JP2024041472A - Packaging material ordering management device, and packaging material ordering management method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve convenience for a user.

SOLUTION: A packaging material ordering management device is a device that receives an order related to creation of a packaging material from an orderer terminal via the Internet. The device comprises: an information provision unit that provides the orderer terminal with specified format data, of a plurality of pieces of format data, which is associated with one packaging material related to the order; and a print data acquisition unit that acquires print data including the specified format data and represents a design for a printing surface of the packaging material. The information provision unit, when receiving instructions according to an orderer's operation on the orderer terminal, causes the orderer terminal to display a history screen including history information indicating a history of format data provided to the orderer in the past, and when receiving instructions according to the orderer's operation on the history screen, provides the orderer terminal with format data, from the history information, which is specified based on the orderer's operation on the history screen.

SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

COPYRIGHT: (C)2024,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present disclosure relates to a packaging material order management device and a packaging material order management method.

2. Description of the Related Art An online print system is known that accepts orders, prints, and arranges for delivery based on an order signal from an orderer's terminal via the Internet (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-9506

In recent years, online commercial transactions (online transactions) using e-commerce sites and the like have become widespread, and consideration is being given to including packaging materials printed with designs specified by users as objects of online ordering. The present disclosure provides a packaging material order management device and a packaging material order management method that are useful for improving user convenience.

[1] A packaging material order management device according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a device that receives an order for creating packaging materials from an orderer terminal operated by an orderer via the Internet. This packaging material order management device provides specified format data associated with one packaging material related to the above order to the orderer terminal from among multiple format data associated with multiple types of packaging materials. a print data acquisition unit that acquires print data that includes specified format data and represents a design for the printing surface of one packaging material related to the order; and a package that includes the print data and information indicating the contents of the order. and a packaging material creation instruction unit that sends packaging material creation instructions to a manufacturing department that includes a printing machine. When the information provision unit receives an instruction from the orderer's operation on the orderer's terminal, the information provision section is associated with information that identifies the orderer, and the information provided to the orderer in the past among multiple format data. A history screen containing history information indicating the history of format data is displayed on the orderer's terminal, and when instructions are received from the orderer's operation on the history screen, the orderer's input to the history screen from among the history information is displayed on the orderer's terminal. The format data specified based on the operation is provided to the orderer terminal as specified format data.

[2] In the packaging material order management device described in [1] above, the information providing unit may provide each of two or more pieces of provided format data that is format data that has been provided to the orderer in the past among the plurality of format data. The history screen may be displayed on the orderer's terminal so that the information indicating the order is arranged in the order based on the orderer's past order history.

[3] In the packaging material order management device described in [2] above, each of the plurality of format data includes the model number of the packaging material, the shape of the packaging material, the size of the packaging material, and the combination of the shape and size of the packaging material. It may be associated with specific information indicating any one of them. On the history screen displayed on the orderer's terminal, information indicating each of the two or more provided format data may be arranged in an order based on the order frequency for each specific information included in the orderer's past order history.

[4] In the packaging material order management device according to any one of [1] to [3] above, the information providing unit specifies data representing design elements added to specified format data in past orders. It may also be possible to provide it to the orderer's terminal together with the format data.

[5] A packaging material order management method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a method of receiving an order for producing packaging materials from an orderer terminal operated by an orderer via the Internet. This packaging material order management method provides specified format data associated with one packaging material related to the above order to the orderer's terminal from among multiple format data associated with multiple types of packaging materials. an obtaining step of obtaining print data that includes designated format data and represents a design for the printing surface of one packaging material related to the order; and a packaging material creation instruction that includes the print data and information indicating the contents of the order. and a step of transmitting the information to a manufacturing department including the printing machine. In the providing step, when an instruction is received by the orderer's operation on the orderer's terminal, the provision step is associated with information that identifies the orderer, and the format that has been provided to the orderer in the past among multiple format data. Displaying a history screen that includes history information showing the history of data on the orderer's terminal, and when receiving instructions from the orderer's operation on the history screen, the orderer's screen from the history information to the history screen. and providing the format data specified based on the operation by the orderer terminal as specified format data.

According to the present disclosure, a packaging material order management device and a packaging material order management method useful for improving user convenience are provided.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a packaging material ordering system. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of information held by the material information holding unit. FIG. 3(a) is a schematic diagram showing an example of the material structure of the flexible packaging material. FIG. 3(b) is a diagram showing an example of information regarding the specifications of the flexible packaging material. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of information held by the sales information holding unit. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of information held by the format data holding unit. FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of design data. FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a history screen displayed on the orderer terminal. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the packaging material order management device and the packaging material manufacturing management device. FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of an order management method using the packaging material ordering system. FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of an order management method using the packaging material ordering system.

One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the description, identical elements or elements having the same functions are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

[Packaging material ordering system]
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a packaging material ordering system 1 according to an embodiment. The packaging material ordering system 1 is a system that communicates with an orderer terminal 90 operated by an orderer, and manufactures and provides packaging materials based on order instructions from the orderer terminal 90. The packaging material ordering system 1 manufactures and provides packaging materials based on order instructions from the orderer terminal 90, thereby selling the packaging materials to the orderer. The packaging material ordering system 1 includes a packaging material ordering management device 10 and a packaging material manufacturing management device 30.

The packaging material ordering system 1 receives an order from the orderer terminal 90 operated by the orderer, and instructs the packaging material manufacturing control device 30, which operates in cooperation with the manufacturing department, to manufacture and deliver the product based on the order. It has the function of The products handled by the packaging material ordering system 1 are "packaging materials." The packaging material is a member for wrapping the contents (product). The type of packaging material is not limited as long as it wraps the contents, and examples thereof include flexible packaging materials, packaging materials used for freshness-preserving agents (oxygen scavengers), and paper containers. In the present disclosure, packaging materials may include not only bags or containers used for packaging products, but also labels attached to containers and the like.

A flexible packaging material, which is an example of a packaging material, is a packaging material used for packaging made of a highly flexible material such as paper, plastic film, aluminum foil, or cloth. Among these, plastic film is often used as the main material. In addition, flexible packaging materials are designed to exhibit desired performance such as barrier properties and heat resistance by using composite materials that are a combination of multiple materials. Since packaging materials such as flexible packaging materials are often used for packaging products, it is assumed that the content printed on the printing surface of the packaging material may differ depending on the order. As mentioned above, when ordering packaging materials from an orderer, it is necessary to obtain from the orderer information specifying the materials used for the packaging materials, design data for printing on the packaging materials, etc. It is necessary to appropriately provide this information to the manufacturing department.

Materials used for flexible packaging include single layer films and multilayer films. Among these, multilayer films are generally created by laminating a base material, an intermediate layer, and a sealant layer using an adhesive. Printing of design data is performed on the base material. Further, the intermediate layer may be omitted depending on the use of the flexible packaging material, but for example, a material that functions as a barrier material may be selected. When creating a flexible packaging material for a specific use, the material (multilayer film) is created by combining materials suitable for the use. Since flexible packaging materials are made of different materials (film, ink, etc.) depending on their purpose, the materials used for their manufacture also vary widely. Paper cartons and labels may also be made of different materials depending on their use, and therefore the materials used for their manufacture may also vary widely. On the other hand, the orderer selects from a wide variety of packaging materials and places an order based on the intended use of the packaging material. The above-mentioned packaging material ordering system 1 centrally manages orders from orderers for the production of many types of packaging materials made using various materials as described above, and also manages the packaging materials ordered. Manage the production of.

