JP2024059107A - Steel frame ordering system - Google Patents

Abstract

To mediate between an orderer and a fabricator of iron frames.SOLUTION: An order information receiving unit receives order information indicating an order for steel frames from an orderer. A selection unit selects a plurality of applicant fabricators from among a plurality of fabricators regardless of the locations of the fabricators. An order information transmission unit transmits the order information to the applicant fabricators. An order information receiving unit receives order information indicating that the order indicated by the order information is to be accepted, from multiple candidate fabricators which are some of the applicant fabricators. A candidate presentation unit presents, to the orderer, at least a part of multiple pieces of candidate fabricator information indicating each of the multiple candidate fabricators.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

The present invention relates to a steel structure ordering system.

When general contractors and other construction companies procure steel frames for use in buildings, they ask fabricators to manufacture the steel frames. Requests for steel frame manufacturing are usually made before official drawings are prepared for quotation, so fabricators reserve future manufacturing schedules in advance based on the details of the request.

JP 2005-174064 A

However, because manufacturing schedules are frequently changed due to delays in construction projects, etc., fabricators are likely to have busy and slow seasons. In addition, when a fabricator in a local community cannot secure a manufacturing schedule, a construction company has a hard time finding a fabricator to order from.
An object of the present invention is to provide a steel frame ordering system that can act as an intermediary between a steel frame orderer and a fabricator.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the server communicates with a customer who orders steel beams and multiple fabricators who manufacture the steel beams via a network, and includes an order information receiving unit that receives order information indicating an order for steel beams from the customer, a selection unit that selects multiple recruited fabricators from the multiple fabricators regardless of the locations of each of the multiple fabricators, an order information transmitting unit that transmits the order information to the multiple recruited fabricators, an order information receiving unit that receives order information indicating that the order indicated by the order information will be accepted from multiple candidate fabricators that are some of the multiple recruited fabricators, and a candidate presentation unit that presents at least a portion of the multiple candidate fabricator information indicating each of the multiple candidate fabricators to the customer.

According to the above aspect, it is possible to act as an intermediary between the customer of the steel structure and the fabricator.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a steel frame ordering system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic sequence diagram showing the flow of mediation by the steel frame ordering system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of an order information input screen according to the first embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a competitive quotation screen according to the first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. 4 is a first flowchart showing an operation of a server according to the first embodiment. 11 is a second flowchart showing the operation of the server according to the first embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server 100 according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an orderer terminal 200A according to a second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a competitive quotation screen according to the second embodiment; 10 is a flowchart showing an operation of the server 100 according to the second embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of an orderer terminal 200A according to the second embodiment.

First Embodiment
<<Configuration of Steel Order System 1>>
Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a steel frame ordering system 1 according to the first embodiment.
The steel frame ordering system 1 mediates transactions of small lots of steel frame between steel frame orderers such as construction companies and trading companies and fabricators that manufacture the steel frame. A small lot of steel frame refers to steel frame weighing less than 300 tons. The steel frame ordering system 1 includes a server 100, multiple orderer terminals 200A, and multiple fabricator terminals 200B. The server 100 is operated by a platformer. The orderer terminal 200A is a terminal device 200 owned by an orderer and operated by the orderer. The fabricator terminal 200B is a terminal device 200 owned by a fabricator and operated by the fabricator. The server 100 communicates with the orderer terminal 200A and the fabricator terminal 200B via a network. The steel frame ordering system 1 accepts registrations of orderers and fabricators regardless of their locations. In other words, the steel structure ordering system 1 acts as an intermediary between fabricators in a wide area (e.g., nationwide) and customers in a wide area (e.g., nationwide).

Overview of Mediation Procedures
FIG. 2 is a schematic sequence diagram showing the flow of intermediation by the steel frame ordering system 1 according to the first embodiment.
The orderer operates the orderer terminal 200A to transmit order information for steel frames to the server 100 (step S1). The order information includes at least drawings and quotation conditions used to calculate the quantity of steel frames. The initial order information is usually transmitted before the building request is accepted in order to prepare a quotation to be used in price negotiations with the building client. Therefore, the drawings included in the initial order information are usually rough estimate drawings.

When the server 100 receives the order information, it calculates the quantity and unit price of the steel frame based on the drawings and quotation conditions included in the order information, and generates quotation information indicating the fee for the steel frame related to the order information (step S2). The server 100 transmits the generated quotation information to the orderer terminal 200A (step S3). In other words, since the server 100 creates quotation information based on the rough estimate drawings, the fabricator does not need to create quotation information based on the rough estimate drawings. The orderer can obtain quotation information without deciding which fabricator to contract with, so the freedom to choose a fabricator is ensured. Furthermore, if the drawings included in the order information are rough estimate drawings, the server 100 does not present the order information to the fabricator. This eliminates the need for the fabricator to secure an uncertain schedule in advance.

Each time the orderer updates the drawings, he/she operates the orderer terminal 200A to update the order information and transmits it to the server 100 (step S4). The server 100 generates quotation information based on the received order information (step S5) and transmits it to the orderer terminal 200A (step S6). Each time the server 100 transmits quotation information to the orderer terminal 200A, it charges the orderer a fee for generating the quotation information. After that, when the orderer receives a request for a building from the client and the official drawings are completed, the orderer operates the orderer terminal 200A to transmit the order information, including the official drawings, to the server 100 (step S7).

When the server 100 receives the order information, it calculates the quantity and unit price of the steel frame based on the drawings and quotation conditions included in the order information, and generates quotation information indicating the price of the steel frame related to the order information (step S8). Next, the server 100 presents the received order information and the generated quotation information to a fabricator that has been registered in advance (step S9). A fabricator must pay an annual fee to register with the steel frame ordering system 1. A fabricator can view the order information and quotation information by operating the fabricator terminal 200B and accessing the server 100.

The fabricator decides whether or not to accept the order based on the presented order information and quotation information. If the fabricator does not accept the order, it leaves the quotation information without taking any action. On the other hand, if the fabricator wishes to accept the order, the fabricator operates the fabricator terminal 200B to modify the unit price included in the presented quotation information to the unit price desired by the fabricator (step S10), and transmits the order information including the modified quotation information to the server 100 (step S11). In other words, the fabricator does not need to calculate the quantity of steel from the drawing, and can generate quotation information by simply modifying the unit price of the steel. Therefore, even if the fabricator misses the order for the order information, there is little disadvantage to using the steel ordering system 1 because there is little work to be done. Note that in small-lot steel transactions, the ratio of labor costs to material costs is large, so the unit price of steel is likely to vary depending on the fabricator.

When the server 100 receives order information from multiple fabricators (candidate fabricators), it extracts fabricators with good reviews, fabricators located close to the construction site, and fabricators with low estimated prices from among the fabricators that have received the order information, as fabricators to recommend to the customer (step S12). The server 100 presents the order information of the extracted fabricators, together with the fabricator's reviews, on the customer terminal 200A (step S13).

The orderer decides which fabricator (contract fabricator) to order the steel frame from based on the presented information. The orderer operates the orderer terminal 200A to notify the server 100 of the fabricator selected as the order recipient (step S14). The server 100 notifies the fabricator terminal 200B of the selected fabricator that the order has been confirmed (step S15). At this time, the server 100 presents the guarantee contract provided by the platform to the orderer and the fabricator, and accepts input as to whether or not to enter into the guarantee contract. Upon deciding on the order recipient, the server 100 charges the orderer a brokerage fee.

