JP2008015677A - Consumable sales system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To notify a sales representative of arrival at a consumable replacement threshold value by means of an error notification function for ordering consumables. <P>SOLUTION: This consumable sales system is provided with an electronic apparatus consuming an equipped consumable when it is used, and a sales management server managing sale of the consumables. The electronic apparatus is provided with an error notification means notifying an error to the sales management server via a network when the consumables are consumed. The sales management server is provided with a stock quantity calculation means calculating a stock quantity of the consumables based on the error notification by receiving the error notification from the error notification means of the electronic apparatus via the network, a consumable supplement determination means determining necessity of supplement of the consumables based on the calculated stock quantity by comparison with a threshold value, and a consumable supplement notification means giving notification to the sales representative handling sale of the consumables from the sales management server when it is determined that supplement of the consumables is necessary. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a consumable sales system and a consumable sales method, and more particularly to a consumable sales system and a consumable sales method using an error notification function.

  Conventionally, in a company that sells consumables such as a toner cartridge sales company, a sales employee goes to a customer and orders consumables. For this reason, when the customer has stock, it is natural that an order cannot be obtained, and when the stock is insufficient, the customer receives an order by telephone or FAX.

  Therefore, the customer has not noticed that the customer's inventory has been exhausted, and has suddenly placed an order with the toner cartridge sales company after noticing that the customer has run out of inventory, but depending on the timing of placing the order, the toner cartridge sales company May not have stock, which may interfere with customer operations.

  In such a PULL-type sales method, the customer's toner inventory management is left to the customer, which may be the responsibility of the customer who did not place an order.

  Therefore, Patent Document 1 discloses a consumables ordering support system that notifies consumable upcoming information when the remaining amount of consumables consumed by an electronic device reaches a certain amount.

Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a stockout information notification system including a stockout information terminal for notifying out-of-stock information and a computer that performs product inventory management, order management, and the like.
JP 2004-013750 A JP 2004155555 A

  However, in the consumables ordering support system described in Patent Document 1, contract user information for managing the consumables inventory status is registered in the inventory management terminal between the user of the electronic device and the consumables distributor. In order to do so, it was necessary to conclude a contract in advance.

  In addition, the consumables ordering support system described in Patent Document 1 merely sends a warning mail to the electronic device with information on the consumables being out of stock and informs the user whether or not to order consumables. There was still a problem that the act of placing an order was left to the user.

  On the other hand, in the information notification system described in Patent Document 2, when a sales representative receives an order for a product using a sales terminal, a PDA terminal or the like, and a product that is out of stock is generated, the out-of-stock information notification terminal is notified. The person in charge who performs the out-of-stock notification transmits an e-mail about the out-of-stock product from the out-of-stock information notification terminal to the related sales staff.

  Therefore, it is assumed that the sales representative inputs orders for products to be sold, and there is another problem that it is necessary to newly provide an out-of-stock information notification terminal that transmits an e-mail to the sales representative.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and is a consumable for accurately placing an order for consumables by notifying a sales representative by a notification function for notifying an error when a consumable replacement threshold is reached. The object is to provide a product sales system and a consumable sales method.

  The consumables sales system according to the present invention is an expendables sales system comprising an electronic device that consumes the consumables provided by use, and a sales management server that manages the sales of the consumables. And an error notification means for notifying the sales management server of an error via the network by consuming the consumables, wherein the sales management server is configured by the error notification means of the electronic device via the network. By receiving the error notification, inventory quantity calculation means for calculating the inventory quantity of the consumables at the sales destination that sold the consumable goods based on the notification of the error, and the inventory quantity calculation means calculated by the inventory quantity calculation means Consumables replenishment determining means for determining whether or not the consumables need to be replenished based on a stock quantity by comparing with a threshold value; Consumables replenishment notifying means for notifying the sales representative in charge of sales of the consumables from the sales management server when it is determined by the consumables replenishment determining means that it is necessary to replenish the consumables; It is characterized by providing.

  The consumables sales system according to the present invention further includes a consumables management server for managing the electronic device, wherein the consumables management server monitors the consumption of the consumables provided in the electronic device, and An error of the consumables may be notified from the article management server to the sales management server via the network.

  Further, in the consumables sales system according to the present invention, the sales management server further includes a mobile terminal and an information processing device that receives an order for the consumables, and the consumables replenishment notification means stores customer information of the consumables. The sales representative may send an e-mail to the portable terminal and send the customer information of the consumables to the information processing apparatus by e-mail so that an order is automatically received.

  An electronic device according to the present invention includes an error notification means for notifying an external device via a network by consuming the consumable in the electronic device that consumes the consumable provided by use. It is characterized by.