In the packaging material ordering system 1, the packaging material ordering management device 10 is a device that accepts orders related to the creation of packaging materials from the orderer terminal 90. The packaging material ordering management device 10 is a so-called online ordering device that receives orders from an orderer terminal 90 via the Internet. The packaging material order management device 10 has a website etc. that can be viewed by the orderer terminal 90, and acquires information input by the orderer to this website. When the packaging material order management device 10 receives an order from the orderer terminal 90, the packaging material order management device 10 manages the information and also provides the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 with information related to product manufacturing.

The packaging material manufacturing management device 30 has a function of managing various equipment related to manufacturing in a department related to packaging material manufacturing such as a packaging material manufacturing factory (referred to as a "packaging material manufacturing department" in FIG. 1). The packaging material manufacturing control device 30 has a function of controlling equipment related to packaging material manufacturing, such as a printing machine 31, a laminating machine 32, and a bag making machine 33, based on instructions from the packaging material ordering management device 10. Good too. Furthermore, the packaging material production management device 30 may have functions for ordering materials, managing inventory, and the like. The packaging material order management device 10 and the packaging material production management device 30 are configured to be capable of wireless communication or wired communication, for example, and the packaging material order management device 10 can create packaging materials ordered. Instructions are given to the manufacturing control device 30 as appropriate. Based on this instruction, the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 starts managing the process related to the production of the ordered packaging material for each device in the packaging material manufacturing department. In addition, the management of the process of creating packaging materials by the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 includes, for example, understanding the manufacturing process (for example, pasting of materials, printing, etc.) according to the packaging material ordered, and the management of this manufacturing process. It may also include part of the scheduling of work on each device to proceed with the process, procurement (ordering) of materials used for packaging, etc.

The orderer terminal 90 is, for example, a terminal device used by a user who is an orderer, and includes devices such as a smartphone, a tablet, and a personal computer. The orderer terminal 90 is connectable to the Internet. When connecting to the Internet, for example, a communication network other than the Internet may be used. The orderer terminal 90 may have a function of editing design data for printing, which will be described later.

Note that the number of orderer terminals 90 used by a specific user is not limited to one. That is, one user may use a plurality of orderer terminals 90. Therefore, for example, the orderer terminal 90 that the user uses to transmit information related to an order and the orderer terminal 90 that the user uses to transmit design data may be different from each other. If a plurality of orderer terminals 90 can each connect to the Internet and send and receive information, the user can handle each orderer terminal 90 individually. The user (orderer) may be an individual or a corporation such as a company. In the present disclosure, when the user is a corporation such as a company, an action (for example, an operation) performed by an individual belonging to the corporation on the orderer terminal 90 or the like corresponds to an action performed by the user. Hereinafter, the packaging material ordering management device 10 and the packaging material production management device 30 will be explained using an example in which the packaging material ordering system 1 handles flexible packaging material, which is an example of packaging material.

[Packaging material order management device]
As shown in FIG. 1, the packaging material order management device 10 has a functional configuration (hereinafter referred to as a "functional module"): an information provision section 12, an order reception section 14, a print data acquisition section 15, a packaging material creation section It has an instruction section 16, a delivery management section 17, a payment processing section 18, a user information holding section 21, a material information holding section 23, a sales information holding section 24, a format data holding section 25, and a history information holding section 26. The processes executed by these functional modules correspond to the processes executed by the packaging material order management device 10. Furthermore, the packaging material order management device 10 communicates with the orderer terminal 90 and the packaging material manufacturing management device 30, and sends and receives information. Communication between the packaging material order management device 10 and the orderer terminal 90 or the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 may be performed by wire or wirelessly.

The information providing unit 12 has a function of providing various information to the orderer terminal 90. The information provided by the information providing unit 12 includes various types of information that are required when an orderer orders packaging materials. The information providing unit 12 prepares a website that can be viewed on the orderer terminal 90, for example. As a result, the website can be viewed on the orderer terminal 90 in response to a request from the orderer terminal 90 (for example, specifying a URL). Details of the various types of information provided by the information providing unit 12 will be described later along with the functions of several other functional modules.

The order reception unit 14 has a function of acquiring information (hereinafter referred to as "order information") indicating the contents of an order related to the production of packaging materials from the orderer terminal 90. For example, in response to a request from an orderer, the information providing unit 12 displays an input form for ordering on the monitor of the orderer terminal 90. The orderer inputs information necessary for the order by inputting information into an input form. The input information is transmitted via the Internet to the packaging material order management device 10 that provides a website, so that the order reception unit 14 acquires information necessary for the order (the above-mentioned order information). Thereby, the order reception unit 14 can accept the order.

The order information that the order reception unit 14 acquires when accepting an order includes information that identifies the orderer (name, address, etc.), information regarding the product to be ordered, information that identifies the delivery destination (name, address, etc.), and cost. Examples include information regarding payments. Among these, in the case of flexible packaging materials, the information regarding the ordered product includes, for example, information specifying the type of packaging material (for example, the materials used) and the number of orders. The information that identifies the type of packaging material includes information that identifies the materials used for the packaging material (in the case of a film made of multiple types of materials, information on each layer, etc.), information that identifies the shape of the packaging material ( Examples of the shape include information specifying the size of the packaging material (eg, three-sided flat bag, standing pouch, etc.). In the packaging material order management device 10 of the present embodiment, a model number is assigned in association with information specifying the materials constituting the packaging material and information specifying the shape and size of the packaging material. . Therefore, by specifying the model number, the orderer can send information specifying the material of the packaging material and information specifying the shape and size of the packaging material to the packaging material order management device 10. becomes. In this case, information indicating the model number of the specified packaging material corresponds to information specifying the type of packaging material (information specifying the packaging material).

The information providing unit 12 presents the information to the user on the orderer terminal 90 so that the orderer (user) can operate the orderer terminal 90 to select a specific packaging material and place an order. information can be adjusted. For example, for each of the multiple types of flexible packaging materials that users can purchase, it is important to indicate the materials to be used (material composition), shape, size, approximate storage capacity, etc. when users select flexible packaging materials. This can be important information. In addition, information such as the use of flexible packaging materials (retort compatible, boilable compatible, microwave compatible, examples of contents that can be accommodated, etc.) and properties (light blocking properties, antistatic properties, transparency, etc.) Compared to the case where the information is displayed directly, this information may be important for the user to select the packaging material. Therefore, for the purpose of increasing user convenience, the information providing unit 12 may display a combination of these pieces of information on the order screen used by the user.

The print data acquisition unit 15 has a function of acquiring design data (print data) representing a design on the printing surface of a packaging material related to an order from an orderer. The print data acquisition unit 15 acquires, for example, design data created by a user on the orderer terminal 90 from the orderer terminal 90 based on a transmission instruction from the user. The design data includes a design to be printed on the packaging material specified by the order information, and is used for printing on the packaging material. The types of printing on flexible packaging materials basically include digital printing, in which printing is performed directly from design data, and non-digital printing, in which printing is performed after plate making and color matching. Examples of non-digital printing include gravure printing, flexo printing, EB offset printing, and the like. However, non-digital printing methods different from these printing methods may also be used. The packaging material order management device 10 can handle any type of printing. However, in the case of digital printing, the print data obtained from the orderer may be used as is for printing without performing plate making. Therefore, the packaging material order management device 10 is configured to obtain design data (printing data) suitable for a predetermined packaging material from the user by providing format data to the user. This point will be discussed later. The information acquired by the order reception unit 14 and the information acquired by the print data acquisition unit 15 are held in the history information storage unit 26.

