settings regarding staff, layout, rules, seating execution instructions, and the like. Enter. The output unit 12 is an output unit that outputs various types of information, and includes a monitor (or a display, a touch panel) and a speaker. For example, various setting screens and seating results (see FIG. 5), which will be described later. Display and output warning list.
[0070]
The input / output control IF unit 13 is a means for controlling the input / output of data by the input unit 11 and the output unit 12, and the communication control IF unit 14 is a variety of information exchanged with other communication devices ( For example, it is a means for controlling communication relating to information regarding the schedule of each staff member.
[0071]
The storage unit 15 is a storage unit (storage unit) that stores data and programs necessary for various processes performed by the control unit 16, and particularly those closely related to the present invention include a staff DB 15a, a layout DB 15b, and a distribution unit. A seat rule DB 15c and a seating arrangement table DB 15d are provided.
[0072]
Among these, the staff DB 15a is a means for storing various types of information related to the staff who is the seating staff. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, the staff DB 15a is a staff for uniquely identifying each staff. In association with the ID, the last name, name, title, group to which it belongs, valid / invalid as a staff member (invalid if absent), work schedule, environment (environmental preferences of each staff member), etc. Configured. These pieces of information are set by a setting unit 16a described later and stored in the staff DB 15a.
[0073]
The layout DB 15b is a means for storing various types of information related to the seat (layout) where the staff is arranged. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2B, each seat (seat) is uniquely specified. In association with the seat number, the background color (the same background color if the seat group is treated as one group / island), valid / invalid as a seating target (if the seat is not used due to circumstances) Disabled), wall (whether there is a wall due to each partition of east, west, north, and south), corner seat / non-corner seat (corner seat if there are less than one seat in each of east, west, north and south), seat number of the next seat If there is, there is no seat next to it), environment (information on the environment of each seat), etc. are stored. These pieces of information are set by a setting unit 16a described later and stored in the layout DB 15b.
[0074]
The seating rule DB 15c is a means for storing a plurality of placement rules relating to the placement of each staff member in the above-described layout. Specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 2C, the rules are uniquely specified. Corresponding to the rule ID, the rule name, the priority (indicator when invalidating one of the rules causing the contradiction), the rule type, the validity / invalidity of application (if invalid, the rule is (It is not applied in the processing) and the contents of the rules are stored. These rules are set by a setting unit 16a described later and stored in the seating rule DB 15c.
[0075]
The seating table DB 15d is a means for storing the determined arrangement of each staff member, and is specifically configured to store a seating result represented on a screen as shown in FIG. 14B. Such a seating result is obtained by the assigning unit 16d and stored in the seating table DB 15d.
[0076]
The control unit 16 is a processing unit that has a control program such as an OS (Operating System), a program that defines various processing procedures, and an internal memory for storing necessary data, and executes various processes using these programs. Particularly, those closely related to the present invention include a setting unit 16a, a consistency checking unit 16b, a seating narrowing unit 16c, an assigning unit 16d, and a warning list creating unit 16e.
[0077]
Among these, the setting unit 16a is a processing unit (corresponding to the “placement rule setting unit” in the claims) that receives settings regarding staff, layout, and rules, and the staff setting processing and layout shown in FIG. , And rule setting processing (steps S401 to S403). Details of these processes will be described later with reference to FIGS.
[0078]
The consistency check unit 16b is a processing unit (corresponding to the “contradiction elimination means” in the claims) that eliminates inconsistencies that occur between a plurality of arrangement rules stored in the seating rule DB 15c. The consistency check process (step S405) shown in FIG. 4 is executed. Details of this processing will be described later with reference to FIG.
[0079]
The seating narrowing-down unit 16c applies a placement rule after the contradiction is eliminated by the consistency check unit 16b, and restricts seats where each staff can be placed (“placement limiting unit” in the claims). ), And the seat allocation narrowing process (step S406) shown in FIG. 4 is executed. Details of this processing will be described later with reference to FIG.
[0080]
The assigning unit 16d is a processing unit that determines the arrangement in order from the staff with the smallest number of seats based on the seats that can be arranged by each staff that is limited by the seating narrowing unit 16c (the “placement determination” in the claims) Corresponding to “means”), and the assignment process (step S407) shown in FIG. 4 is executed. Details of this processing will be described later with reference to FIGS.
[0081]
The warning list creation unit 16e lists seat rules that are invalidated in the consistency check processing, seat narrowing processing, and assignment processing, and staff members who have no seats available for placement. The processing unit to be uploaded (corresponding to “output means” in the claims). The warning list in which the seating rules and staff are listed is output via the output unit 12 so as to be viewable.
[0082]
Note that the seat assignment management device 10 having the above-described configuration is a function of each unit described above in an information processing device such as a known personal computer, workstation, mobile phone, PHS terminal, mobile communication terminal, or PDA. It can also be realized by mounting.
[0083]
[4: Setting process]
Next, the setting process by the seating management device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of screen transition in the seating management device 10. As shown in FIG. 5, when the main screen is displayed after login in the seating management device 10, the layout design starts from that state. (Layout setting process), staff design (staff setting process), post / group design (staff setting process), rule design (rule setting process), and any instructions to start automatic seating Can be migrated.
[0084]
In layout design and staff design, a sheet to be set and a staff property screen are selected and settings are made through the properties. In the rule design, any one of the staff-specific rules, layout-specific rules, and rule list tabs is selected, and the rules are set from the respective viewpoints. Hereinafter, these setting processes will be described by dividing them into (1) staff setting process, (2) layout setting process, and (3) rule setting process.
[0085]
(1) Staff setting process
FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a screen configuration example of the staff design. This staff design includes a list screen of each staff (see FIG. 6A) and a predetermined staff (including new staff) designated from this screen. ) Property screen (see FIG. 5B). In other words, on the property screen shown in (b) of the figure, enter “valid / invalid as a staff member (invalid if absent)”, “last name”, “name”, “title”, “group”. Alternatively, by selecting, the setting contents are reflected on the list screen of FIG. 5A and stored in the staff DB 15a. Although not explicitly shown in the figure, preferences regarding the environment of each staff (see FIG. 2A) are set similarly.