  The sales management server according to the present invention is a sales management server that manages sales of consumables provided in an electronic device, and receives an error notification from the outside via a network. It is necessary to replenish the consumables based on the inventory quantity calculated by the inventory quantity calculating means for calculating the inventory quantity of the consumables at the sales destination where the consumables are sold. A consumable supply replenishment determining means for determining whether or not the consumable supplies need to be replenished by the consumable supply replenishment determining means from the sales management server. Consumables replenishment notification means for notifying a sales representative in charge of sales of the product.

  According to the present invention, by setting a threshold for the number of customers' stocks and determining the number of stocks, the customer is asked to place an order for consumables before the stock of consumables is lost and the business is hindered. Can do.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a consumable sales system as an embodiment of the present invention. The consumables sales system shown in FIG. 1 includes a personal computer 1 installed on the customer side, a local area network (LAN) 2 on the customer's local area network, and a print server connected to the LAN 2 (print server) 4, print integrated management software (software) 5 that is print management software built in the print server 4, an email notification function 9 that performs email notification built in the print server 4, and LAN 2 A network printer 7 connected to the LAN 2, a mail server 11 connected to the LAN 2 for sending and receiving e-mail (mail), and e-mail sent from the mail server connected to the LAN 2 to the Internet (the The router (router) 13 installed on the customer side and sent to the Internet) and the interface to which the router 13 is connected A network 14, a router 15 installed on the toner cartridge sales company side, which receives electronic mail from the Internet 14, a local area network LAN 16 on the toner cartridge sales company side, and a mail server 17 connected to the LAN 16 for transmitting and receiving electronic mail. And a toner cartridge sales system 19 connected to the LAN 16, a customer information database (database) 20 built in the toner cartridge sales system 19, and a sales representative who is always carried by the sales representative and has an email receiving function. A mobile phone 24, a mobile phone exchange network 25 connected to the mobile phone 24 for the sales representative in charge, and a customer telephone 26 installed on the customer side are provided.

  A print request 3 connecting the customer's personal computer 1 and the print server 4 is a print request sent from the personal computer 1 to the print server 4 through the LAN 2. A print command 6 for connecting the print server 4 and the network printer 7 is a print request transmitted from the print integrated management software 5 built in the print server 4 to the network printer 7.

  Further, the print status status 8 connecting the network printer 7 and the print server 4 is a status indicating the print status sent from the network printer 7 to the print integrated management software 5 built in the print server 4.

  The e-mail is transmitted from each server to each terminal or connected so as to be transferred. The e-mail 10 is an e-mail transmitted from the print server 4 to the mail server 11, and the e-mail 12 is This is an e-mail transmitted from the e-mail notification function 9 built in the print server 4.

  The e-mail 18 is an e-mail transferred from the mail server 17 to the toner cartridge sales system 19, and the e-mail 21 is an e-mail transmitted from the toner cartridge sales system 19 to the mail server 17, It is transferred from the mail server 17 to the mobile phone 24 for the sales representative in charge and the personal computer 27 for receiving orders.

  The e-mail 22 is an e-mail transferred from the mail server 17 via the router 15 and the Internet 4 to the sales representative's mobile phone 24, and the e-mail 23 is transferred from the mail server 17 to the order receiving personal computer 27. It has become an email.

  Next, in the configuration of the consumables sales system of FIG. 1, the detailed operation of the present embodiment will be described along the flowcharts of FIGS.

  The customer uses the personal computer 1 and the network printer 7 to perform printing work. This print job is controlled and monitored by the print server 4, and when there is a toner shortage error from the network printer 7, an error is notified to the toner cartridge sales system 19 via the mail server 11 and the Internet 14. Is done.

  Here, the internal processing flow of the print server 4 installed on the customer side will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2, and the internal processing flow of the toner cartridge sales system 19 installed on the toner cartridge sales company side will be described with reference to FIG. This will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart.

  First, in order to print on the network printer 7 from the personal computer 1 installed on the customer side shown in FIG. 1, the personal computer 1 is prepared on the customer side by sending a print request 3 to the print server 4 using the LAN 2. The internal processing flow of the print server 4 starts.

  Next, the internal processing flow of the print server 4 will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  In step 100, the print integrated management software 5 of the print server 4 receives the print request 3 from the personal computer 1. Then, in step 101, the print integrated management software 5 of the print server 4 transmits a print command 6 to the network printer 7.

  In step 102, the network printer 7 that has received the print command 6 transmits to the print server 4 a print status 8 indicating whether or not it can print before printing. The print integrated management software 5 of the print server 4 receives the print status status 8 from the network printer 7.

  An example of the print status status 8 is shown in FIG. The printing status status 8 shown in FIG. 4 describes an error code, a model number, and a manufacturing number.

  In step 103, the print integrated management software 5 of the print server 4 makes a determination to check whether there is an error in the received print status status 8. Here, if there is no error in the print status status 8, the determination process is terminated, but if an error is detected, the process proceeds to the next step 104, and the print integrated management software 5 sends an error to the e-mail notification function 9. Notify the contents.