When the design data transmitted from the user is PDF data, the print data acquisition unit 15 may perform a preflight check in which the data is checked based on preset check items. Furthermore, the print data acquisition unit 15 may be configured to notify the user of the results of the preflight check and the design data that will ultimately be used for printing. In this case, the user may check the content of the notification by accessing a predetermined site based on the URL notified by e-mail or the like. Although the preflight check is performed on PDF data, the same type of check may be performed when data other than PDF data is handled as design data. The design data to be finally used for printing may be data after proofreading is performed on the original design data sent from the user. After the user approves the proofread design data, the proofread design data for which approval has been obtained may be held in the history information holding unit 26 as data to be finally used for printing.

Instead of transmitting design data from the user (orderer terminal 90), the print data acquisition unit 15 can be activated by the user's approval of data including a design proposal created by a third party by operating the orderer terminal 90. , the data may be acquired as design data. Data including a design proposal created by a third party may be held in the packaging material order management device 10. The data including the design proposal created by a third party may be data created in the packaging material order management device 10, and may be created in another computer device and then transmitted to the packaging material order management device 10. The data may also be

The packaging material production instruction unit 16 has a function of transmitting, to the packaging material production management device 30, a packaging material production instruction including design data and information indicating the contents of the order from the orderer. The packaging material creation instruction includes at least part of the order information acquired by the order reception section 14 and the design data acquired by the print data acquisition section 15. The packaging material production instruction section 16 performs packaging material manufacturing management based on the information acquired by the order reception section 14 and the print data acquisition section 15 and the information held in its own device (packaging material order management device 10). Prepare information necessary for instructions to the device 30. By transmitting the prepared information to the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 (the manufacturing department that includes the printing machine 31), the packaging material order management device 10 instructs the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 to create the packaging material. be exposed.

The delivery management section 17 has a function of managing the delivery of packaging materials for which the packaging material production instruction section 16 has instructed the production. When the packaging material whose production is instructed by the packaging material production instruction section 16 is completed, it can be sent from the packaging material manufacturing department (for example, a factory, etc.) to the delivery destination. The delivery management unit 17 has a function of notifying the orderer of the production status and delivery status of the product for which the order has been received, based on the delivery date information, delivery notification, etc. transmitted from the packaging material manufacturing management device 30.

The payment processing unit 18 has a function of making payments for orders received by the order reception unit 14. The mechanism for making payments is not particularly limited, and existing payment methods can be used in combination. History related to payments (information indicating that payments have been made, etc.) may be stored in the history information storage unit 26 in association with information related to orders. The information regarding payment may be held separately from the information held in the history information holding unit 26. In this case, correspondence may be made using, for example, an order number so that it can be confirmed that payment has been made for each order.

The user information holding unit 21 has a function of holding information regarding users who use the packaging material order management device 10 (users who use services provided by the packaging material order management device 10). The user may register as a user of the packaging material order management device 10 by providing the information necessary for registration to the packaging material order management device 10 in advance or at the time of the first order. can. Information provided by the user during user registration is held in the user information holding unit 21. Further, information for identifying the user (for example, user ID) is assigned to each user, and this information can be used to obtain information regarding a specific user. By registering user information in the user information holding unit 21 in this manner, when the user places an order again, the information registered as the user can be used. Note that the user information holding unit 21 may manage only some of the users who use the packaging material order management device 10. That is, the configuration may be such that the user information holding unit 21 registers only some users instead of all users.

The material information holding unit 23 has a function of holding information regarding the correspondence between model numbers and materials. FIG. 2 shows an example of information held in the material information holding unit 23. In FIG. 2, specifications (for example, information specifying specifications used in the manufacturing department) and material composition are associated with the model number used at the time of ordering. The material composition indicates the composition of each layer constituting the packaging material corresponding to each model number. Using this information, from one model number, it is possible to specify the material used for the packaging material of that model number. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the "material composition" includes information specifying the base material, intermediate layer, sealant layer, and the thickness of the materials used for these layers used in the flexible packaging material. Further, the "material composition" may include information specifying adhesive used between layers, ink used for printing, etc. The information included in the "material composition" can be changed as appropriate depending on the type of flexible packaging material.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2, the information held in the material information holding unit 23 includes the shape, size, approximate capacity, characteristics (characteristics of the material of each flexible packaging material, usage, etc.) in association with the model number. information such as explanatory information) may also be included. The various information held in the material information holding unit 23 may be used, for example, when an orderer places an order for packaging materials. Specifically, for example, the information providing unit 12 presents information such as shape, size, capacity guide, characteristics, etc. to the user on a website etc., and displays a screen containing the information on the orderer terminal 90. display on the monitor. Then, the user may select (designate) the model number of the packaging material to order based on the information included in the displayed screen or by operating the screen.

An example of the configuration of the flexible packaging material included in the information shown in FIG. 2 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b). FIG. 3(a) is a diagram schematically showing a packaging film 200 used for flexible packaging materials, including a first base film 201, an adhesive layer 204, a second base film 202, and an adhesive layer 206. and the third base film 203 are laminated in this order. A primer layer (not shown) may be provided on one of the pair of main surfaces of the first base film 201 closer to the second base film 202. Furthermore, an electrostatic ink layer 205 is provided on one principal surface of the adhesive layer 204 closer to the first base film 201 . When a primer layer is provided, an electrostatic ink layer 205 is provided on one of the pair of main surfaces of the primer layer closer to the second base film 202. This packaging film 200 is, for example, a film used for soft packaging for food products and the like that is heated in a microwave oven.

As shown in FIG. 3(a), the first base film 201 is a transparent inorganic oxide vapor-deposited biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate film 12 μm (manufactured by Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.: GLARH) with a vapor deposition layer of alumina, and the second base film 201 is The film 202 is a nylon film of 15 μm, and the third base film 203 is an unstretched polypropylene film of 60 μm. In this case, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the material configuration can be described by, for example, a combination of "GLARH12/NY15/CPP60", the abbreviation of the material, and the thickness (number). Furthermore, in FIG. 3(b), it is stated that a film using mechanically recycled PET (GLARNF) can be used instead of the transparent inorganic oxide vapor-deposited biaxially stretched polyethylene terephthalate film (GLARH) in which the vapor deposition layer is alumina. has been done. In this way, "material composition" specifies the composition of the materials that make up the packaging film to achieve the functions required of flexible packaging materials, and in the example shown in Figure 2, the materials are also described using abbreviations. has been done.

In addition to the material composition, Figure 3(b) also shows the designation of the purpose and shape of the bag (a square standing pouch for microwave ovens), the designation of the adhesive layer, the size, approximate capacity, and the design (designs can be added). (location designation) and bottom tape designation are also shown. Part of the information shown in Figure 3(b) may be included in the information shown in Figure 2, or as shown in Figure 3(b), data management is performed individually for each flexible packaging material handled by this system. may be done.