[0086]
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a screen configuration example of the post / group design. The post / group design includes a list field of each group (see the left side of the figure) and a predetermined group designated from this field. It consists of property fields (see the right side of the figure). That is, by inputting or selecting “title” and “name” in the field on the right side of the screen, the setting contents are reflected in the list field on the left side of the screen. Note that the setting contents based on the title / group design are also reflected in the display contents of the screen shown in FIG.
[0087]
(2) Layout setting process
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the layout design screen configuration. This layout design includes a list screen (see FIG. 8A) in which each sheet is arranged in the same manner as on-site, and a sheet designated from this screen. Property screen (see FIG. 2B). That is, on the property screen of FIG. 5B, “valid / invalid as a seating target (invalid if the seat is not used due to circumstances)”, “background color (treated as one group / island) By inputting or selecting “the same background color for sheet groups” and “wall (presence / absence of walls by east, west, north, and south partitions)”, the setting contents are reflected in the list screen of FIG. At the same time, it is stored in the layout DB 15b. Although not explicitly shown in the figure, information on the environment of each sheet (see FIG. 2B) is set in the same manner.
[0088]
(3) Rule setting process
FIG. 9 to FIG. 13 are diagrams showing examples of screen configurations of rule designs. As shown in each figure, such rule designs are designated fields (each rule) for designating a rule application target (or rule itself). And a setting field (see the right side of each figure) for setting a rule for the application target specified here.
[0089]
More specifically, the designation field (see the left side of each figure) is configured with tabs of “staff, layout, rule list”, and when the “staff” tab is selected, any staff is designated. Staff list, title list for specifying an arbitrary title, and group list for specifying an arbitrary group are displayed (see FIG. 9 and the like). When the “Layout” tab is selected, an arbitrary sheet is displayed. A layout list for designating a rule is displayed (see FIG. 10 and the like). When the “rule list” tab is selected, a rule list for designating an arbitrary rule is displayed (see FIG. 11 and the like).
[0090]
On the other hand, the setting fields (see the right side of each figure) include “rule ID”, “validation of application (if invalid, the rule is not applied in processing)”, “rule name”, “priority (conflict) "Indicator for disabling any one of rules that generate)", "Rule type" area to select or enter, "Specify / Negation (Specify if rule content is not negative)", "Sheet ”,“ Staff 1 ”,“ Staff 2 ”,“ Position ”,“ Group ”, and“ Sheet Color ”are selected or specified and specified (refer to the left side of each figure). The The setting of each rule will be described below using this rule design screen.
[0091]
As illustrated in FIG. 9, the direct rule is set in the setting field on the right side of the screen as “Rule ID”, “Enable / Disable of application”, “Rule name”, “Priority”, “Rule type (here Then select “Direct”) and import “Sheet” to which the direct rule is applied from the layout tab screen, and “Staff” to which the same rule is applied from the staff tab screen. Is called. As a result, in the case of the same figure, a direct rule that “staff“ Akane Hattori ”is seated on the seat“ C03 ”” is set, and this is stored in the seating rule DB 15c.
[0092]
As shown in FIG. 10, in the setting field on the right side of the screen, the setting of the job title restriction rule is set to “rule ID”, “application valid / invalid”, “rule name”, “priority”, “rule type ( “Select job titles here)” is selected or entered, and “sheets” to which job restriction rules are applied are imported from the layout tab screen, and “job titles” to which the rules are applied are imported from the staff tab screen. Is done by. As a result, in the case of the figure, a post-restriction rule “place a staff of the post“ SV ”on the seat“ A06 ”” is set and stored in the seating rule DB 15c.
[0093]
As illustrated in FIG. 11, the setting of the adjacent seat designation rule is performed in the setting fields on the right side of the screen, such as “rule ID”, “application valid / invalid”, “rule name”, “priority”, “rule type ( Here, “Select next seat designation” is selected or input, and “Staff 1” and “Staff 2” to which the next seat designation rule is applied are fetched from the staff tab screen. As a result, in the case of the figure, “Negation” of “Designation / Negation” is selected, so “Staff“ Midori Kato ”and Staff“ Ran Terahara ”are arranged so as not to be next to each other. Is set in the seating rule DB 15c.
[0094]
As shown in FIG. 12, the setting of the corner seat designation rule is performed in the setting field on the right side of the screen by “Rule ID”, “Effective / Invalid”, “Rule Name”, “Priority”, “Rule Type”. This is performed by selecting or inputting “(Selecting a corner seat designation)” and capturing “Staff” to which the corner seat designation rule is applied from the screen of the staff tab. As a result, in the case of the figure, a corner seat designation rule of “assign staff“ Nana Aida ”to“ corner seat ”” is set and stored in the seating rule DB 15c.
[0095]
As illustrated in FIG. 13, the group color rule is set in the setting field on the right side of the screen by “Rule ID”, “Enable / Disable of application”, “Rule name”, “Priority”, “Rule type ( “Group color” is selected or entered here, and the “group” to which the group color is applied is read from the staff tab screen, and further, the “seat color (the seat color enclosed in the same color) is applied to the same rule. This is done by selecting “set” ”with reference to the layout tab screen. As a result, in the case of the same figure, a group color rule of “allocating the staff of the group“ fourth ”to the“ blue sheet ”” is set and stored in the arrangement rule DB 15 c.
[0096]
The “environment designation rule” shown in FIG. 3 is also set in the setting fields on the right side of the screen in the same manner as described above, in the “rule ID”, “validation / invalidity of application”, “rule name”, and “priority”. , “Rule type (in this case, environment specification is selected)” is selected or input, and “Staff” to which the environment specification rule is applied is read from the screen of the staff tab. As a result, an “environment designation rule” for limiting the arrangement of the staff to be applied to the “environment” seat stored in the staff DB 15a for the staff is set, and this is stored in the seating rule DB 15c.
[0097]
As described above, in the setting process by the seating management device 10, the setting of the placement rule is accepted from the setter and stored in the seating rule DB 15c. Therefore, it is possible to freely set an arrangement rule and respond flexibly to many arrangement requests.