Fabricators can receive orders only after the official drawings are completed, so the time from order to start of steel frame manufacturing can be shorter than if orders were received at the time of rough drawings. This allows fabricators to reduce schedule fluctuations. Also, fabricators can accept orders for steel frame manufacturing that can be started immediately during off-seasons.
After that, when the delivery of the steel frame by the fabricator is completed, the server 100 receives the settlement information of the fee from the fabricator terminal 200B as necessary (step S16), and transmits the settlement information to the orderer terminal 200A (step S17). This completes the commercial transaction of the steel frame between the orderer and the fabricator. The ownership of the steel frame is directly transferred between the fabricator and the orderer, and the platform operator operating the server 100 does not receive the ownership of the steel frame from the fabricator. After the transaction is completed, the server 100 receives individual evaluation information indicating the fabricator's evaluation from the orderer terminal 200A, and also receives individual evaluation information indicating the orderer's evaluation from the fabricator terminal 200B (step S18). This causes the server 100 to update the evaluation information of the orderer and the fabricator.

As described above, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the period from receipt of an order to the start of production is short, so fabricators can reduce the occurrence of off-seasons. Furthermore, according to the steel structure ordering system 1, a customer can easily select a fabricator to place an order with from fabricators in a wide area (e.g., nationwide).

Configuration of server 100
The detailed configuration of the steel structure ordering system 1 will be described below.
3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 100 according to the first embodiment. The server 100 includes a registration reception unit 101, a user database 102, a payment confirmation unit 103, a setting unit 104, a billing unit 105, an order information reception unit 106, a calculation unit 107, an estimate transmission unit 108, an order information transmission unit 109, an order information reception unit 110, a candidate presentation unit 111, a candidate selection unit 112, a contract presentation unit 113, a notification unit 114, a settlement processing unit 115, and an evaluation reception unit 116.

The registration reception unit 101 accepts registrations for use of the steel structure ordering system 1 from the orderer terminal 200A and the fabricator terminal 200B. For example, the registration reception unit 101 accepts input of registration information including the company name, location, name of person in charge, classification as orderer or fabricator, account information, email address, and password. The registration reception unit 101 records the input registration information in the user database 102. The account information may indicate an account for a credit card, bank, or payment service. The registration reception unit 101 displays the rules for use of the steel structure ordering system 1 on the input screen for the registration information. Examples of the rules for use include rules for steel structure settlement and problem solving rules. Examples of the rules for steel structure settlement include accepting settlement when the error between the steel structure quantity related to the rough estimate and the actual quantity exceeds a specified value, and not accepting settlement when the error does not exceed the specified value.

The user database 102 stores the registration information, the registration status of the user related to the registration information, the evaluation information, and the payment status in association with each other. The registration status can be either "unregistered" or "registered." For example, the platformer operating the server 100 surveys the user when the user registers, evaluates the user, and records evaluation information indicating the evaluation result in the user database 102. The evaluation information may be expressed, for example, by a numerical value indicating a five-point evaluation. The evaluation information may also include a character string explaining the characteristics of the user. The payment status indicates whether or not the user has paid the annual membership fee. Note that an orderer is registered when the platformer confirms the user registration information after the user inputs the registration information. On the other hand, a fabricator is registered when the platformer confirms the user registration information after the user inputs the registration information and the annual membership fee is paid. Since the orderer does not pay the annual membership fee, the payment status for the orderer may be NULL.

The billing section 105 bills users of the steel structure ordering system 1 for usage fees.
Specifically, the billing unit 105 bills fabricators whose user registration information is registered in the user database 102 for annual membership fees. When the rough estimate sending unit 108 sends rough estimate information to an orderer, the billing unit 105 bills the orderer for a rough estimate preparation fee. When the orderer decides on a fabricator to order steel beams from, the billing unit 105 bills the orderer for an introduction fee. When the user concludes a warranty contract presented by the contract presentation unit 113, the billing unit 105 bills the user for a guarantee fee.
The billing section 105 generates billing information based on, for example, the account information recorded in the user database 102, and executes billing processing.

The payment confirmation unit 103 determines whether or not the fabricator has paid the annual membership fee. In other words, the payment confirmation unit 103 determines whether or not a deposit has been made from the account indicated by the account information indicated by the user registration information. The payment confirmation unit 103 updates the deposit status stored in the user database 102 based on the result of the deposit determination. If the fabricator has not paid the annual membership fee, the payment confirmation unit 103 rewrites the registration status in the user database 102 to unregistered.

The setting unit 104 displays an input screen for steel frame order information on the orderer terminal 200A in response to an access from the orderer terminal 200A. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an order information input screen according to the first embodiment. The input screen includes an input form for inputting the project name, the location of the construction site, the construction period, the start date of construction, order acceptance conditions, quotation conditions, drawings, and a classification as to whether the drawings are rough estimate drawings or official drawings. The quotation conditions include, for example, drawing conditions, material conditions, processing conditions, rust prevention conditions, evaluation management conditions, on-site response conditions, document conditions, and the like. Examples of drawing conditions include whether or not a working drawing needs to be created, whether or not a match number drawing needs to be created, and whether or not a temporary drawing needs to be created. Examples of material conditions include the type of steel frame member, whether or not material procurement is required, and whether or not a manufacturer is specified. Examples of processing conditions include whether or not machining is performed, whether or not embedded metal fittings are used, and whether or not bending is performed. Examples of rust prevention conditions include the type of base treatment, whether or not undercoating is performed, and whether or not special painting is performed. Examples of evaluation management conditions include whether or not various on-site inspections are required. Examples of on-site conditions include whether or not matching numbers are required, whether or not scaffolding work is required, and whether or not blacksmithing work is required. Examples of document conditions include whether or not various guidelines, plans, and reports are required. Estimation conditions may be displayed selectably using, for example, check boxes or pull-down menus. Order conditions indicate the conditions of fabricators who can accept orders for the creation of steel structures. Order conditions indicate, for example, the grade or evaluation of the fabricator. Estimation conditions may also be input using an interactive input system such as a chatbot.
The drawings may be two-dimensional drawings represented by bitmap data or vector data, or three-dimensional drawings represented by CAD (Computer Aided Design) data or BIM (Building Information Modeling) data.

The order information receiving unit 106 receives the order information input by the orderer terminal 200A. If the classification of the drawings included in the order information as either rough estimate drawings or formal drawings indicates that the drawings are formal drawings, the order information receiving unit 106 treats the order as confirmed. In other words, the order information receiving unit 106 is an example of a confirmation unit that accepts confirmation of the order information from the orderer.