  In step 105, the e-mail notification function 9 automatically transmits the e-mail 10 to the mail server 11. The mail server 11 that has received the e-mail 10 transmits the e-mail 12 to the router 13, and the e-mail 12 is transmitted to the mail server 17 via the Internet 14 and via the router 15 of the toner cartridge sales company. Is done.

  Then, the email 12 that has reached the mail server 17 is transferred to the toner cartridge sales system 19 by the email 18.

  Next, an internal processing flow of the toner cartridge sales system 19 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  In step 200, when the mail server 17 receives the e-mail 12, the mail server 17 moves to step 201 and confirms whether there is a sales history as to whether there is a sales record of the toner cartridge.

  In step 202, the sales history is confirmed based on the “customer name” in the “delivery equipment master table” shown in FIG. 6 from the “customer name” and “delivery equipment model number” in FIG. Then, it is determined whether there is a match with the “delivery equipment model number” and the “manufacturing number”.

  Here, if there is no item that matches the “customer name”, “delivery equipment model number”, and “manufacturing number”, the process moves to step 210 to update the “delivery equipment master table” in FIG.

  On the other hand, if there is a sales history in the “delivery equipment master table” in FIG. 6, the process proceeds to step 203, and the corresponding threshold value is read from the “sales history master table” described in FIG. 7.

  Next, in step 204, the toner cartridge sales company calculates how much of the toner cartridge inventory sold to the customer by the toner cartridge sales company remains on the customer side. Specifically, from the “sales history current table” shown in FIG. 8 to “-1” from the “current number of stores” that matches the “customer name” and “delivery equipment model number”, the table is updated, and the process proceeds to step 205. Moving.

  In step 205, when compared with the threshold value of the “sales history master table” shown in FIG. 7, if the current number of stores is equal to or less than the threshold value (that is, the current number of stores ≦ threshold), the process moves to step 206 and the customer Contact your sales representative.

  On the other hand, if the current number of warehouses present in the customer is not less than or equal to the threshold in step 205, it is determined that the inventory is still more than the threshold, so there is no need to visit the customer or ask for an order. This flowchart is finished.

  In step 206, in order to contact the sales representative in charge, the “report destination table” shown in FIG. 9 is referred to, and “customer name”, “customer telephone number”, “ “Customer name” is attached to the e-mail document, and the e-mail 21 is transmitted to the sales representative's mobile phone 24 and the order receiving personal computer 27.

  In this case, the e-mail 21 is transferred and transmitted to the mobile phone 24 for the sales representative and the order-receiving personal computer 27 by the e-mail 22 and the e-mail 23.

  As described above, the sales representative in charge receives the email 22 by the email 21 from the toner cartridge sales system of the toner cartridge sales company.

  Therefore, the sales representative in charge sets the threshold for the number of customer inventory, and the toner cartridge sales system 19 determines the quantity of the customer's inventory, so that the sales representative in charge can check the status of the inventory before the customer's toner cartridge is exhausted. The sales representative in charge can ask the customer for an order before the number of toner cartridges in the customer's inventory is lost, causing trouble to the business, or from the mobile phone 24 for the sales representative. You can place an order by calling the customer telephone 26 via

  Further, the toner cartridge sales system according to the present invention transmits the order contents to the sales representative's mobile phone 24 by cooperating so as to automatically receive an order using an e-mail. As a result, it is possible to call the customer even when the sales representative is on the road, and not only confirm the contents of the order but also break away from the conventional PULL-type sales system that waits for orders from customers. You can smoothly change from the PULL type sales method to the PUSH type sales method, and you can ask customers to place orders in a timely manner.

  Further, by automatically linking the order receiving work to the order receiving personal computer 27, it is possible to obtain an order simply by confirming the order contents from the customer, so that it is possible to prevent the loss of the toner cartridge sales opportunity.

  In addition, the PULL type sales method and the PUSH type sales method referred to here are the PULL type sales method, as described above, the sales method (purchase act) in which the customer actively orders or purchases the product. The method refers to a sales method (sales act) in which customers simply wait passively and actively sell products from the sales company.

  Further, the delivery device master table of FIG. 6, the sales history master table of FIG. 7, and the sales history current table of FIG. 8 in this embodiment are recorded in the customer information database 20. The example is not limited to this, and may be built in the toner cartridge sales system 19.