[0098]
In the setting process by the seating management device 10, the setting of the arrangement rule is received through a GUI (Graphical User Interface). Therefore, it is possible to set an arrangement rule without effort in an intuitively easy-to-understand operation.
[0099]
In the setting process by the seating management device 10, a predetermined staff, job title, group, and sheet are selected through the GUI, and setting of an arrangement rule related to this selection is accepted. Therefore, it is possible to easily set the arrangement rule by a simple operation of selecting a staff member or a seat displayed on the screen (not inputting the staff member or the seat key itself).
[0100]
[5: Consistency check process]
Next, the consistency check process by the seating management device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the flow of the consistency check process shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the consistency check unit 16b of the seating management device 10 first selects all the valid rules (rules that are set to “valid / invalid”) from the seating rule DB 15c, The selected rules are sorted in order of priority (in descending order of priority) to create a list of valid rules (steps S1501 and S1502). When there are a plurality of rules with the same priority, sorting is performed by introducing other criteria such as the rule IDs in ascending order.
[0101]
Subsequently, the consistency check unit 16b extracts the rule positioned at the head of the valid rule list as the “comparison source rule”, and extracts the rule positioned next to the extracted rule as the “comparison destination rule” (step S1503 and S1504). Then, the consistency check unit 16b determines whether or not there is a contradiction between the “comparison source rule” and the “comparison destination rule” (step S1505). In other words, for example, the “comparison rule” is a direct rule “staff“ Akane Hattori ”is seated on the seat“ C03 ””, and the “comparison rule” is “staff“ Akane Hattori ”on the seat“ In the case of the direct rule “seat at A03”, it is determined that there is a contradiction between the two.
[0102]
Further, this determination of contradiction is performed not only between the same type of rule types but also between different rule types. In other words, for example, the “comparison rule” is a direct rule that “staff“ Akane Hattori ”is seated on the seat“ C03 ””, and the “comparison rule” is “group“ fourth (staff “Hattori” In the case of the group color rule that “the staff of“ including Akane ”is assigned to the“ blue sheet (not including the sheet “C03”) ”, it is determined that there is a contradiction between the two.
[0103]
If it is determined that there is a contradiction (Yes in step S1505), the consistency check unit 16b invalidates the “comparison rule” setting on the seating rule DB 15c (step S1506). . That is, contradiction is eliminated by invalidating the rule with the lower priority, and the invalidated rule is not applied in the subsequent processing (seating narrowing processing and assignment processing). The seating rules disabled here are listed up in the warning list by the processing of the warning list creation unit 16e and output.
[0104]
However, what is invalid in the above example is not the group color rule itself but the group color rule for the staff “Akane Hattori”, and the group color rule can be applied to the other staff of the fourth group. Preserved (only “Akane Hattori” is excluded from the group color rule application staff). Therefore, in this case, the group color rule for the staff “Akane Hattori” is listed as being invalid in the warning list. The reason why the group color rule itself is not invalidated is to satisfy as many arrangement requests as possible even if it is not a complete form.
[0105]
On the contrary, if it is determined that there is no contradiction (No in step S1505), the consistency check unit 16b determines whether or not this “comparison rule” is the last rule in the valid rule list. (Step S1507). If the “comparison rule” is not the last rule (No at step S1507), the process returns to step S1504, and subsequently the next rule is extracted as the “comparison rule”. The processes of S1505 to S1507 are repeated. That is, in the valid rule list sorted in the priority order, inconsistencies are checked in order between the “comparison source rule” positioned at the top and “all rules positioned below”.
[0106]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1507 that the “comparison rule” is the last rule (Yes in step S1507), the consistency check unit 16b deletes the “comparison rule” from the valid rule list ( Step S1508). That is, the setting of the “comparison source rule” is kept valid in the seating rule DB 15c and applied in the subsequent processing (seating narrowing processing and assignment processing).
[0107]
Then, the consistency check unit 16b determines whether or not the “comparison source rule” deleted from the valid rule list is the last rule in the valid rule list (step S1509), and if it is the last rule (step S1509). (Yes), the consistency check process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is not the last rule (No at Step S1509), the process returns to Step S1503, and the rule at the head of the latest valid rule list is extracted as the “comparison source rule”, and the processing of Steps S1504 to S1509 is performed. repeat. That is, in the new effective rule list after the “comparison rule” is deleted in step S1508, there is a discrepancy between the “comparison rule” positioned at the top and “all rules positioned below”. Check in order.
[0108]
As described above, in the consistency check process by the seating management device 10, the contradiction that occurs between the plurality of placement rules stored in the seating rule DB 15c is eliminated, and the placement rule after the contradiction is eliminated. After the application, the subsequent processing (seating arrangement processing and assignment processing) is performed. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate inconsistencies that limit the arrangement of a staff member to different seats.
[0109]
Further, in the consistency check process by the seating management device 10, any one of the combination of arrangement rules causing the contradiction is invalidated according to the priority set in the arrangement rule setting process. Therefore, it is possible to validate the placement rule having a higher priority, and it is possible to respond positively to the placement request to be prioritized.
[0110]
Further, in the consistency check process by the seating management device 10, inconsistencies that occur between the same type of arrangement rules are excluded, and inconsistencies that occur between different types of arrangement rules are excluded. Therefore, it is possible to reliably eliminate contradictions that are difficult to find by the setter.
[0111]
In the consistency check process by the seating management device 10, the disabled seating rules are listed in the warning list and output. Therefore, it becomes possible to explain the reason to the staff related to the invalidated placement rule and to make an improved placement rule setting.
[0112]
Note that the priority of each rule used for contradiction elimination is a value that can be arbitrarily set by the setter as shown in FIGS. 9 to 13. An initial value corresponding to the rule type of the placement rule may be presented, and priority settings may be received with reference to this. That is, the initial value of the “position restriction rule” may be presented higher than the initial value of the “direct rule”. Accordingly, it is possible to suggest to the setter which rule type of the placement rule should be given priority, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which the placement rule that the setter does not expect is excluded.