The calculation unit 107 calculates the quantity and unit price of each type of steel frame based on the drawings and estimate conditions included in the order information. For example, the calculation unit 107 calculates the quantity and unit price of each type of steel frame in the following procedure.
The calculation unit 107 estimates detailed parts from the drawings, and calculates the quantity of each type of steel frame based on the estimated detailed parts. The calculation unit 107 calculates the quantity of each type of steel frame using a model that takes, for example, material conditions included in the drawings and the estimation conditions as input and outputs the quantity of each type. The calculation unit 107 estimates the welding amount of the steel frame based on the determined quantity of each type of steel frame. The calculation unit 107 estimates the processing difficulty of the steel frame from the estimated welding amount, the weight of the steel frame per piece, and the processing conditions. The calculation unit 107 calculates the unit price of each type of steel frame based on the market price of the steel frame, the processing difficulty, and the estimation conditions.
The rough estimate sending unit 108 generates rough estimate information based on the quantity and unit price of each type of steel frame calculated by the calculation unit 107, and sends it to the orderer terminal 200A that sent the order information.

When the classification of the drawings included in the order information is a formal drawing, the order information transmission unit 109 transmits the order information and the rough estimate information indicating the quantity and unit price of each type of steel frame calculated by the calculation unit 107 to the fabricator stored in the user database 102. The rough estimate information is represented, for example, by CSV data. For example, the order information transmission unit 109 may send an email with the order information attached to the fabricator's email address, or may send an email containing a URL for accessing the order information viewing screen to the fabricator's email address. In addition, the order information transmission unit 109 may transmit the order information viewing screen to the fabricator terminal 200B when the fabricator terminal 200B accesses the server 100.

The order information receiving unit 110 receives order information from the fabricator terminal 200B, which indicates a desire to receive an order for the steel frame indicated by the order information. The order information includes formal quotation information. The formal quotation information is data in which the fabricator has rewritten the unit price portion of the rough quotation information sent by the order information sending unit 109. In other words, the formal quotation information is an example of unit price correction information for correcting the unit price calculated by the calculation unit 107. The formal quotation information is also an example of order price information indicating the order price of the steel frame. Note that order information is not necessarily received from all fabricators. For example, a fabricator that is unable to accept orders due to a busy season will not send order information. Hereinafter, the fabricator that sent the order information is also referred to as a candidate fabricator.

When a certain number of pieces of order information have been received by the order information receiving unit 110, or when a certain period of time has passed since the order information was received, the candidate presentation unit 111 extracts three recommended fabricators from among the multiple candidate fabricators based on the multiple pieces of received order information and information stored in the user database 102. For example, the candidate presentation unit 111 extracts the recommended fabricators in the following procedure.
The candidate presentation unit 111 converts the order price indicated in the formal quotation information included in the order information, the distance from the fabricator's location to the construction site, and the fabricator's evaluation into scores. The lower the order price, the higher the score, the shorter the distance from the location to the construction site, and the higher the fabricator's evaluation. The score may be calculated, for example, by standard deviation using the candidate fabricators as a population. The candidate presentation unit 111 extracts, as recommended fabricators, the fabricators with the highest order price score, the highest distance score, and the highest evaluation score from among the candidate fabricators whose total score is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, or the candidate fabricators whose scores are within a predetermined number of the top scores.
In other words, the candidate presentation unit 111 extracts, from among multiple candidate fabricator information, candidate fabricator information relating to candidate fabricators located closer to the construction site than the other candidate fabricators, candidate fabricator information relating to candidate fabricators with lower order prices than the other candidate fabricators, and candidate fabricator information relating to candidate fabricators with higher ratings than the other candidate fabricators.

The candidate presentation unit 111 sends a comparative quotation screen to the orderer terminal 200A, which presents the order information and evaluation information of the extracted recommended fabricators in a comparative manner. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the comparative quotation screen according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the comparative quotation screen displays the locations, evaluations, and order prices of the three recommended fabricators side by side. In addition, the unit prices and amounts offered by the three recommended fabricators for each item are displayed side by side for the order prices.

The candidate selection unit 112 accepts the selection of a contract fabricator from among the three recommended fabricators to order the steel frame from the orderer terminal 200A. The orderer terminal 200A selects a contract fabricator by pressing the order button associated with the desired fabricator on the competitive quote screen shown in FIG. 5.

The notification unit 114 notifies each candidate fabricator of whether or not they will accept the steel frame order. Specifically, when the candidate presentation unit 111 extracts three recommended fabricators, the notification unit 114 notifies the candidate fabricators that were not extracted that they will not be able to accept the order. In addition, when the candidate selection unit 112 accepts the selection of a contract fabricator, the notification unit 114 notifies the recommended fabricators that were not selected that they will not be able to accept the order. In addition, when the candidate selection unit 112 accepts the selection of a contract fabricator, the notification unit 114 notifies the recommended fabricators that they will be able to accept the order.

When a contract fabricator is selected by the candidate selection unit 112, the contract presentation unit 113 presents the guarantee contract information for the order to the orderer and the contract fabricator. A guarantee contract is a contract concluded between the user, who is the orderer or contract fabricator, and the platformer, and is a contract under which the platformer is obligated to make payment when a debt is not paid between the users. The contract presentation unit 113 accepts whether or not to conclude a guarantee contract indicated by the compensation contract information presented by the user.

The settlement processing unit 115 receives actual results information indicating the actual quantity of steel beams fabricated from the fabricator terminal 200B. If the difference between the actual quantity indicated by the actual results information and the quantity calculated by the calculation unit 107 exceeds a predetermined value, the settlement processing unit 115 accepts input of settlement information indicating the fee after settlement from the fabricator terminal 200B. On the other hand, if the difference between the actual quantity indicated by the actual results information and the quantity calculated by the calculation unit 107 does not exceed the predetermined value, the settlement processing unit 115 does not accept settlement information.

The evaluation receiving unit 116 receives input of individual evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the contract fabricator from the customer. The evaluation receiving unit 116 also receives input of individual evaluation information indicating the customer's evaluation from the contract fabricator. The individual evaluation information may be expressed, for example, by a numerical value indicating a five-point scale. The evaluation information may also include a character string that describes the characteristics of the user. The evaluation receiving unit 116 updates the evaluation information stored in the user database 102 based on the received individual evaluation information. For example, the evaluation receiving unit 116 updates the evaluation information by calculating the average value of the numerical values indicated by the individual evaluation information. For example, the evaluation receiving unit 116 adds the character string included in the individual evaluation information to the character string related to the evaluation information.

Configuration of terminal device 200
6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a terminal device according to the first embodiment. The orderer terminal 200A and the fabricator terminal 200B are terminal devices 200 that communicate with the server 100. The terminal device 200 includes a receiving unit 201, a display control unit 202, an input unit 203, and a transmitting unit 204. The receiving unit 201 receives data from the server 100. The display control unit 202 displays the information received by the receiving unit 201 from the server 100 on a display device such as an LCD panel or a touch panel. The input unit 203 accepts input operations by a user via an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel. The transmitting unit 204 transmits the data input to the input unit 203 to the server 100.

<<Operation of Steel Ordering System 1>>
FIG. 7 is a first flowchart showing the operation of the server 100 according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a second flowchart showing the operation of the server 100 according to the first embodiment. When an orderer operates the orderer terminal 200A to access the server 100, the setting unit 104 generates input screen data for order information and transmits it to the orderer terminal 200A (step S101). When the receiving unit 201 of the orderer terminal 200A receives the input screen data for order information from the server 100, the display control unit 202 causes the display device to display an input screen for order information as shown in FIG. 4. The input unit 203 of the orderer terminal 200A accepts input of order information from the orderer. When the orderer operates to press the quote request button on the input screen, the transmitting unit 204 of the orderer terminal 200A transmits the order information to the server 100.