Returning to FIG. 1, the sales information holding unit 24 holds information related to sales of packaging materials that can be ordered at the orderer terminal 90 (hereinafter referred to as "sales information"). The sales information may include at least one of the following: information indicating the period during which the packaging material can be delivered to the orderer, information indicating the selling price of the packaging material, and information indicating the order unit of the packaging material. . FIG. 4 shows an example of sales information. The sales information may include, for example, the sales price and the number of pieces per lot, which is the order unit, in association with the model number. For example, if one lot is 100 pieces, the orderer can order packaging materials in units of 100 pieces, and the minimum order quantity is 100 pieces. The sales price may be set to vary depending on the number of lots. In this case, the selling price may be set so that the unit price per sheet becomes lower as the number of lots increases. The selling price may be set by determining the unit price per sheet regardless of the number of lots.

The sales information held by the sales information holding unit 24 may include a period during which the packaging material can be delivered to the orderer (hereinafter referred to as "delivery period") in association with the model number. . The delivery period may vary widely (for example, 4 to 6 days), and is the period from the time the order is received until the date when the packaging material manufacturing department is expected to be able to ship the product. (number of days). In the sales information, a discount on the sales price may be set. The sales price discount may be set for each user, and the size of the discount may differ among users for a certain model number. The sales information is used when the information providing unit 12 prepares information (for example, a website) that can be viewed on the orderer terminal 90.

Returning to FIG. 1, the format data holding unit 25 has a function of holding format data provided to the orderer terminal 90 and used by the user to create design data. The format data provided to the orderer terminal 90 is data that allows a user to create a design (process data) using the orderer terminal 90 or other devices. The format data holding unit 25 holds a plurality of format data respectively associated with a plurality of types of packaging materials that can be ordered in the packaging material order management device 10. In this case, in the data held by the format data holding unit 25, one format data is associated with each of the plurality of types of packaging materials (for each packaging material). In the data held by the format data holding unit 25, for example, a plurality of format data are respectively associated with model numbers of a plurality of types of packaging materials. A plurality of mutually different format data are associated with at least some of the plurality of model numbers. The same format data may be associated with some of the plurality of model numbers.

The above-mentioned information providing unit 12 provides the orderer terminal 90 with format data (designated format data) that is associated with one packaging material ordered by the user from among the plurality of format data. In the present disclosure, among the plurality of format data held by the format data holding unit 25, one format data that is associated with one packaging material related to an order and provided to the orderer terminal 90 (user) is “designated”. It is sometimes referred to as "format data". The information providing unit 12 transmits designated format data to the orderer terminal 90 in response to the user's operation of the orderer terminal 90. For example, when a user specifies a model number on the orderer terminal 90 and requests the packaging material order management device 10 to send format data, the information providing unit 12 sends a message that is associated with the specified model number. The specified format data is transmitted to the orderer terminal 90. By transmitting the format data to the orderer terminal 90, the format data is provided to the user (orderer) who operates the orderer terminal 90. The format data is transmitted by the information providing unit 12 after the user has input all of the above order information related to the order of packaging materials, while inputting the above order information, or before inputting the above order information. It may be performed in stages. Regarding the acquisition of design data by the print data acquisition unit 15, after the user has input all of the above order information related to the order of packaging materials, while inputting the above order information, or before inputting the above order information. It may be performed at any stage.

The format data holding unit 25 may hold information regarding a set of format data used by the user to create design data. An example of information held in the format data holding unit 25 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 5, information (eg, file name) that specifies data to be sent to the user (orderer terminal 90) is associated with the model number used at the time of ordering. Further, it is preferable that the data processed by the user (data for printing) be returned in a predetermined format, and in particular, in the case of digital printing, for example, the data sent to the orderer terminal 90 in a format that can be used in the printing machine 31. It is required that the information be transmitted from the packaging material order management device 10 to the packaging material order management device 10. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 5, one format data, one setting file, and one manual data may be prepared as a set of format data for one model number. This format data set may be a data package provided to the orderer terminal 90.

The settings file associated with each model number is, for example, a file that describes various settings for outputting design data used for printing in an appropriate state in an application used by a user. Further, manual data is data that describes how to use format data and setting files. Such a data set may be held as a "format data set" in association with one model number. Note that the format data holding unit 25 holds not only the above format data but also setting files and manual data. When transmitting a set of format data to the orderer terminal 90, three pieces of data (format data, setting file, and manual data) are selected based on the model number. Then, these data are combined into one package and transmitted from the packaging material order management device 10 to the orderer terminal 90 by the information providing unit 12.

As described above, the format data is the source data of the design data used for printing on packaging materials related to orders. FIG. 6 shows an example of design data. The design data D0 shown in FIG. 6 includes data D1, which is format data, and data D2, which represents a design processed on the data D1. In the data D1, a drawing area A1 and a non-drawing area A2 corresponding to the packaging material associated with the model number can be defined. Further, the drawing area A1 may be provided with a frame line A3 for delimiting the recommended printing area. Furthermore, if there is an area where printing is restricted, such as a zipper, a restricted area A4 may be defined. In this way, the data D1 may include information that enables the user to create print data with an appropriate design depending on the packaging material.

Design data D0 is created by adding data D2 representing a design to data D1 (format data). For example, a user operates the orderer terminal 90 to process and edit format data, thereby creating design data to which a design has been added. The design added to the format data may include, for example, design elements such as characters, figures, logos, illustrations, patterns, and photographs. Note that the design elements constituting the design may also include a background created in the drawing area A1. Even if the characters included in the design represent the name of the product (product name) that the user plans to sell after receiving the packaging, a description of the product (capacity, etc.), the name of the seller of the product, etc. good. A brand may be represented by a graphic, a logo, or the like. The user creates and edits design data on the orderer terminal 90 while creating design elements and arbitrarily changing the size, position, color, and brightness (brightness, lightness) of the design elements on the data. It's okay.

Returning to FIG. 1, the history information holding unit 26 has a function of holding information regarding orders received from users. The information regarding the order received from the user may include information obtained when the order is actually placed and information obtained when the order is not actually placed. The history information holding unit 26 can hold the information acquired by the order reception unit 14 and the design (printing data) acquired by the print data acquisition unit 15 in association with a single order from a user. Furthermore, the history information holding unit 26 associates and holds the user information held in the user information holding unit 21 for each order, so that the user can search for past order history. becomes possible. If a user who has registered is the orderer, the registered information becomes the orderer's information, so linking is possible by placing an order while logged in. Furthermore, when user registration is performed at the time of the first order, the information entered as the orderer at the time of the first order may be used as the user information. Further, data can be linked even after an order is placed by using a user ID or the like assigned as information for identifying the user.

The history information holding unit 26 stores information indicating the history of format data provided to users in the past (hereinafter referred to as “history information”) among the plurality of format data held by the format data holding unit 25. Hold. In this disclosure, among the plurality of format data held in the format data holding unit 25, format data that has been provided to a specific user in the past may be referred to as "provided format data." The history information holding unit 26 holds history information indicating one or more provided format data provided to the user in the past in association with information that identifies the user. In the history information held by the history information holding unit 26, for each user, for each of one or more pieces of provided format data, information indicating the history of orders made using the provided format data, and The design data used in the design may be associated with the design data. The one or more format data included in the history information may also include format data provided when the data was provided but the packaging material was not finally ordered. One or more format data included in the history information may include the same type of format data.