[0113]
[6: Seat selection processing]
Next, with reference to FIG. 16, the seating narrowing process by the seating management apparatus 10 will be described. FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing the flow of the seating narrowing process shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the seating narrowing-down unit 16c of the seating management device 10 first refers to the staff DB 15a, and arbitrarily selects one of the staff members whose validity is set as “valid / invalid”. A staff is selected (step S1601).
[0114]
Subsequently, the seating narrowing-down unit 16c makes it possible to place all the seats on the “seatable seat list” for the selected staff (step S1602). That is, in short, all the seats shown in FIG. 8A are assumed to be seats that can be seated, and “◯” is assigned to all seats on the “seat seating list”. Then, the seating narrowing-down unit 16c extracts rules regarding the selected staff (excluding “neighboring seat designation rules”) from the seating rule DB 15c and sorts them according to the priority order (step S1603). When there are a plurality of rules with the same priority, sorting is performed by introducing other criteria such as the rule IDs in ascending order.
[0115]
Here, “Rules for Selected Staff” is a rule in which the selected staff is included in the rule contents, and all rule types of “Direct Rule, Title Restriction Rule, Corner Seat Specification Rule, Group Color Rule” There may also be staff with relevant rules. Note that the “adjacent seat designation rule” is excluded from the “rule regarding the selected staff” because it is an arrangement rule that can be applied only when the arrangement of a certain person is determined, and is intended to be applied in the assignment process described later.
[0116]
When the rules related to the selected staff are sorted in order of priority in step S1603, the seat selection unit 16c selects one rule (the rule located at the top) from the sorted rules, and this selection is made. By applying the rule, the seats that can be arranged are limited on the “seating available seat list” (steps S1604 and 1605). In other words, for example, the selected staff is “Aida Nana”, and the selected rule is a corner seat designation rule that “staff“ Aida Nana ”is assigned to“ corner seat ””. In this case, the other seats are set to “X” so that only the corner seats are “◯” on the “seatable seat list”.
[0117]
Then, the seating narrowing-down unit 16c determines whether or not seats that can be seated remain after the application of the rule in step S1605 (step S1606), and there is no “○” on the “seatable seat list”. If it is present (No at step S1606), the application of the rule to the selected staff is invalidated, and the limitation of seats that can be arranged is canceled (step S1607). In other words, in the previous example, if all seats on the “Available Seat List” are “×” as a result of applying the corner seat designation rule, The state is returned to before applying the corner seat designation rule. The seating rules disabled here are listed up in the warning list by the processing of the warning list creation unit 16e and output.
[0118]
On the other hand, if seats that can be seated remain after the application of the rule in step S1605 (Yes in step S1606), the seat selection unit 16c applies all the seating rules related to the selected staff. It is determined whether it has been done (step S1608). If all the seating rules are not applied (No at Step S1608), the process returns to Step S1604, selects the next seating rule, and repeats the processing of Steps S1605 to S1608. In other words, the application is attempted for all rules related to the selected staff, and “○” or “×” is determined for all the seats on the “seatable seat list” for the selected staff (FIG. 18A). reference).
[0119]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1608 that all the seating rules related to the selected staff have been applied (Yes in step S1608), the seat selection unit 16c selects the last one that the selected staff should select from the staff DB 15a. Is determined (whether there is a staff who has not performed the seating narrowing process) (step S1609). And if it is the last staff (step S1609 affirmation), arrangement narrowing processing will be ended.
[0120]
On the other hand, if it is not the last staff (No at Step S1609), the seating narrowing-down unit 16c returns to Step S1601, selects the next staff, and repeats the processes at Steps S1602 to S1609. That is, with respect to all the staffs set to “valid” in the staff DB 15a, all the rules related to each staff are tried to be applied, and “○” or “ “X” is determined (see FIG. 18A).
[0121]
As described above, in the seating narrowing process by the seating management device 10, the placement rules (direct rule, job title restriction rule, corner seat designation rule) for limiting the location where the staff is placed in association with a predetermined location. , Group color rules) are applied only to limit the number of seats available for each staff. Therefore, the application of an applicable arrangement rule (neighboring seat designation rule) can be entrusted to a later process only after the arrangement of a certain staff is determined, and the efficiency of the process as a whole can also be improved.
[0122]
In the seating narrowing process by the seating management device 10, the placement rules are applied in descending order of priority, while the placement rules in which no seats can be placed after application are invalidated. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which processing ends in vain in an attempt to respond to all the arrangement requests while actively responding to the arrangement requests to be prioritized.
[0123]
Further, in the seat assignment narrowing process by the seat assignment management device 10, the disabled seat assignment rules are listed up in a warning list and output. Therefore, it becomes possible to explain the reason to the staff related to the invalidated placement rule and to make an improved placement rule setting.
[0124]
[7: Assignment processing]
Next, assignment processing by the seating management device 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of the assignment process shown in FIG. 4, and FIGS. 18 to 20 are diagrams for explaining a specific example of the assignment process.
[0125]
As shown in FIG. 17, the assigning unit 16d by the seat assignment management device 10 first displays the unassigned seats on the “seatable seat list (see FIG. 18A)” created by the seat narrowing process. The number of seats available for staff (initially all staff) is calculated (step S1701). Specifically, in the case of the “list of seats that can be arranged” shown in FIG. 18A, “staff A, B, C, D, E” are respectively “1, 3, 1, 2, 3”. The number of seats M that can be arranged is calculated.
[0126]
Subsequently, the assigning unit 16d sorts the unassigned staff in ascending order of the number M of seats that can be arranged (step S1702). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19 (d), the non-seat staffs are rearranged in the descending order of the number M of seats that can be placed on the “seatable seat list”. Note that when there are a plurality of non-seat staffs with the same number M of seats available for seating, sorting is performed by introducing other criteria such as the order of younger staff IDs.
[0127]
Then, the assigning unit 16d assigns a seat to the staff positioned at the head of the “list of seats available for seating” sorted in ascending order of the number M of seats available for seating (step S1703). Specifically, in the case shown in FIG. 19 (d), the seat A can be arranged only by the seat a. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 19 (e), the staff A is arranged on the seat a. To do. If there are multiple seats available for seating, other criteria such as a random number are used, or the number of seats in order of increasing number and the number of seats that can be seated by other staff are few. Make assignments.