When the order information receiving unit 106 of the server 100 receives the order information (step S102), it determines whether the classification of the order information, whether it is an approximate drawing or a formal drawing, indicates that it is a formal drawing (step S103).

If the category indicates a rough estimate drawing (step S103: NO), the calculation unit 107 calculates the quantity and unit price for each type of steel frame based on the drawing and estimate conditions included in the order information received in step S102 (step S104). The rough estimate sending unit 108 generates rough estimate information based on the quantity and unit price for each type of steel frame calculated in step S104 (step S105). The rough estimate sending unit 108 sends the generated rough estimate information to the orderer terminal 200A (step S106). At this time, the billing unit 105 reads the orderer's account information from the user database 102 and performs billing processing for the fee related to the generation of the estimate information based on the account information (step S107).

When the receiving unit 201 of the orderer terminal 200A receives the rough estimate information from the server 100, the display control unit 202 displays the received rough estimate information on the display device. This allows the orderer to obtain a rough estimate for the steel frame without selecting a fabricator. Note that if the order information category indicates rough drawings, the server 100 does not present the order information to the fabricator terminal 200B.

On the other hand, if the classification of the order information indicates a formal drawing (step S103: YES), the calculation unit 107 calculates the quantity and unit price for each type of steel frame based on the drawing and the estimate conditions included in the order information received in step S102 (step S108). The order information transmission unit 109 generates rough estimate information based on the quantity and unit price for each type of steel frame calculated in step S108 (step S109). The order information transmission unit 109 transmits the generated rough estimate information, the order information received in step S102, and the evaluation information of the orderer to a fabricator whose registration status in the user database 102 indicates registration and that satisfies the order acceptance conditions included in the order information (step S110). At this time, the order information transmission unit 109 may also transmit a shop drawing generated based on the formal drawing to the fabricator together with the order information. For example, the server 100 accepts an upload of a shop drawing created by the platformer and transmits the uploaded shop drawing to the fabricator. This means that fabricators no longer need to create shop drawings for jobs that do not have a guaranteed order.

When the receiving unit 201 of the fabricator terminal 200B receives the rough estimate information, order information, and evaluation information, the display control unit 202 displays the received rough estimate information, order information, and evaluation information on the display device. Based on the displayed information, the fabricator determines whether or not he wishes to accept the order for the steel frame indicated by the order information. If the fabricator wishes to accept the order, he generates formal estimate information by modifying the unit price indicated by the rough estimate information. The transmitting unit 204 of the fabricator terminal 200B transmits the order information, including the formal estimate information, to the server 100.

When the server 100 transmits order information to multiple fabricator terminals 200B in step S110, the order information receiving unit 110 waits to receive order information from the fabricator terminals 200B (step S111). The order information receiving unit 110 determines whether the received order information has reached a certain number (step S112). If the received order information has not reached the certain number (step S112: NO), the order information receiving unit 110 determines whether a certain period of time has passed since the date on which the order information was transmitted in step S110 (step S113). If the certain period of time has not passed since the transmission of the order information (step S113: NO), the process returns to step S111 and waits to receive order information.

On the other hand, if the number of received order information reaches a certain number (step S112: YES), or if a certain period of time has passed since the date of sending the order information (step S113: YES), the candidate presentation unit 111 calculates the order price, the distance from the location to the construction site, and the evaluation score for each candidate fabricator related to the order information based on the received multiple order information and the information stored in the user database 102 (step S114). Based on the calculated scores, the candidate presentation unit 111 extracts candidate fabricators whose total score is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (step S115). From the extracted candidate fabricators, the candidate presentation unit 111 extracts the fabricator with the highest order price score, the highest distance score, and the highest evaluation score as a recommended fabricator (step S116). The candidate presentation unit 111 generates comparative quotation screen data based on the order information and evaluation information related to the recommended fabricator extracted in step S116, and transmits it to the orderer terminal 200A (step S117).

The notification unit 114 notifies the fabricator terminal 200B of the candidate fabricator that was not extracted in step S116 that the order cannot be accepted (step S118). If the order information receiving unit 110 receives new order information after step S118, the notification unit 114 notifies the fabricator terminal 200B that sent the order information that the order cannot be accepted, regardless of the content of the new order information.

When the receiving unit 201 of the orderer terminal 200A receives the comparative quotation screen data, the display control unit 202 displays the comparative quotation screen as shown in FIG. 5 on the display device. This allows the orderer to select a fabricator from the standpoints of order price, distance from the customer's location to the construction site, and evaluation. When the orderer presses one of the order buttons shown in FIG. 5 that is associated with the selected fabricator, the transmitting unit 204 transmits selection information including information on the selected fabricator to the server 100.

The candidate selection unit 112 receives the selection information from the orderer terminal 200A (step S119). The notification unit 114 notifies the contract fabricator's fabricator terminal 200B of the selection result indicated by the selection information (step S120). That is, the notification unit 114 notifies the contract fabricator indicated by the selection information that the order has been received. In other words, the contract fabricator is an example of a contractor that receives an order for steel frames. On the other hand, the notification unit 114 notifies the recommended fabricators extracted in step S116 that were not selected as contract fabricators that they cannot receive the order.

The contract presentation unit 113 transmits the warranty contract information to the orderer terminal 200A and the fabricator terminal 200B of the contract fabricator (step S121). When the receiving unit 201 of the orderer terminal 200A and the fabricator terminal 200B receives the warranty contract information, the display control unit 202 displays the received warranty contract information on the display device. The orderer and the fabricator judge whether or not to conclude a warranty contract with the platformer, and transmit the judgment result to the server 100. The contract presentation unit 113 receives warranty acceptance/rejection information indicating whether or not to conclude a warranty contract from the orderer terminal 200A and the fabricator terminal 200B (step S122). The billing unit 105 judges whether or not each warranty acceptance/rejection information indicates that a warranty contract is to be concluded (step S123). If it indicates that a warranty contract is to be concluded (step S123: YES), the billing unit 105 executes a process of billing the user for the warranty fee based on the account information of the user who concludes the compensation contract (step S124). The contract presentation unit 113 may present the contract fabricator with information on a delivery company that will deliver the steel frame related to the order, and may receive an input as to whether or not to request the platformer to arrange for the delivery company. Normally, the fabricator arranges for the delivery company, so this can save the fabricator time.
The billing unit 105 also executes a process of billing the customer for the referral fee based on the customer's account information (step S125). The billing unit 105 may also execute a process of billing the contract fabricator for the fee in addition to or instead of the customer. The billing unit 105 may also execute a process of billing the contract fabricator for the delivery fee when it receives a request from the contract fabricator to arrange for a delivery company.