The packaging material order management device 10 can be viewed only by the users themselves, and can display a my page containing various information edited for each user on the monitor of the orderer terminal 90. The information providing unit 12 of the packaging material order management device 10 causes the orderer terminal 90 to display the my page related to the user in response to a request from the user to display the my page. The information providing unit 12 causes the orderer terminal 90 to display a history screen including the above-mentioned history information on my page. The information providing unit 12 causes the orderer terminal 90 to display a history screen when receiving an instruction by a user's operation on the orderer terminal 90 . The user can view the history screen, for example, by selecting (clicking) a tab on the My Page that corresponds to the user's instruction to display the history screen. The history screen displayed by the information providing unit 12 includes information indicating one or more format data provided in the past to a user viewing my page.

When placing a new order, the user can obtain format data related to the new order by operating the history screen displayed on the orderer terminal 90. When the information providing unit 12 of the packaging material order management device 10 receives an instruction based on the user's operation on the history screen, the information providing unit 12 orders format data specified based on the user's operation on the history screen from among the history information. The information is provided to the user terminal 90. The user can create new design data regarding a new order using format data (specified format data) obtained from operations on the history screen.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a history screen 92 that can be viewed by the user on the orderer terminal 90. On the history screen 92 shown in FIG. 7, a list 94, a preview 96, a download button 98a, and a designation button 98b are displayed. The list 94 shows information indicating one or more provided format data provided in the past to a specific user viewing the history screen 92 in a table format. In the present disclosure, provided format data is associated with each model number of multiple types of packaging materials, so in the list 94 of the history screen 92, the model number of the packaging material (in FIG. 7, it is displayed as "ordered model number") ) is information indicating provided format data provided in the past to a specific user. The list 94 includes a plurality of selection buttons 94a (radio buttons) each corresponding to information indicating one or more provided format data. The user can select any one of the plurality of selection buttons 94a on the history screen 92, and one provided format data is selected (specified) by the selected selection button 94a.

In consideration of the user's convenience, the list 94 includes information indicating the provided format data (order model number), download date indicating the date when data was provided in the past, shape and characteristics, size and capacity, actual Information indicating whether or not an order has been placed is displayed. When two or more types of provided format data have been provided to a specific user in the past, the information providing unit 12 may display information indicating each of the two or more provided format data in an order based on the user's past order history. A list 94 (history screen 92) is displayed on the orderer terminal 90 so that the list is lined up with . In the list 94 shown in FIG. 7, information indicating each of two or more provided format data is arranged in an order based on the order frequency for each model number included in the past order history of a specific user. In the list 94, information indicating each of two or more provided format data is displayed such that model numbers with high order frequency are arranged in order from the top of the screen.

Preview 96 displays designs used in past orders along with provided format data corresponding to selection button 94a selected by the user. That is, the preview 96 displays design data including data representing a design element added to the corresponding provision format data in a past order and the provision format data. When the user operates (clicks) the download button 98a, a request to provide format data is sent to the packaging material order management device 10. Then, the information providing unit 12 provides the orderer terminal 90 with the provision format data (designated format data) corresponding to the selection button 94a selected by the user in response to the provision request. The information providing unit 12 can provide the orderer terminal 90 with the provided format data (specified format data) selected by the user as well as data representing design elements added to the format data in past orders. Preview 96 allows the user to see previously provided format data as well as design elements used with that format data. On the history screen 92, the user may be able to select whether to request only the format data to be provided or to request the provision of data representing the corresponding design element together with the format data. The user may be able to select whether to request only the format data to be provided, depending on whether or not the designation button 98b is selected (checked). By providing the designation button 98b on the history screen 92, various requests from users can be met.

The packaging material order management device 10 may further have a function of managing payment processing that occurs upon acceptance of an order. Regarding the management of payment processing, since existing processing can be applied, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[Packaging material manufacturing control device]
The packaging material manufacturing management device 30 is a device that can operate in cooperation with the packaging material ordering management device 10. Furthermore, the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 has a function of managing each device related to packaging material manufacturing in the department that it manages (in FIG. 1, it is referred to as a "packaging material manufacturing department"). As an example of each device, FIG. 1 shows a printing machine 31, a laminating machine 32, and a bag making machine 33. As the printing machine 31, a digital printing machine or a non-digital printing machine (gravure printing machine, EB offset printing machine, flexo printing machine, etc.) can be selected depending on the type of printing. Examples of the laminating machine 32 include a dry laminating machine, an extrusion laminating machine, and the like. Note that these machines shown in FIG. 1 are just examples, and the objects to be managed by the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 are not limited to these machines. Furthermore, the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 may be able to individually control devices to be managed (such as the printing press 31), or may be configured to manage only the operating status or operation schedule (operation schedule). good.

Furthermore, the packaging material production management device 30 may be configured to collectively perform material management, process management, etc. of each product manufactured in the department that it manages. In this way, the management target of the packaging material production management device 30 can be the overall business related to the manufacturing of packaging materials in the department to be managed. However, the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 does not need to manage all of these operations, and may be configured to manage only a part of them. As an example, in the present embodiment, the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 at least receives information from the packaging material ordering management device 10 as part of the management related to manufacturing of packaging materials based on instructions from the packaging material ordering management device 10. It receives instructions to create packaging materials, manages the received data, and manages the manufacturing status of packaging materials for which instructions have been received (process management). Note that these managements do not need to be performed in one packaging material manufacturing control device 30, and may be configured to be managed in a distributed manner by a plurality of devices.

[Hardware configuration of packaging material order management device and packaging material manufacturing management device]
FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 110 used in the packaging material order management device 10 or the packaging material manufacturing management device 30. For example, computer 110 includes control circuit 100. In one example, control circuit 100 includes one or more processors 101, memory 102, storage 103, communication port 104, and input/output port 105. Processor 101 executes an operating system and application programs. The storage 103 is configured with a storage medium such as a hard disk, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, or a removable medium (eg, a magnetic disk, an optical disk, etc.), and stores an operating system and application programs. The memory 102 temporarily stores programs loaded from the storage 103 or results of calculations performed by the processor 101. The processor 101 functions as an individual functional module by cooperating with the memory 102 and executing programs. The communication port 104 performs data communication with other devices via the communication network NW according to instructions from the processor 101. The input/output port 105 inputs/outputs electrical signals to/from input/output devices (user interfaces) such as a keyboard, mouse, monitor, touch panel, etc. according to instructions from the processor 101.

Note that the packaging material order management device 10 and the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 may each be configured by a plurality of computers 110. In addition, when either the packaging material order management device 10 or the packaging material production management device 30 is composed of a plurality of computers 110, the plurality of computers 110 may be distributed, and these may be connected to each other via a communication network. They may be connected via NW.