[0128]
Subsequently, the assigning unit 16d deletes the assigned staff from the “seatable seat list” (step S1704), and the next staff on the “seatable seat list” is “comparison staff”. (Step S1705). Specifically, in the case shown in FIG. 19E, the staff C following the staff A is selected as the “comparison staff”.
[0129]
Then, the assigning unit 16d determines whether the seat assigned in step S1703 is a seat that can be arranged for the “comparison staff” (step S1706), and whether the assigned staff and the work schedule of the “comparison staff” overlap. Is determined (step S1707).
[0130]
Here, when the assigned seat is not a seat that can be arranged for the “comparison staff” (No at Step S1706), or when the assigned staff does not overlap the work schedule (No at Step S1707), Step S1711 described later is performed. Move to processing by. Specifically, in the case shown in FIG. 19 (e), the staff C who is the “comparison staff” is not a seat where the seat a assigned to the staff A can be arranged, so the process proceeds to step S1711. To do. The same applies when staff D and E become “comparison staff”.
[0131]
On the other hand, if the assigned seat is a seat that can be arranged for the “comparison staff” and the assigned staff and the work schedule overlap (Yes in step S1706 and Yes in step S1707), the assigning unit 16d The assigned seats are excluded from the seats available for “comparative staff” on the “seatable seat list” (step S1708). This is because if a “comparison staff” is assigned to the assigned seat, duplication occurs. Specifically, in the “seatable seat list” shown in FIG. 19E, when the staff B is “comparison staff”, the seat a assigned to the staff A is allocated to the staff B. Since it is a seat that can be seated and the work schedule overlaps with the staff A (see FIG. 18B), as shown in FIG. The
[0132]
Subsequent to the processing in step S1708, the assigning unit 16d determines whether or not a seat that can be arranged remains in the “comparison staff” (step S1709). If no seat remains (No in step S1709), This “comparison staff” is deleted from the “seatable seat list” as “unseatable staff” (step S1710). Specifically, taking FIG. 19 (e) as an example, if seat B is no longer available for seating by removing seat a from the seating for seating by staff B. Deletes the staff B from the “seatable seat list” as “staff that cannot be seated”. Note that the staff designated as “non-seatable staff” is listed in the warning list by the process of the warning list creation unit 16e and output.
[0133]
Subsequent to the processing described above, the assigning unit 16d determines whether the seating of the “comparison staff” is restricted by the “neighboring seat designation rule”, that is, between the staff assigned in step S1703 and the “comparison staff”. It is determined whether the “neighboring seat designation rule” is applied (step S1711).
[0134]
Here, when the “neighboring seat designation rule” is not applied to the “comparison staff” (No at Step S1711), the process proceeds to Step S1715 described later. Specifically, in the case shown in FIG. 19E, the staff C who is the “comparison staff” does not have a “neighboring seat designation rule” with the staff A (see FIG. 18C). The process proceeds to S1711. The same applies when staff D and E become “comparison staff”.
[0135]
On the other hand, when the “neighboring seat designation rule” is applied between the assigned staff and the “comparison staff” (Yes in step S1711), the assigning unit 16d performs the application of the “neighboring seat designation rule”. The seats that cannot be placed are excluded from the seats that can be placed in the “comparison staff” on the “list of available seats” (step S1712). Specifically, in the “seatable seat list” shown in FIG. 19E, when the staff B is “comparison staff”, the assigned staff A and the staff B are adjacent seats. (See FIG. 18 (c)), as shown in FIG. 19 (e), the seat d is excluded from the seats available for staff B (staff A and Only the seat b serving as the adjacent seat remains).
[0136]
Subsequent to the processing in step S1712, the assigning unit 16d determines whether or not a seat that can be arranged remains in the “comparison staff” (step S1713). If no seat remains (No in step S1713), The application of the “neighboring seat designation rule” in step S1712 is invalidated, and the limitation of seats that can be arranged is canceled (step S1714). Specifically, taking FIG. 19 (e) as an example, if the seat B of the staff B disappears by excluding the seat d from the seat that the staff B can seat, Returns the state on the “separable seat list” to the state before applying the adjacent seat designation rule (returns the seat d to “◯”). The adjacent seat designation rule whose application is invalidated here is listed up in the warning list by the processing of the warning list creation unit 16e and is output.
[0137]
After such processing, the assigning unit 16d determines whether the “comparison staff” that has been processed until now is the last staff on the “seating available seat list” (step S1715). If it is not the last staff (No at step S1715), the process returns to step S1705, the next staff is selected as “comparison staff”, and the processes of steps S1706 to S1715 are repeated. That is, in the case shown in FIG. 19 (e), “Staff C, D, B, E” are sequentially set as the comparison staff, and the seats that can be arranged are relimited.
[0138]
On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1715 that the “comparison staff” is the last staff on the “seatable seat list” (Yes in step S1715), the assigning unit 16d It is determined whether seats have been assigned to all the staff members of the “list” (step S1716). In this determination, if no seats have been assigned to all staff (No at Step S1716), the assigning unit 16d returns to Step S1701 and can arrange seats for non-seat staff on the “separable seat list”. The number of seats is calculated again, and based on this, the processing of steps S1702 to S1716 is repeated.
[0139]
Specifically, the “seatable seat list” shown in FIG. 19E is updated to the “seatable seat list” shown in FIG. 19F, and this “seatable seat list” is updated. The seat b is assigned to the staff B positioned at the top in the above, and the seat b is excluded from the seats where the staff E can arrange seats, as shown in FIG. Subsequently, the assigning unit 16d returns to step S1701 again, and replaces the “seatable seat list” shown in FIG. 19 (g) with the “seatable seat list” shown in FIG. 20 (h). The seat c is assigned to the staff C positioned at the head of the “seating available seat list”, and the seat E can be assigned from the seats of the staff E as shown in FIG. Exclude sheet c. Here, the reason why the seat c is not excluded from the seats that can be arranged by the staff D is that the work schedules of the staff C and the staff D do not overlap as shown in FIG.