Then, the contract fabricator fabricates the steel frame based on the contract with the customer and delivers it to the customer. When the steel frame is delivered by the contract fabricator, the customer may send information to the server 100 indicating whether the steel frame fabricated by the contract fabricator is non-conforming. If the server 100 receives information that the steel frame is non-conforming, the platformer will investigate the delivered steel frame. If the steel frame is non-conforming and a warranty contract has been concluded, the platformer will fulfill the warranty obligation in accordance with the warranty contract. Once delivery of all the steel frame is complete, the contract fabricator will add up the actual quantity of the steel frame. The input unit 203 of the fabricator terminal 200B accepts the input of the actual quantity, and the transmission unit 204 transmits actual information indicating the input actual quantity to the server 100.

The settlement processing unit 115 of the server 100 receives the actual results information from the fabricator terminal 200B (step S126). The settlement processing unit 115 determines whether the error between the actual quantity indicated by the actual results information and the calculated quantity calculated by the calculation unit 107 exceeds a predetermined value (step S127). If the error between the actual quantity and the calculated quantity exceeds the predetermined value (step S127: YES), the settlement processing unit 115 generates settlement information based on the official estimate information received in step S111 and the error, and sends it to the orderer terminal 200A (step S128). On the other hand, if the error between the actual quantity and the calculated quantity does not exceed the predetermined value (step S127: NO), the settlement processing unit 115 notifies the fabricator terminal 200B that the steel frame will not be settled (step S129).

The evaluation receiving unit 116 receives input of individual evaluation information indicating the evaluation of the contract fabricator from the customer. The evaluation receiving unit 116 also receives input of individual evaluation information indicating the customer's evaluation from the contract fabricator (step S130). The evaluation receiving unit 116 updates the evaluation information of the customer and the contract fabricator stored in the user database 102 based on the received individual evaluation information (step S131).

<Action and Effects>
Thus, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 receives order information from an orderer and transmits it to a plurality of fabricators. The server 100 also receives information from a plurality of candidate fabricators, which are at least a part of the plurality of fabricators, and presents the information of the candidate fabricators to the orderer. This allows the orderer to know which fabricators can order steel frames from among the wide-area (e.g., nationwide) fabricators registered in the steel frame ordering system 1. Also, for example, a fabricator can receive steel frame orders from a wide-area (e.g., nationwide) orderer registered in the steel frame ordering system 1. In other words, according to the steel frame ordering system 1, a fabricator can receive steel frame orders during the off-season, and the orderer can easily find a fabricator to request.

Furthermore, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 presents to the orderer, among the multiple candidate fabricator information received from the multiple candidate fabricators, those that are located closer to the construction site than the other candidate fabricators, those that have lower order prices than the other candidate fabricators, and those that are more highly rated than the other candidate fabricators. This allows the orderer to select a fabricator based on the different perspectives of price, location, and rating.

Furthermore, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 accepts settings of order conditions that must be met by fabricators who receive orders from customers, and transmits order information to fabricators among multiple fabricators that meet the order conditions. This allows the steel structure ordering system 1 to present fabricators that meet the requirements of the customer, and also prevents unnecessary work from being generated by fabricators that do not meet the order conditions.

Furthermore, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 calculates the quantity and unit price of the steel frame based on the drawings that include the order information. This allows the server 100 to automatically generate rough estimate information.

Furthermore, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the order information includes quotation condition information indicating the quotation conditions for the steel structure, and the server 100 calculates the quantity and unit price using the quotation condition information. This allows the steel structure ordering system 1 to prevent the estimated quantity and unit price of the steel structure from becoming far from the actual value due to information leaks.

Furthermore, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 accepts settlement based on the quantity of steel structure automatically calculated from the fabricator terminal 200B. This prevents the fabricator from incurring losses even if the estimated quantity differs from the actual quantity. The server 100 also accepts settlement when the error between the automatically calculated quantity of steel structure and the actual quantity exceeds a specified value, and does not accept settlement when the error does not exceed the specified value. This allows the steel structure ordering system 1 to prevent the customer from having to go through the trouble of settlement based on small errors.

The steel frame ordering system 1 according to the first embodiment receives order information including formal quotation information in which the unit price automatically calculated from the fabricator terminal 200B has been corrected. This allows the fabricator to easily generate quotation information by correcting the unit price without the need to calculate the quantity of steel frames based on the drawings.

In addition, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 transmits the order information to multiple fabricators when the drawings included in the order information are formal drawing information, and does not transmit the order information to a fabricator when the drawings are approximate drawing information. This eliminates the need for fabricators to secure an uncertain schedule before receiving an order for steel structure fabrication.

In addition, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 determines the amount of welding for the steel frame based on the drawing information, estimates the processing difficulty of the steel frame, and calculates the unit price of the steel frame based on the processing difficulty. This allows the server 100 to calculate the unit price appropriately according to the type of steel frame.

Furthermore, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 charges a fee to the orderer when the quantity and unit price are automatically calculated. The server 100 also accepts payment of an annual membership fee from the fabricator, and transmits order information to multiple fabricators that have paid the annual membership fee. This allows the steel structure ordering system 1 to appropriately generate revenue for the platform operator.

Furthermore, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 accepts confirmation of order information from the orderer and transmits the order information confirmed by the orderer to the fabricator terminal 200B. This allows the fabricator to obtain order information at the stage when the design is complete, rather than at the conceptual or planning stage. By receiving an order for steel frames at the stage when the design is complete, the period from receiving the order to starting production of the steel frames can be shortened. In other words, the fabricator can receive orders for steel frames that can be produced immediately during the off-season.

In addition, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 accepts fabricator evaluations from the orderer, and accepts the orderer's evaluations from the fabricator. The server 100 also presents the orderer with evaluation information along with information on candidate fabricators. This allows the orderer to select a fabricator while referring to past evaluations.

Furthermore, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 presents, together with the candidate fabricator information, quotation information sent from the fabricator indicated by the candidate fabricator information. This allows the orderer to select a fabricator by referring to the presented quotation information. In particular, according to the first embodiment, the server 100 presents quotation information for multiple candidate fabricators in a comparable manner. This allows the orderer to obtain competitive quotations from the candidate fabricators.

In addition, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, when the server 100 receives from the orderer a selection of a contract fabricator from among multiple candidate fabricators to order steel structures, the server 100 presents warranty contract information and receives a decision as to whether or not to enter into the warranty contract. This allows the orderer and the fabricator to avoid credit risk.

In addition, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the first embodiment, the server 100 notifies those of the multiple candidate fabricators whose candidate fabricator information was not presented to the orderer that they were not selected by the orderer. This allows the fabricators whose candidate fabricator information was not presented to the orderer to immediately know that they were unable to accept the order, shortening the wait time for the order to be fulfilled.

The steel frame ordering system 1 according to the first embodiment also handles small-lot steel frame transactions of less than 300 tons. Since the ratio of labor costs to material costs is high for small-lot steel frames, the unit price of the steel frame is likely to vary depending on the fabricator. Therefore, by handling small-lot steel frame transactions, the steel frame ordering system 1 can present the customer with a variety of fabricator options.

In addition, the entity that operates the server 100 of the steel structure ordering system 1 according to the first embodiment does not take over ownership of the steel structure. This prevents the platform operator from bearing inventory risk.

Other Examples of the Embodiments
Although one embodiment has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design changes and the like are possible. That is, in other examples of the embodiment, the order of the above-mentioned processes may be changed as appropriate. Also, some of the processes may be executed in parallel.
The server 100 according to the above-described embodiment may be configured as a single computer, or the configuration of the server 100 may be divided and arranged among multiple computers, and the multiple computers may function as the server 100 by working together.