[Packaging material order management method]
Next, a packaging material ordering management method using the packaging material ordering system 1 including the packaging material ordering management device 10 and the packaging material production management device 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10. This packaging material order management method at least selects specified format data associated with one packaging material related to an order from a user from among a plurality of format data respectively associated with multiple types of packaging materials at an orderer's terminal. 90; and an obtaining step of obtaining print data that includes specified format data and represents a design for the printing surface of one packaging material related to an order from a user. Furthermore, the packaging material order management method includes a sending step of transmitting a packaging material creation instruction including print data and information indicating the contents of the order from the user to the manufacturing department in which the printing machine 31 is included. The provision step includes format data that is associated with information that identifies the user and that has been provided to the user in the past among a plurality of format data when an instruction is received by the user's operation on the orderer terminal 90. A history screen 92 including history information showing the history of the history is displayed on the orderer terminal 90, and when an instruction is received by the user's operation on the history screen 92, the history screen 92 is displayed from among the history information to the history screen 92. This includes providing the format data specified based on the user's operation to the orderer terminal 90 as specified format data.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an ordering method and a delivery method by the packaging material ordering system 1. As shown in FIG. 9, steps S01 and S02 are first performed between the orderer terminal 90 and the packaging material order management device 10. In step S01, for example, a user (orderer) refers to a website provided by the information providing unit 12 of the packaging material order management device 10 by operating the orderer terminal 90, and inputs necessary information to the website. Enter and submit your user registration request. On the other hand, in step S02, for example, the packaging material order management device 10 receives a user registration request from the orderer terminal 90, registers the user's information in the user information holding unit 21 of the packaging material order management device 10, and places the order. The user terminal 90 is notified that the user registration has been completed. This allows the user of the orderer terminal 90 to become the orderer. Note that steps S01 and S02 are examples of a case where user registration is performed in advance, and this process may be changed depending on the timing of user registration.

Next, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S03 based on the request from the orderer terminal 90. When the user of the orderer terminal 90 wishes to order packaging materials from the packaging material order management device 10, the user operates the orderer terminal 90 to request presentation of an order form. In response to this request, the information providing unit 12 presents an order form. The format of the order form is not particularly limited; for example, multiple types of packaging materials that can be provided may be displayed on a website so that the user can select from them, or a configuration in which the user inputs a model number may be used. It may be. In this way, the format, interface, etc. for inputting information when a user places an order can be changed as appropriate. For example, the initial screen displays all available packaging materials, and by allowing the user to set extraction conditions and search, only information related to specific packaging materials that match the extraction conditions will be extracted and displayed. You can also do it. When displaying multiple types of packaging materials that can be provided on a website, sales information regarding each packaging material (for example, sales price, order unit, estimated time until delivery) may be displayed. The information providing unit 12 may display the sales information held by the sales information holding unit 24 on the order form or other screen.

Next, the orderer terminal 90 that has acquired the order form executes step S04. In step S04, for example, the user of the orderer terminal 90 inputs at least part of various information necessary for ordering. At this time, the information input by the user may include information specifying the model number of the packaging material. Note that the user may directly specify the model number of the packaging material, but for example, if one packaging material is selected from among multiple types of packaging materials posted on the website, the The configuration may be such that the model number is automatically selected.

Next, the orderer terminal 90 executes step S05. In step S05, for example, the information written in the inputted order form, that is, order information, is transmitted from the orderer terminal 90 to the packaging material order management device 10. This order information may include model number information that specifies the material, shape, and size of the packaging material. When the order information is transmitted from the orderer terminal 90, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S06. In step S06, for example, the order receiving unit 14 acquires order information and stores it in the history information holding unit 26 as a process for starting order receiving processing. Further, the order receiving unit 14 performs association with the user information holding unit 21 (for example, linking information using a user ID) as necessary.

Next, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S07. In step S07, for example, the print data acquisition section 15 refers to the format data holding section 25 and prepares a set of format data corresponding to the model number included in the order information. Next, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S08. In step S08, for example, the information providing unit 12 transmits the prepared set of format data to the orderer terminal 90. As an example, the information providing unit 12 may upload a set of format data to a website or the like from which data can be downloaded by operating the orderer terminal 90. In this case, the configuration may be such that the set of format data is obtained by downloading the data by operating the orderer terminal 90. A set of format data corresponding to each model number may be provided in a downloadable state on a specific website, and by the orderer terminal 90 downloading a set of format data corresponding to a specific model number, the format data You may obtain a complete set. The information providing unit 12 holds information indicating the provided format data in the history information holding unit 26, and associates the information with information for identifying the user (for example, user ID).

In response, the orderer terminal 90 executes step S09. In step S09, for example, the user processes the data D1 at the orderer terminal 90 that has acquired the set of format data, thereby creating design data for printing. Design data for printing is created by adding various design elements (for example, characters, graphics) to the data D1.

Regarding the created data, the orderer terminal 90 executes step S10. In step S10, the processed design data for printing is transmitted from the orderer terminal 90 to the packaging material order management device 10. The transmitted data is acquired by the print data acquisition unit 15 of the packaging material order management device 10. Note that the design data may be sent from the orderer terminal 90 to the packaging material order management device 10 by, for example, uploading the data to a specific website. Proofreading may be performed on the original design data sent to the packaging material order management device 10. After obtaining the user's approval for the proofread design data, the print data acquisition unit 15 may obtain the proofread design data for which approval has been obtained, and update the design data to new data.

Next, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S11. In step S11, for example, the payment processing unit 18 finalizes the order from the orderer and performs payment processing. Information indicating that the payment has been made by the payment processing unit 18 is recorded in the history information storage unit 26, for example, as described above. Through the processing up to this point, a series of processing related to order acceptance is completed. After a series of processes up to step S11 are executed, the history information holding unit 26 stores the provided format data, data representing the design, and the corresponding format data in association with the information for identifying the user. Information indicating the model number may be stored.

Next, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S12. In step S12, for example, the packaging material creation instruction unit 16 refers to the model number included in the order information, refers to the material information holding unit 23, and prepares information that needs to be transmitted to the packaging material manufacturing control device 30. . That is, the packaging material production instruction unit 16 prepares information (material designation information) specifying the material used in the packaging material specified by the model number. The packaging material production instruction section 16 acquires material information corresponding to the model number from the information stored in the material information holding section 23. As a result, the data to be transmitted to the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 is prepared.

Next, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S13. In step S13, for example, the packaging material production instruction unit 16 transmits a packaging material production instruction to the packaging material manufacturing control device 30. The transmitted creation instruction includes at least part of the order information input in step S04 (for example, information identifying the packaging material, information regarding the delivery destination of the packaging material), and information used to create the packaging material. Information specifying the material and design data used for printing on the packaging material may be included.

Next, the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 that has received the instruction to create the packaging material executes step S14. In step S14, the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 starts managing and creating the process related to creating the packaging material based on the creation instruction. The targets of process control in the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 include, for example, procurement of materials, securing operating hours for each device used to create packaging materials, such as the printing machine 31, the laminating machine 32, and the bag making machine 33. can be mentioned. In step S14, the design data may be adjusted (data proofreading, etc.) to enable use in the printing press 31.

In parallel with the creation of the product, the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 executes step S15, and in response to this, the packaging material ordering management device 10 executes step S16. In step S15, for example, the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 notifies the packaging material order management device 10 of the scheduled delivery date of the packaging material. The scheduled delivery date can be specified, for example, as a result of process control (step S14). The packaging material manufacturing management device 30 notifies the packaging material ordering management device 10 when the delivery date is estimated. The scheduled delivery date of the packaging materials notified may correspond to the delivery period that may be included in the sales information. It may be shifted. In step S16, for example, the packaging material ordering management device 10 that has received the delivery schedule information from the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 notifies the orderer terminal 90 of the delivery date information by the delivery management unit 17. The method of notification to the orderer terminal 90 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include notification on a website (for example, a user page assigned to each user), notification by email, and the like. At this time, the delivery management section 17 may update the delivery date information in the order information held in the history information holding section 26.