1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of a toner cartridge sales system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the print server according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is an example of the printing status status by 1st Example of this invention. 3 is a flowchart illustrating a processing flow of the toner cartridge sales system according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. It is an example of the content of the report of the email by the 1st example of the present invention. It is an example of the delivery apparatus master table by 1st Example of this invention. It is an example of the sales history master table by 1st Example of this invention. It is an example of the sales history current table according to the first embodiment of the present invention. It is an example of the report destination table by 1st Example of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 PC 2 LAN
3 Print request 4 Print server 5 Integrated print management software 6 Print command 7 Network printer 8 Print status 9 E-mail notification function 10 E-mail 11 Mail server 12 E-mail 13 Router 14 Internet 15 Router 16 LAN
17 Mail server 18 E-mail 19 Toner cartridge sales system 20 Customer information database 21 E-mail 22 E-mail 23 E-mail 24 Mobile phone for sales representative 25 Mobile phone switching network 26 Customer's telephone 27 Personal computer for receiving orders

Claims (10)

In a consumables sales system comprising an electronic device that consumes consumables provided by use, and a sales management server that manages sales of the consumables,
The electronic device is
An error notification means for notifying the sales management server of an error via the network by consuming the consumables;
The sales management server includes:
Stock for calculating the stock quantity of the consumables at the seller that sold the consumables based on the error notice by receiving the error notice by the error notifying means of the electronic device via the network A quantity calculation means;
Consumable item replenishment determining means for determining whether or not it is necessary to replenish the consumable item based on the inventory quantity calculated by the inventory quantity calculating unit, by comparing with a threshold value;
Consumables replenishment notifying means for notifying the sales representative in charge of sales of the consumables from the sales management server when it is determined by the consumables replenishment determining means that the consumables need to be replenished; ,
Consumables sales system characterized by comprising: A consumable management server for managing the electronic device;
The consumables management server monitors the consumption of the consumables provided in the electronic device, and notifies the consumables error from the consumables management server to the sales management server via the network. The consumables sales system according to claim 1. The sales management server further includes a mobile terminal and an information processing device that receives an order for the consumables,
The consumables replenishment notification means sends the customer information of the consumables by e-mail to the mobile terminal of the sales representative, and sends the customer information of the consumables by e-mail to the information processing apparatus, and automatically receives an order. The consumables sales system according to claim 1. In an electronic device that consumes consumables provided by use,
An electronic device comprising: an error notification unit that notifies an error to the outside via a network when the consumable is consumed. In a sales management server that manages the sales of consumables installed in electronic devices,
An inventory quantity calculating means for calculating an inventory quantity of the consumables at a sales destination where the consumables were sold based on the notification of the errors by receiving an error notice from the outside via the network;
Consumable item replenishment determining means for determining whether or not it is necessary to replenish the consumable item based on the inventory quantity calculated by the inventory quantity calculating unit, by comparing with a threshold value;
Consumables replenishment notifying means for notifying the sales representative in charge of sales of the consumables from the sales management server when it is determined by the consumables replenishment determining means that the consumables need to be replenished; ,
A sales management server comprising: A consumables sales method in a consumables sales system comprising an electronic device that consumes consumables provided by use, and a sales management server that manages sales of the consumables,
An error notification step of notifying the sales management server of an error via the network when the electronic device consumes the consumables;
When the sales management server receives the error notification in the error notification step via the network, the inventory quantity of the consumables at the sales destination that sold the consumables is calculated based on the error notification. Inventory quantity calculation step,
A consumable supply replenishment determining step for determining whether or not it is necessary to replenish the consumable based on the inventory quantity calculated by the inventory quantity calculating step of the sales management server;
A consumables supplement notification step of notifying the sales representative in charge of sales of the consumables from the sales management server when it is determined that the consumables need to be supplemented in the consumables supplement determining step; ,
Consumables sales method characterized by comprising. A consumable management server for managing the electronic device;
The consumables management server monitors the consumption of the consumables provided in the electronic device, and notifies the consumables error from the consumables management server to the sales management server via the network. The consumable sales method according to claim 6. The sales management server further includes a mobile terminal and an information processing device that receives an order for the consumables,
The consumables replenishment notification step sends the customer information of the consumables by e-mail to the mobile terminal of the sales representative, and also sends the customer information of the consumables by e-mail to the information processing apparatus and automatically receives an order. The method for selling consumables according to claim 6. An error notification method in an electronic device that consumes consumables provided by use,
An error notification method comprising: an error notification step of notifying the outside via a network when the consumable is consumed. A sales management method in a sales management server for managing sales of consumables provided in an electronic device,
An inventory quantity calculating step of calculating an inventory quantity of the consumables at a sales destination where the consumables were sold based on the notification of the errors by receiving an error notice from the outside via the network;
A consumables replenishment determining step for determining whether or not it is necessary to replenish the consumables based on the inventory quantity calculated by the inventory quantity calculating step, by comparing with a threshold;
A consumables supplement notification step of notifying the sales representative in charge of sales of the consumables from the sales management server when it is determined that the consumables need to be supplemented in the consumables supplement determining step; ,
A sales management method comprising:

Images