The server 100 according to the above-described embodiment automatically calculates the quantity and unit price of steel frames based on the drawings included in the order information, but is not limited to this. For example, the server 100 according to another embodiment may accept input of the quantity and unit price of steel frames calculated manually based on the drawings from the platformer. Also, the server 100 according to the above-described embodiment automatically extracts recommended fabricators based on order information, but is not limited to this. For example, the server 100 according to another embodiment may present the received order information to the platformer and accept a selection of a recommended fabricator from the platformer.

The server 100 according to the embodiment described above extracts three candidate fabricators from among a plurality of candidate fabricators based on the perspectives of location, order price, and reputation, but is not limited to this. For example, the server 100 according to another example of the embodiment may extract two candidate fabricators based on two perspectives of location, order price, and reputation. Furthermore, the server according to another example of the embodiment may extract a recommended fabricator based on other criteria.
Furthermore, the server 100 according to another embodiment may present candidate fabricator information relating to all candidate fabricators to the orderer terminal 200 A. At this time, the orderer terminal 200 A may display all of the received candidate fabricator information, or the orderer terminal 200 A may extract or sort the candidate fabricator information from the viewpoints of order price, distance from the location to the construction site, and evaluation, and display the same.

The server 100 according to the embodiment described above accepts the setting of order conditions from the orderer, but is not limited to this. For example, the server 100 according to another example of the embodiment may predetermine the order conditions. For example, the server 100 may transmit order information only to fabricators whose evaluation information is rated at 3 points or more on a 5-point scale.

The server 100 according to the embodiment described above extracts candidate fabricators when a certain number of order information items have been received or when a certain period of time has passed since the date on which the order information was sent, but is not limited to this. For example, the server 100 according to another embodiment may extract candidate fabricators when a request for a recommended fabricator is received from an orderer. The server 100 according to another embodiment may also accept a specified order deadline from an orderer in advance, and extract candidate fabricators when the order deadline has passed.

The fabricator terminal 200B according to the embodiment described above transmits order information including formal estimate information to the server 100, but is not limited to this. For example, the fabricator terminal 200B according to another example of the embodiment may transmit correction information indicating the difference between the rough estimate information and the formal estimate information to the server 100. In this case, the server 100 generates formal estimate information based on the correction information and the rough estimate information, and transmits the generated formal estimate information to the orderer terminal 200A.

Computer Configuration
FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a computer configuration according to at least one embodiment.
The computer 50 includes a processor 51 , a main memory 53 , a storage 55 , and an interface 57 .
The above-mentioned server 100 and terminal device 200 are each implemented in a computer 50. The operations of the above-mentioned processing units are stored in the storage 55 in the form of a program. The processor 51 reads the program from the storage 55, loads it in the main memory 53, and executes the above-mentioned processing in accordance with the program. The processor 51 also secures storage areas in the main memory 53 corresponding to the above-mentioned storage units in accordance with the program. Examples of the processor 51 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), and a microprocessor.

The program may be for implementing some of the functions to be performed by the computer 50. For example, the program may be implemented by combining it with other programs already stored in the storage or other programs implemented in other devices. In another embodiment, the computer 50 may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions implemented by the processor 51 may be implemented by the integrated circuit. Such an integrated circuit is also included as an example of a processor.

Examples of storage 55 include a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, an optical disk, and a semiconductor memory. Storage 55 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of computer 50, or an external medium connected to computer 50 via interface 57 or a communication line. In addition, when this program is distributed to computer 50 via a communication line, computer 50 that receives the program may expand the program in main memory 53 and execute the above-mentioned processing. In at least one embodiment, storage 55 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

The program may be for realizing some of the functions described above. Furthermore, the program may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that realizes the functions described above in combination with other programs already stored in storage 55.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, the contents described in the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the second embodiment and the first embodiment can be combined.

In the first embodiment, an example was described in which all fabricators are candidates for transactions with the orderer terminal 200A, i.e., the destination of the order information received from the orderer terminal 200A is all fabricators. In the second embodiment, an example is described in which a specific fabricator is candidates for transactions with the orderer terminal 200A, i.e., the destination of the order information is a specific fabricator.

Figure 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the server 100 according to the second embodiment. In addition to the configuration shown in Figure 3, the server 100 includes a selection unit 121, a reception unit 122, a production volume information acquisition unit 123, a production possible weight acquisition unit 124, a performance information acquisition unit 125, and a building type information acquisition unit 126.

The selection unit 121 selects multiple recruited fabricators from the multiple fabricators, regardless of the locations of each of the multiple fabricators. The multiple recruited fabricators are mainly fabricators that are in the off-season. The selection of recruited fabricators is based on the applications of fabricators, the amount of steel frame production by each fabricator, the steel frame production track record of each fabricator, etc., as will be described in detail later.

The order information transmission unit 109 transmits the order information to the multiple recruited fabricators (fabricator terminals 200B) selected by the selection unit 121. That is, in the second embodiment, the fabricators to which the order information is transmitted are specific recruited fabricators, such as fabricators likely to receive orders or fabricators suitable for the order contents.

The order information receiving unit 110 receives order information from each fabricator terminal 200B corresponding to a number of candidate fabricators that are part of a number of recruiting fabricators.

The candidate presentation unit 111 transmits at least a portion of the multiple candidate fabricator information indicating each of the multiple candidate fabricators to the orderer terminal 200A. The portion of the multiple candidate fabricator information may be fabricator information indicating one candidate fabricator, or may be fabricator information indicating multiple candidate fabricators.

Next, it will be explained how the fabricator to which the order information is to be sent is designated as a candidate fabricator. A candidate fabricator is a fabricator that wishes to do business, for example, a fabricator that is in the off-season. The reception unit 122 receives the candidacy of multiple fabricators. The fabricator terminal 200B, for example, receives a notice of candidacy and the period for which the fabricator will be candidacy. The reception unit 122 receives the candidacy information including the notice of candidacy and the period for which the fabricator will be candidacy from the fabricator terminal 200B, thereby accepting the candidacy. The reception unit 122 considers a fabricator to be in the running of a candidacy when the period for candidacy begins, and considers a fabricator to have withdrawn its candidacy when the period for candidacy has elapsed. Whether or not a fabricator is in the running of a candidacy is determined, for example, by setting a flag indicating that the fabricator is in the running of a candidacy.

The reception unit 122 may accept the candidacy in response to the order information receiving unit 106 receiving the order information. Specifically, when the order information receiving unit 106 receives the order information, the reception unit 122 may cause each fabricator terminal 200B to display a candidacy reception screen that accepts whether or not to run for office. The reception unit 122 may then accept the candidacy of the fabricator terminal 200B on the candidacy reception screen, and receive candidacy information from the fabricator terminal 200B.

In addition, when accepting a bid, the reception unit 122 may transmit order information including at least the ordered steel frame quantity and the delivery date of the steel frame (e.g., the start date of construction) to each fabricator terminal 200B (step S2 or S8 in FIG. 2). In this case, each fabricator terminal 200B may display the ordered steel frame quantity and the delivery date and accept whether or not to bid. This allows the fabricator to determine whether or not to bid, taking into account the ordered steel frame quantity and the delivery date.