When the product is completed, the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 executes step S17. Furthermore, along with the execution of step S17, steps S18 to S20 are executed. In step S17, for example, the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 ships the completed product to the delivery destination included in the production instruction. Along with shipping the product, a shipping notification is sent from the packaging material manufacturing management device 30 to the packaging material ordering management device 10 in step S18. Further, in step S19, for example, the packaging material order management device 10 that has received the shipping notification reports to the orderer terminal 90 that shipping has been completed. The method of notification to the orderer terminal 90 is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include notification on a website (for example, a user page assigned to each user), notification by email, and the like. Further, as shown in step S20, the product is separately sent to the delivery destination from the packaging material manufacturing control device 30 (manufacturing department). Note that FIG. 9 shows a state in which the product is sent to the orderer terminal 90 as an example where the delivery destination is the user of the orderer terminal 90. Since the delivery destination is set based on the order information, the delivery destination may be different from the location where the user of the orderer terminal 90 is located.

The above completes a series of processes related to the creation of one packaging material. Note that if the same user orders packaging materials for the second time or later, part of the procedure shown in FIG. 9 can be omitted. For example, since user management is performed in the packaging material order management device 10, user registration is completed from the second time onwards. Therefore, the steps related to user registration (S11 to S12) are omitted, and a login process using a user ID or the like is performed. Further, since the order information can be created using the information used for user registration, it is possible to simplify the input of information in inputting the order information (S04), for example.

In the series of processes related to orders shown in FIG. 9, acquisition of order information and acquisition of design data may be performed in any order. Before inputting the order information, the user (orderer) may send design data by operating the orderer terminal 90. Prior to inputting the order information, the orderer terminal 90 may acquire format data from the packaging material order management device 10 based on the user's operation. Before inputting the order information, the user creates design data using the format data, and after transmitting the created design data to the packaging material order management device 10, inputs the order information, etc. You may continue (execute) ordering packaging materials. The packaging material order management device 10 may associate the design data sent before inputting the order information with the order information in the process of continuing to order the packaging material. By making this association, the design data sent before the order information is input becomes data that includes the design to be printed on the packaging material specified by the order information.

In the series of processes shown in FIG. 9 described above, user registration, start of order by the user, provision of format data, and acquisition of design data are performed in this order. Next, with reference to FIG. 10, unlike the series of processes shown in FIG. Explain the order management method. As shown in FIG. 10, step S31 is first performed between the orderer terminal 90 and the packaging material order management device 10. In step S31, for example, the packaging material order management device 10 requests the orderer terminal 90 to send user information, and the user enters his or her user ID etc. (initial screen displayed on the screen). Thereby, a login process is performed, and the user can view the contents of my page on the orderer terminal 90.

Next, the orderer terminal 90 executes step S32. In response to step S32, the packaging material order management device 10 executes steps S33 and S34. In step S32, for example, the orderer terminal 90 causes the packaging material order management device 10 to display the history screen 92 representing the history of provided format data provided to the user in the past based on the user's operation. to request. In step S33, for example, the information providing unit 12 prepares, in the history information holding unit 26, information indicating the history of one or more provided format data linked to the user ID input in step S31. Then, in step S34, for example, the information providing unit 12 causes the history screen 92 including the above-described list 94 to be displayed on the monitor of the orderer terminal 90. Thereby, the user can view the history screen 92 on the orderer terminal 90, and can grasp the format data (the model number corresponding to the data) that the user has received in the past.

Next, the orderer terminal 90 executes step S35. In step S35, for example, the packaging material order management device 10 requests the packaging material order management device 10 to transmit format data based on the user's operation on the history screen 92. In step S35, one piece of data to be requested to be transmitted may be specified from one or more provided format data provided in the past by the user's operation on the history screen 92. The format data may be specified by specifying the model number. In step S35, the user may operate the history screen 92 to request the provision of data including the designated format data and designs (design elements) used in the past.

In response to step S35, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S36. In step S36, for example, the information providing unit 12 provides at least the specified format data (designated format data) to the orderer terminal 90. As an example, the information providing unit 12 may upload a set of data including specified format data (see FIG. 5) to a website etc. that can be downloaded by operating the history screen 92 from the orderer terminal 90. . In this case, a configuration may be adopted in which the orderer terminal 90 (user) obtains the set of format data by downloading the data by operating the orderer terminal 90. A set of format data corresponding to each model number included in the history screen 92 may be provided in a downloadable state at a specific website. In this case, the orderer terminal 90 (user) may obtain the set of format data by downloading the set of format data corresponding to a specific model number by the orderer terminal 90 operating the history screen 92.

Next, the orderer terminal 90 executes steps S37 and S38. In step S37, for example, after the order form is presented by the information providing unit 12, the user of the orderer terminal 90 inputs at least part of various information necessary for the order. In the order form presented in step S37, the model number associated with the format data provided in step S36 may have already been input. In step S38, for example, the user uses the orderer terminal 90 to process the format data provided in step S36, thereby creating design data for printing. The user may create new design data by processing, editing, or using the design data provided in step S36 and including format data and data representing design elements as is.

Next, the orderer terminal 90 executes steps S39 and S40. In step S39, for example, based on the user's operation, the orderer terminal 90 transmits the order information input in step S37 and the design data created in step S38 to the packaging material order management device 10. do. In step S40, for example, based on the user's operation, the orderer terminal 90 transmits an instruction to finalize the order details including the information transmitted in step S39 to the packaging material order management device 10.

Next, the packaging material order management device 10 executes step S41 similarly to step S11. Through the processing up to this point, a series of processing related to order acceptance is completed. Thereafter, the packaging material order management device 10 and the packaging material production management device 30 execute a series of processes similar to the series of processes of steps S12 to S20 shown in FIG. 9, although they are omitted in FIG. With the above, a series of processes related to the creation of one packaging material when format data is provided by operation on the history screen 92 is completed. Providing format data by operating the history screen 92 is not necessarily performed every time an order is placed, but is performed when requested by the user.

Even if the packaging material is a member other than light packaging material (for example, a paper carton, etc.), or even if the types of packaging materials handled by the packaging material ordering system 1 include members other than flexible packaging material, the process shown in FIG. And the procedure shown in FIG. 10 is similarly executed.

[Modified example]
As mentioned above, the present disclosure is not necessarily limited to the examples described above, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

In the above example, in the data held by the format data holding unit 25, each of the plurality of format data (a plurality of sets of format data) is associated with the model number of the packaging material. On the other hand, in the data held by the format data holding unit 25, each of the plurality of format data is based on the shape of the packaging material, the size of the packaging material, or the combination of the shape and size of the packaging material, instead of the model number. They may be associated. That is, in the data held by the format data holding unit 25, instead of the model number, one piece of format data may be associated with each shape, size, or combination of shape and size of the packaging material. In this way, in the present disclosure, when specifying one format data corresponding to one packaging material from among a plurality of format data, information indicating the model number, shape, size, or a combination of shape and size is used. is used. Hereinafter, information indicating any one of the model number of the packaging material, the shape of the packaging material, the size of the packaging material, and a combination of the shape and size of the packaging material will be referred to as "specific information." In the data held by the format data holding unit 25, one piece of format data may be associated with each piece of specific information.