[0140]
Further, subsequently, the assigning unit 16d returns to step S1701 again, and replaces the “seatable seat list” shown in FIG. 20 (j) with the “seatable seat list” shown in FIG. 20 (k). The seat d is assigned to the staff E located at the head of this “seatable seat list”, and from the seats where staff E can be seated as shown in FIG. Exclude sheet d. As a result, the arrangement of each staff is determined as shown in FIG.
[0141]
Returning to the description of FIG. 17, if it is determined in step S1716 that seats have been assigned to all the staff members in the “placeable seat list” (Yes in step S1716), the assigning unit 16d performs the process of step S1710. It is determined whether or not the “staffing impossible staff” exists (step S1717). If there is no “non-seatable staff” (No at step S 1717), the assignment process is terminated as it is. On the contrary, if “unseatable staff” is present (step S 1717). (Yes) This “staff that cannot be assigned” is assigned to a vacant seat (step S1718), and the assignment process is terminated.
[0142]
As described above, in the assignment process by the seat assignment management device 10, after deciding the arrangement for a certain staff, the seats that can be arranged for non-seat staffs are re-limited, Placement is decided in order from the staff with the smallest total number. Therefore, it is possible to reliably arrange the staff members without duplication.
[0143]
Further, in the assignment process by the seat assignment management device 10, seats that can be assigned are limited for unassigned staff whose schedule overlaps with the assigned staff. Therefore, if the schedules do not overlap, the seats that can be arranged can be prevented from being limited again, and the staff can be more efficiently arranged.
[0144]
Further, in the assignment process by the seat assignment management device 10, a staff member who has no seat available due to re-limitation is finally placed in a vacant seat where no staff member has been placed. Therefore, priority can be given to the staff whose arrangement has been determined earlier, and the processing can be facilitated.
[0145]
Also, in the assignment process by the seat assignment management device 10, staff members who have no seats available due to re-restriction and placement rules that are invalidated upon re-restriction are listed in the warning list and output. Therefore, it is possible to explain the reason to the staff who has no seats available for arrangement, and to improve the arrangement rules.
[0146]
Further, in the assignment process by the seating management device 10, an adjacent seat designation rule (placement rule for limiting the position where a predetermined person is placed in association with another predetermined person) is applied, and the unsold staff Re-limit seats that can be arranged. Therefore, it is possible to apply the adjacent seat designation rule without leaking, and it is also possible to reliably respond to a request in which “staff” and “seat” are indirectly associated with each other through other staff.
[0147]
Also, in the assignment processing by the seat assignment management device 10, when the seats that can be seated are re-restricted by applying the adjacent seat designation rule and the seats that can be seated after application are not used, the application is invalidated. To do. Therefore, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a staff member who has no seats available by applying the adjacent seat designation rule forcibly occurs.
[0148]
[8: Other embodiments]
The embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied in various different embodiments within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims. It may be implemented. Therefore, as shown below, different embodiments will be described by dividing into (1) the concept of rules, (2) application targets, and (3) system configuration.
[0149]
(1) Rule concept
For example, in the present embodiment, the arrangement rules have been described by dividing them into six rule types (see FIG. 3). However, the present invention is not limited to this, and rules relating to the arrangement of each staff in a plurality of seats. If applicable, it can be applied as well. That is, as shown in FIG. 21 (a), the placement rules are rules that associate staff and seats to limit the placement (for example, direct rules, title restriction rules, corner seat designation rules, group color rules, environment designations). Rules) and rules (neighboring seat rules) for associating staff and limiting the arrangement.
[0150]
Here, the former rule is a rule that can be specified by specifying the attribute of the staff and the attribute of the seat, and the latter rule is a rule that can be specified by specifying the attributes of the two staff members. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 5B, as the staff attributes, the staff ID, job title, group number, gender, age, environmental preferences (preferences for cigarettes, sunshine, air conditioning, etc.) are designated, and the seat Various attributes can be applied by specifying a seat ID, a seat color, a corner seat, an environment (environment related to cigarettes, sunlight, air conditioning, etc.) and the like as the attributes.
[0151]
To give a specific example, the staff DB 15a stores the preferences regarding the environment of each staff (see FIG. 2A), and the layout DB 15b stores the information regarding the environment of each sheet (see FIG. 2B). "Staff who don't like cigarettes will be assigned to seats away from the smoking room", "Staff who dislike being too sunshine will be seated outside the window", "Cool staff are away from the air conditioner It is possible to set a rule such as “seat to a seat” and apply it. Furthermore, by storing the gender and age of each staff in the staff DB 15a, it is possible to set rules such as "Place staff with similar ages in the next seat" and "Place staff with the same gender in the next seat". Can also be applied.
[0152]
(2) Application target
In the present embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the staff arrangement in the contact center (call center) has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the arrangement of personnel in a general workplace, The present invention can be applied in the same manner as long as it is for arranging a plurality of personnel at a plurality of positions, such as arrangement of staff in an outdoor event.
[0153]
(3) System configuration, etc.
In addition, among the processes described in the present embodiment, all or a part of the processes described as being automatically performed can be manually performed, or the processes described as being manually performed All or a part of the above can be automatically performed by a known method. In addition, the processing procedure, control procedure, specific name, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above-described document and drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified.
[0154]
Further, each component of each illustrated apparatus is functionally conceptual, and does not necessarily need to be physically configured as illustrated. In other words, the specific form of distribution / integration of each device is not limited to that shown in the figure, and all or a part thereof may be functionally or physically distributed or arbitrarily distributed in arbitrary units according to various loads or usage conditions. Can be integrated and configured. Further, all or any part of each processing function performed in each device may be realized by a CPU and a program analyzed and executed by the CPU, or may be realized as hardware by wired logic.
[0155]
The arrangement management method described in the present embodiment can be realized by executing a program prepared in advance on a computer such as a personal computer or a workstation. This program can be distributed via a network such as the Internet. The program can also be executed by being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a hard disk, a flexible disk (FD), a CD-ROM, an MO, and a DVD and being read from the recording medium by the computer.