The selection unit 121 selects multiple recruited fabricators (hereinafter referred to as "first recruited fabricators") from among multiple fabricators based on the results of the acceptance of candidacies by the acceptance unit 122. For example, the selection by the selection unit 121 may be made based on the frequency with which candidacies are accepted, based on the period during which candidacies have been accepted, or based on the order in which the candidacies were accepted. The number of recruited fabricators selected by the selection unit may be set in advance, and may be, for example, "10."

Next, the fabricator to which the order information is to be sent is selected according to the amount of steel frame production. The production amount information acquisition unit 123 acquires production amount information indicating the amount of steel frame production for each of the multiple fabricators. The production amount information is information based on the amount of work for each fabricator according to resources such as workers, materials, and machines, and can be expressed by a so-called pile table. Specifically, the production amount information is collected for a predetermined period (for example, daily or monthly), and the production schedule and production results can be expressed by a pile table (bar graph). The production amount information acquisition unit 123 acquires the production amount information by periodically transmitting the production amount information from the fabricator terminal 200B. If the value indicated by the pile during the period until the delivery date is small compared to the capacity value (if it is equal to or less than the first threshold value), it can be considered to be quiet. On the other hand, if the value indicated by the pile during the period until the delivery date is close to the capacity value (if it is equal to or greater than the second threshold value), it can be considered to be busy. The capacity value is registered in the server 100 by being accepted by the fabricator terminal 200B during the initial registration of the fabricator.

The selection unit 121 selects multiple recruited fabricators (hereinafter referred to as "second recruited fabricators") from among multiple fabricators based on the production volume information acquired by the production volume information acquisition unit 123. Specifically, the selection unit 121 selects fabricators whose pile-up value within the period until the delivery date is equal to or less than a first threshold value based on the production volume information as second recruited fabricators.

The fabricator to which the order information is sent can also be a fabricator according to the weight of steel frame that can be produced. In this regard, the producible weight acquisition unit 124 acquires the producible weight of steel frame of each of the multiple fabricators. The producible weight is, for example, the producible tonnage, and more specifically, the producible tonnage that can be produced by the delivery date. The producible weight acquisition unit 124 acquires the producible weight based on the pile information. Specifically, the producible weight acquisition unit 124 can calculate and obtain the producible weight based on the value obtained by subtracting the value indicated by the pile from the capacity value, for example.

The selection unit 121 selects a second recruited fabricator based on the production weight, the ordered steel frame amount, and the delivery date of the steel frame. More specifically, the selection unit 121 selects a plurality of second recruited fabricators whose production weight (production tonnage) in the number of days until the delivery date is equal to or greater than a third threshold. The third threshold is, for example, the ordered steel frame amount. The ordered steel frame amount and the delivery date of the steel frame can be obtained from the order information.

Note that the producible weight acquisition unit 124 is not limited to acquiring the producible weight based on the pile information. For example, the producible weight acquisition unit 124 may periodically acquire the producible weight from the fabricator terminal 200B by the fabricator terminal 200B receiving the producible weight.

Next, we will explain how the fabricator to which the order information is sent is selected based on the steel frame production track record. The track record information acquisition unit 125 acquires track record information indicating the steel frame production track record of each of multiple fabricators. The production track record is the steel frame production track record according to the building type (small building or warehouse). The production track record includes the number of productions (number of orders) for each building type and the production ratio (order ratio) of each building type out of the number of productions. For example, if the number of orders and production ratio of steel frames for small buildings for a certain fabricator are equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the fabricator can be considered to be a fabricator that specializes in steel frames for small buildings. The production track record may be the track record for the most recent specified period (for example, within one year), or it may be the cumulative track record regardless of the specified period.

The building type information acquisition unit 126 acquires building type information indicating the building type corresponding to the order information received by the order information receiving unit 106. The selection unit 121 selects multiple recruited fabricators (hereinafter referred to as "third recruited fabricators") from among the multiple fabricators based on the performance information. Specifically, for example, when the building type corresponding to the order information indicates a small building, the selection unit 121 selects as the third recruited fabricator a fabricator whose number of steel frame productions for small buildings is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 50 cases) and whose steel frame production ratio for small buildings is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 20%).

The production track record is not limited to the production track record of steel frames for buildings (small buildings and warehouses), but also includes other production track records. The other production track records are, for example, production track records according to delivery locations, production track records according to design offices, production track records according to special steel materials, production track records of steel frames requiring cranes, production track records of steel frames requiring robot welding, and the like. The server 100 also acquires track record specific information. The track record specific information is information obtained from the order information received by the order information receiving unit 106, and is information indicating the track record specific type corresponding to the order information. The track record specific type includes the delivery location, design office, the presence or absence and type of special steel materials, the need for a crane, and the need for robot welding. For example, when the track record specific type corresponding to the order information requires robot welding, the selection unit 121 selects as the third recruiting fabricator a fabricator whose number of steel frames requiring robot welding is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 50 cases) and whose percentage of steel frames requiring robot welding is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold (e.g., 20%).

In addition, in the case of a newly established fabricator, there may be cases where the fabricator has little experience in terms of production. In consideration of this, the fabricator's production experience may include a declaration. For example, the fabricator terminal 200B may accept declarations of strengths/weaknesses and production capabilities for each type (steel frames for small buildings, robot welding) at the time of initial registration. The server 100 may convert the declaration results into a score and store them in the user database 102. This allows the selection unit 121 to select a newly established fabricator as a third fabricator for recruitment based on the declaration results as performance information.

Next, a further explanation of the candidate presentation unit 111 will be provided. The candidate presentation unit 111 narrows down the candidate fabricators from among a plurality of candidate fabricators based on candidacy, production volume, and production history, and presents them as candidate fabricators. For example, the candidate presentation unit 111 further narrows down the plurality of candidate fabricators (hereinafter referred to as "first candidate fabricators") that have received order information from among the first recruiting fabricators to one first candidate fabricator. For example, the candidate presentation unit 111 narrows down the plurality of first candidate fabricators to the fabricator that most frequently accepts candidacy as the first candidate fabricator.

The candidate presentation unit 111 further narrows down the second candidate fabricators from among the multiple candidate fabricators (hereinafter referred to as "second candidate fabricators") that have received order information among the second recruiting fabricators to one second candidate fabricator. For example, the candidate presentation unit 111 narrows down the multiple second candidate fabricators to the fabricator with the smallest value indicating the pile-up within the period until the delivery date as the second candidate fabricator.

The candidate presentation unit 111 further narrows down the third candidate fabricators from among the multiple candidate fabricators (hereinafter referred to as "third candidate fabricators") that have received order information among the third recruited fabricators to one third candidate fabricator. For example, the candidate presentation unit 111 narrows down the multiple third candidate fabricators to a fabricator that is most skilled in the building type indicated by the building type information (e.g., small buildings) based on the number of productions and production ratio of that building type, as the third candidate fabricator.

In this way, the candidate presentation unit 111 narrows down the first to third candidate fabricators and presents them. This makes it possible to present the most suitable candidate fabricator to the orderer. Note that the first to third candidate fabricators narrowed down by the candidate presentation unit 111 are not limited to one each, and may be multiple (for example, three) for each. Also, the candidate presentation unit 111 does not have to narrow down the candidate fabricators, i.e., all candidate fabricators that have received order information may be presented as candidate fabricators.