The information providing unit 12 displays the history screen 92 on the orderer terminal 90 so that the information indicating each of two or more format data is arranged in an order based on the frequency of orders for each specific information included in the user's past order history. It may be displayed. In the list 94 shown in FIG. 7, instead of the model number, the order is based on the shape of the packaging material, the size of the packaging material, or the frequency of orders for each combination of shape and size included in the user's past order history. , information indicating each of two or more format data may be lined up. In the list 94, information indicating each of two or more format data is displayed so that the shapes of packaging materials, sizes of packaging materials, or combinations of shapes and sizes that are frequently ordered are arranged in order from the top of the screen. Good too.

The information providing unit 12 arranges information indicating each of the two or more format data in an order based on information indicating the date on which the data was provided, which is included in the past order history, instead of the order frequency for each specific information. Additionally, the history screen 92 may be displayed on the orderer terminal 90. In one example, on the history screen 92, information indicating each of two or more format data may be arranged in order of date of data provision.

Some functions of the packaging material order management device 10 may be managed by a device separate from the packaging material order management device 10. For example, the management of user information may be performed by a device other than the packaging material order management device 10. Further, the payment relationship may also be managed by a device separate from the packaging material order management device 10. Further, the information included in the order information or the sales information is not limited to that described in the above embodiment, and various types of information can be combined. Furthermore, the order input form, the structure of design data, etc. may be changed as appropriate. At least a portion of the content described in any one of the various examples described above may be applied to other examples.

[Effects of embodiment]
The packaging material order management device 10 described above is a device that receives an order for producing packaging materials from an orderer terminal 90 operated by an orderer via the Internet. This packaging material order management device 10 sends specified format data associated with one packaging material related to the above order to the orderer terminal 90 from among a plurality of format data respectively associated with multiple types of packaging materials. an information providing unit 12 that provides the information, a print data acquisition unit 15 that acquires print data that includes designated format data and represents a design for the printing surface of one packaging material related to the order, and a print data acquisition unit 15 that displays the print data and the contents of the order. and a packaging material creation instruction unit 16 that transmits a packaging material creation instruction including information to a manufacturing department including the printing machine 31. When the information providing unit 12 receives an instruction from the orderer's operation on the orderer terminal 90, the information providing unit 12 associates the information with information that identifies the orderer and provides the information previously provided to the orderer among a plurality of format data. A history screen 92 containing history information indicating the history of formatted data is displayed on the orderer terminal 90, and when an instruction is received from the orderer on the history screen 92, the history screen 92 is selected from among the history information. The format data specified based on the orderer's operation to 92 is provided to the orderer's terminal as designated format data.

In this packaging material order management device 10, a history screen 92 representing a history of format data provided to the orderer in the past is displayed on the orderer terminal 90. Then, based on the orderer's operation on the history screen 92, the orderer is provided with format data that is the source of print data for the packaging material for which the order is to be placed. When ordering packaging materials using format data provided in the past, the orderer can obtain the format data by operating the history screen 92. There are cases where format data used by the user in the past is repeatedly used, and the packaging material order management device 10 is useful for improving user convenience.

In the packaging material order management device 10 described above, the information providing unit 12 indicates each of two or more pieces of provided format data that is format data that has been provided to the orderer terminal 90 in the past among the plurality of format data. The history screen 92 may be displayed on the orderer terminal 90 so that the information is arranged in an order based on the orderer's past order history. In this case, format data that is likely to be used can be presented to the orderer in an easy-to-understand manner based on the order history. Therefore, it is further useful for improving user convenience.

In the packaging material order management device 10 described above, each of the plurality of format data includes the model number of the packaging material, the shape of the packaging material, the size of the packaging material, and any one of the combinations of the shape and size of the packaging material. It may also be associated with specific information indicating one. On the history screen 92 displayed on the orderer's terminal 90, even if information indicating each of two or more provided format data is arranged in an order based on the frequency of orders for each specific information included in the orderer's past order history, good. In this case, format data corresponding to specific information such as a model number that is likely to be used can be presented to the orderer in an easy-to-understand manner based on the frequency of orders for each specific information included in the order history. Therefore, it is further useful for improving user convenience.

In the packaging material order management device 10 described above, the information providing unit 12 can provide the orderer terminal with data representing design elements added to the specified format data in past orders, together with the specified format data. It's okay. In this case, the orderer can obtain format data used in the past as well as data representing design elements created using the format data. This allows the orderer to place a new order by referring to the designs used in past orders. Therefore, it is further useful for improving user convenience.

1... Packaging material ordering system, 10... Packaging material ordering management device, 12... Information providing section, 15... Print data acquisition section, 16... Packaging material production instruction section, 30... Packaging material production management device, 31... Printing machine, 90 ...Orderer terminal, 92...History screen.

Claims (5)

A packaging material order management device that accepts orders for creating packaging materials from an orderer terminal operated by an orderer via the Internet, the device comprising:
an information providing unit that provides specified format data associated with one packaging material related to the order to the orderer terminal from among a plurality of format data respectively associated with multiple types of packaging materials;
a print data acquisition unit that acquires print data that includes the designated format data and represents a design for the printing surface of one packaging material related to the order;
a packaging material creation instruction unit that transmits a packaging material creation instruction including the print data and information indicating the contents of the order to a manufacturing department including a printing machine,
The information provision department is
When an instruction is received by the orderer's operation on the orderer terminal, information that is associated with information identifying the orderer and that has been previously provided to the orderer among the plurality of format data. displaying a history screen including history information indicating the history of format data on the orderer terminal;
When an instruction is received by the orderer's operation on the history screen, format data specified from the history information based on the orderer's operation on the history screen is used as the specified format data to place the order. Packaging material order management device provided to customer terminals. The information providing unit stores information indicating each of two or more provided format data, which are format data provided to the orderer in the past, out of the plurality of format data, in the past order history of the orderer. The packaging material order management device according to claim 1, wherein the history screen is displayed on the orderer terminal so that the history screen is arranged in a based order. Each of the plurality of format data is associated with specific information indicating any one of the model number of the packaging material, the shape of the packaging material, the size of the packaging material, and a combination of the shape and size of the packaging material. ,
On the history screen displayed on the orderer terminal, information indicating each of the two or more provided format data is arranged in an order based on the frequency of orders for each of the specific information included in the past order history by the orderer. 3. The packaging material order management device according to claim 2. Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the information providing unit is capable of providing data representing a design element added to the specified format data in a past order to the orderer terminal together with the specified format data. The packaging material order management device according to item 1. A packaging material order management method that accepts orders for the production of packaging materials from an orderer terminal operated by an orderer via the Internet, the method comprising:
a providing step of providing designated format data associated with one packaging material related to the order to the orderer terminal from among a plurality of format data respectively associated with multiple types of packaging materials;
an acquisition step of acquiring print data that includes the designated format data and represents a design for the printing surface of one packaging material related to the order;
a sending step of sending a packaging material creation instruction including the printing data and information indicating the contents of the order to a manufacturing department including a printing machine;
The providing step includes:
When an instruction is received by the orderer's operation on the orderer terminal, information that is associated with information identifying the orderer and that has been previously provided to the orderer among the plurality of format data. Displaying a history screen including history information indicating a history of format data on the orderer terminal;
When an instruction is received by the orderer's operation on the history screen, format data specified from the history information based on the orderer's operation on the history screen is used as the specified format data to place the order. a packaging material order management method, the method comprising:

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