[0156]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the invention of claim 1, 28 or 29, instead of sequentially determining the arrangement by applying the arrangement rule to each person in an arbitrary order, the positions where each person can be placed are limited. After that, since the arrangement is determined in order from the personnel whose number is small, it becomes possible to meet many requests regarding the arrangement. In other words, for example, staff (SV, agent, etc.) at a contact center (call center), etc., that reflects the compatibility and preferences of the agent, the SV monitoring effect, and the allocation suitable for new employee development efficiency It is possible to meet a large number of arrangement requests such as seats, thereby reducing the work burden on the manager who manages the seating and easily forming an optimal work environment that facilitates work.
[0157]
According to the invention of claim 2, 4-8 or 30, for example, a specific staff is arranged in a specific seat, an SV is arranged in a specific seat, or a specific group member is arranged in a specific area. `` Staff '' and `` seats '' directly, such as gathering and arranging in certain places, placing certain staff in corner seats, placing staff who are not good at smoking cigarettes in seats away from smoking rooms, etc. It becomes possible to respond to the associated arrangement request.
[0158]
Further, according to the invention of claim 3, 9 or 31, for example, a new agent is placed in the seat next to the education agent, staff members who are not compatible with each other are placed so as not to be in the next seat, Responding to placement requests that indirectly associate “staff” and “seat” via other staff, such as placing many staff apart from each other, or placing a SV on a seat that can be seen by a managed agent Is possible.
[0159]
Further, according to the invention of claim 10 or 32, it is possible to freely set an arrangement rule, and it is possible to flexibly respond to many arrangement requests.
[0160]
According to the invention of claim 11, it is also possible to set an arrangement rule without labor in an easily understandable operation.
[0161]
According to the twelfth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to easily set an arrangement rule by a simple operation of selecting a person or a position displayed on the screen (not inputting the person or the position itself). become.
[0162]
Further, according to the thirteenth or thirty-third aspect of the present invention, it is possible to eliminate inconsistencies that limit the arrangement of certain personnel at different positions.
[0163]
According to the fourteenth aspect of the present invention, the arrangement rule having a higher priority can be validated, and the arrangement request to be prioritized can be positively answered.
[0164]
In addition, according to the fifteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to reliably eliminate contradictions that are difficult to find by the setter.
[0165]
Further, according to the invention of claim 16, it is possible to suggest to the setter which type of placement rule should be given priority, and it is possible to prevent a situation in which placement rules that the setter does not anticipate are excluded. It becomes possible.
[0166]
According to the seventeenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to explain the reason to the personnel related to the invalidated placement rule and to make an improved placement rule setting.
[0167]
According to the invention of claim 18 or 34, application of applicable placement rules (such as rules for placing specific staff members next to each other) only after the placement of a certain person is determined is left to later processing. Therefore, it is possible to improve the efficiency of processing as a whole.
[0168]
According to the nineteenth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a situation in which processing ends in vain in order to respond to all the arrangement requests while actively responding to the arrangement requests to be prioritized.
[0169]
Further, according to the twentieth aspect of the present invention, it becomes possible to explain the reason to the personnel related to the invalidated arrangement rule and to make an improved arrangement rule setting.
[0170]
In addition, according to the invention of claim 21 or 35, it is possible to reliably arrange the personnel without duplication.
[0171]
According to the invention of claim 22 or 36, if the schedules do not overlap, it is possible not to re-limit the possible placement positions, and it is also possible to more efficiently place each person.
[0172]
Further, according to the invention of claim 23, priority can be given to the personnel whose arrangement has been determined earlier, and the processing can be facilitated.
[0173]
According to the twenty-fourth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to explain the reason to the staff members who have no possible placement positions and to make improvements to the placement rules.
[0174]
Further, according to the invention of claim 25 or 37, it is possible to apply the arrangement rules associated with the personnel whose arrangement is determined without leaking, and the “staff” and the “seat” are indirectly transmitted through other staff. It is also possible to reliably respond to a request associated with each other.
[0175]
According to the twenty-sixth aspect of the present invention, it is possible to prevent a situation in which a person who does not have any arrangement position by applying the arrangement rule forcibly occurs.
[0176]
In addition, according to the invention of claim 27, it becomes possible to explain the reason to the personnel related to the arrangement rule whose application is invalidated, and to improve the arrangement rule.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a seating management apparatus according to an embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of information stored in each DB.
FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining various rules.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of overall processing by a seating management device.
FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a transition example of a screen.
FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of a staff design.
FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of a title / group design.
FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of a layout design.
FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of a rule design (direct rule).
FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of a rule design (position restriction rule).
FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of a rule design (adjacent seat designation rule).
FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of a rule design (square seat designation rule).
FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of a rule design (group color rule).
FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating a screen configuration example of automatic seating.
15 is a flowchart showing the flow of consistency check processing shown in FIG. 4;
16 is a flowchart showing a flow of seat narrowing processing shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing the flow of assignment processing shown in FIG. 4;
FIG. 18 is a diagram for describing a specific example of assignment processing;
FIG. 19 is a diagram for describing a specific example of assignment processing;
FIG. 20 is a diagram for describing a specific example of assignment processing;
FIG. 21 is a diagram for explaining the concept of a rule.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 network
10 Equipment
11 Input section
12 Output section
13 Input / output control IF section
14 Communication control IF section
15 Storage unit
15a Staff DB
15b Layout DB
15c Seating rules DB
15d Seating table DB
16 Control unit
16a setting part
16b Consistency check part
16c Arrangement of seats
16d assignment section
16e Warning list creation part

Claims (37)

An arrangement management device for managing the arrangement of each person in order to arrange a plurality of persons at a plurality of positions,
Arrangement rule storage means for storing a plurality of arrangement rules relating to the arrangement of each person at the plurality of positions;
An arrangement limiting unit that applies the plurality of arrangement rules stored by the arrangement rule storage unit to limit the position where each person can be arranged among the plurality of positions;
Based on the possible arrangement positions of each person limited by the arrangement limiting means, arrangement determination means for determining the arrangement in order from the person with the smallest total number of arrangement possible positions;
An arrangement management apparatus comprising: The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with a predetermined position. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with another predetermined person. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores an arrangement rule that specifies that a specific person is limited to a specific position. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores an arrangement rule that specifies that a person in a specific position is limited to a specific position. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores an arrangement rule that specifies that the personnel belonging to a specific group are limited to positions in a specific area. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores an arrangement rule that defines that a specific person is limited to an angular position. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores an arrangement rule that specifies that a specific person is limited to a position having a specific environmental factor. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores an arrangement rule that specifies that specific persons are limited to adjacent positions. It further comprises an arrangement rule setting means for accepting the setting of the arrangement rule,
The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement rule storage unit stores the arrangement rule received by the arrangement rule setting unit. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the arrangement rule setting unit receives the setting of the arrangement rule through a GUI (Graphical User Interface). The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the arrangement rule setting unit selects a predetermined person or position through the GUI and accepts an arrangement rule setting related to the selection. Further comprising contradiction elimination means for eliminating inconsistencies occurring between the plurality of arrangement rules stored by the arrangement rule storage means,
The placement restriction means limits placement positions of each person by applying a placement rule after the contradiction is eliminated by the contradiction elimination unit. Placement management device. The placement rule setting means receives priority of the placement rule when setting the placement rule,
14. The contradiction elimination unit invalidates one of the combination of arrangement rules causing a contradiction according to the priority order received by the arrangement rule setting unit. Placement management device. 15. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the contradiction elimination unit eliminates inconsistencies that occur between the same type of arrangement rules and also eliminates inconsistencies that occur between different types of arrangement rules. The arrangement management according to claim 14 or 15, wherein the arrangement rule setting unit presents an initial value of a priority according to a type of the arrangement rule to be set and receives the priority of the arrangement rule. apparatus. 15. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising output means for outputting the arrangement rule invalidated by the contradiction elimination means so as to be viewable. The arrangement limiting means limits the positions where each person can be arranged by applying only an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with the predetermined position. The arrangement management device according to any one of 1 to 16. The arrangement according to claim 18, wherein the arrangement limiting unit applies the arrangement rule in descending order of priority, and invalidates the application of an arrangement rule that has no arrangement-possible position after application. Management device. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising an output unit that outputs the arrangement rule whose application is invalidated by the arrangement limiting unit so that the arrangement rule can be viewed. The arrangement determining means, after determining the arrangement for a predetermined person, re-limits the arrangement possible position for the non-arranged person, and determines the arrangement in order from the person with the smallest total number of the re-limited arrangement possible positions. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the arrangement management apparatus is characterized in that: The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the arrangement determination unit re-limits an arrangement possible position for a non-arranged person whose schedule overlaps with a predetermined person whose arrangement is determined. 23. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 22, wherein the arrangement determining unit arranges a person who has no arrangement position by the re-limitation at a position where no person is finally arranged. . 24. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 23, further comprising output means for outputting a person who has no possible arrangement position due to re-limitation by the arrangement determination means so as to be viewable. The arrangement determination means applies an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with another predetermined person, and re-limits an arrangement possible position for an unarranged person, The arrangement management device according to claim 21. 26. The arrangement determination means, when applying the arrangement rule to re-limit an arrangement possible position, invalidates the application of an arrangement rule that has no arrangement available position after application. The arrangement management device according to 1. 27. The arrangement management apparatus according to claim 26, further comprising an output means for outputting an arrangement rule whose application is invalid upon re-limitation by the arrangement determination means. An arrangement management method for managing the arrangement of each person in order to arrange a plurality of persons at a plurality of positions,
A placement rule storage step of storing a plurality of placement rules relating to the placement of each person at the plurality of positions in a placement rule storage means;
A placement limiting step of applying a plurality of placement rules stored by the placement rule storage step to limit positions where each person can be placed among the plurality of positions;
An arrangement determining step for determining the arrangement in order from the personnel with a small total number of the arrangementable positions based on the arrangementable positions of each person limited by the arrangement limiting step;
An arrangement management method characterized by including An arrangement management program for causing a computer to execute a method for managing the arrangement of each person in order to arrange a plurality of persons at a plurality of positions,
A placement rule storage procedure for storing a plurality of placement rules relating to the placement of each person at the plurality of positions in a placement rule storage means;
An arrangement limiting procedure for applying a plurality of arrangement rules stored by the arrangement rule storing procedure to limit the position where each person can be arranged among the plurality of positions;
An arrangement determining procedure for determining the arrangement in order from the personnel with a small total number of arrangementable positions based on the arrangementable positions of each person limited by the arrangement limitation procedure;
An arrangement management program for causing a computer to execute. 30. The arrangement management program according to claim 29, wherein the arrangement rule storing procedure stores an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with a predetermined position. 30. The arrangement management program according to claim 29, wherein the arrangement rule storing procedure stores an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with another predetermined person. Causing the computer to further execute a placement rule setting procedure for receiving the placement rule setting;
The arrangement management program according to any one of claims 29 to 31, wherein the arrangement rule storage procedure stores the arrangement rule received by the arrangement rule setting procedure. Causing the computer to further execute a contradiction elimination procedure for eliminating inconsistencies occurring between the plurality of arrangement rules stored by the arrangement rule storage procedure;
The placement restriction procedure limits placement positions of each person by applying placement rules after the contradiction is eliminated by the contradiction elimination procedure. Placement management program. The arrangement limiting procedure limits an arrangement position of each person by applying only an arrangement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is arranged in association with the predetermined position. The arrangement management program according to any one of 29 to 32. The arrangement determination procedure is to determine the arrangement in order from a person with a small total number of the re-restrictable arrangement positions after re-limiting the arrangement positions for the un-arranged persons after determining the arrangement for the predetermined personnel. 35. The arrangement management program according to any one of claims 29 to 34, wherein: 36. The arrangement management program according to claim 35, wherein the arrangement determination procedure re-limits an arrangement possible position for a non-arranged person whose schedule overlaps with a predetermined person whose arrangement is determined. The placement determination procedure applies a placement rule for limiting a position where a predetermined person is placed in association with another predetermined person, and re-limits a position where the predetermined person can be placed with respect to an unplaced person. The arrangement management program according to claim 35.

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