Figure 11 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the orderer terminal 200A according to the second embodiment. In addition to the configuration shown in Figure 6, the orderer terminal 200A includes an acquisition unit 211. The transmission unit 204 transmits order information indicating an order for steel beams to the server 100 (step S7 in Figure 2).

The display control unit 202 displays the candidate fabricator information received from the server 100 on the display unit 300 of the orderer terminal 200A based on the transmission result of the transmission unit 204. Here, FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of a comparative quotation screen according to the second embodiment. The candidate fabricator information indicates a plurality of candidate fabricators 310 (first candidate fabricator 310a, second candidate fabricator 310b, and third candidate fabricator 310c). The display control unit 202 displays the selection criteria information 311 on the display unit 300. The selection criteria information 311 (311a, 311b, 311c) is information indicating the reason why each of the multiple candidate fabricators 310 was selected. Specifically, the selection criteria information 311 is information indicating the reason why each of the recruited fabricators, each of which is a part of the multiple candidate fabricators 310, was selected.

The selection criteria information 311a indicates that the multiple recruited fabricators were selected based on the candidacy of each fabricator. "Selected based on candidacy" means that the selection unit 121 of the server 100 selected the recruited fabricators based on the results of the acceptance of the candidacy by the acceptance unit 122.

The selection criteria information 311b indicates that the multiple recruited fabricators were selected based on the production volume of each fabricator. "Selected based on production volume" means that the selection unit 121 selected the recruited fabricators based on the production volume information acquired by the production volume information acquisition unit 123.

The selection criteria information 311c indicates that the multiple recruited fabricators were selected based on each fabricator's track record of steel frame fabrication. "Selected based on fabrication track record" means that the selection unit 121 selected the recruited fabricators based on track record information acquired by the track record information acquisition unit 125.

By displaying the selection criteria information 311, the orderer can understand why the displayed candidate fabricator 310 has been selected as a candidate.

The acquisition unit 211 acquires building type information 312 indicating the building type corresponding to the order information transmitted by the transmission unit 204. When displaying selection criteria information 311c indicating that the selection was made based on production track record, the display control unit 202 causes the display unit 300 to display the building type information 312 together with the selection criteria information 311c. The building type information 312 indicates the steel frame production track record that is the specialty of the candidate fabricator. Note that the building type information 312 may also include a track record indicating the number of steel frame productions for small buildings, for example.

<<Operation of Steel Ordering System 1>>
13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the server 100 according to the second embodiment. When the order information receiving unit 106 receives order information including formal drawing information from the orderer terminal 200A (step S201), the accepting unit 122 acquires the acceptance result of the candidacy (step S202). Then, the selecting unit 121 selects a plurality of (e.g., 10) first recruited fabricators from among the plurality of fabricators based on the acceptance result of the candidacy (step S203). Then, the order information transmitting unit 109 transmits the order information and the like to each of the fabricator terminals 200B of the plurality of first recruited fabricators (step S204). The order information and the like includes rough estimate information and evaluation information of the orderer in addition to the order information.

The production volume information acquisition unit 123 acquires production volume information for each of the multiple fabricators (step S205). The selection unit 121 selects, for example, multiple (e.g., 10) second recruiting fabricators whose pile-up value within the period until the delivery date is less than or equal to a first threshold value based on the production volume information and order information (ordered steel frame volume and delivery date of the steel frame) (step S206). The order information transmission unit 109 then transmits the order information, etc. to the fabricator terminals 200B of each of the multiple second recruiting fabricators (step S207).

The performance information acquisition unit 125 acquires performance information for each of the multiple fabricators (step S208). The selection unit 121 selects multiple (e.g., 10) third recruiting fabricators from among the multiple fabricators based on the performance information and the order information (building type information) (step S209). Then, the order information transmission unit 109 transmits the order information, etc. to the fabricator terminals 200B of each of the multiple third recruiting fabricators (step S210).

When the server 100 transmits order information, etc. to multiple fabricator terminals 200B in steps S204, S207, and S210, the order information receiving unit 110 waits to receive order information from the fabricator terminals 200B (step S211). The order information receiving unit 110 determines whether the received order information has reached a certain number (e.g., 5) (step S212). If the received order information has not reached the certain number (step S212: NO), the order information receiving unit 110 determines whether a certain period of time has passed since the date on which the order information was transmitted in steps S204, S207, and S210 (step S213). If the certain period of time has not passed since the transmission of the order information (step S213: NO), the process returns to step S211 and waits to receive order information.

On the other hand, if the number of received order information reaches a certain number (step S212: YES), or if a certain period of time has passed since the date of sending the order information (step S213: YES), the candidate presentation unit 111 narrows down the first candidate fabricators that sent the order information to, for example, the fabricator that most frequently accepts candidacy as the first candidate fabricator (step S214). In addition, the candidate presentation unit 111 narrows down the second candidate fabricators that sent the order information to, for example, the fabricator with the smallest value of pile-up during the period until the delivery date as the second candidate fabricator (step S215). Furthermore, the candidate presentation unit 111 narrows down the third candidate fabricators that sent the order information to, for example, the fabricator that is most skilled in the building type indicated by the building type information (for example, small buildings) based on the number of productions and production ratio of that building type as the third candidate fabricator (step S216).

The candidate presentation unit 111 generates comparative quotation screen data based on the order information and evaluation information of the candidate fabricators narrowed down in steps S214 to S216, and sends it to the orderer terminal 200A (step S217). The notification unit 114 notifies the fabricator terminal 200B of the candidate fabricators that were not narrowed down in steps S214 to S216 that they cannot accept the order (step S218), and proceeds to step S119 in FIG. 8.

Note that in steps S214 to S216, there are cases where the candidates are not narrowed down to one candidate fabricator. For example, if no order information is obtained from any of the third candidate fabricators even after a certain period of time has passed (step S213), the third candidate fabricator may not be included in the competitive quotation screen data.

Figure 14 is a flowchart showing the operation of the orderer terminal 200A according to the second embodiment. When the transmission unit 204 of the orderer terminal 200A transmits order information to the server 100 (step S231), it receives comparative quotation screen data corresponding to the order information from the server 100 (step S232). The comparative quotation screen data includes candidate fabricator information indicating the first to third candidate fabricators.

The display control unit 202 determines whether or not the comparative quotation screen data includes a third candidate fabricator (step S233). If the comparative quotation screen data does not include a third candidate fabricator (step S233: NO), the orderer terminal 200A proceeds to step S236. On the other hand, if the comparative quotation screen data includes a third candidate fabricator (step S233: YES), the acquisition unit 211 acquires building type information indicating the building type corresponding to the order information transmitted by the transmission unit 204 (step S234).

Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the display control unit 202 displays the third candidate fabricator 310c including the building type information 312 along with the selection criteria information 311c indicating that the fabricator was selected based on its production track record (step S235). The display control unit 202 also displays the other candidate fabricators 310a, 310b including the selection criteria information 311 (step S236). Specifically, if the other candidate fabricator is the first candidate fabricator 310a, the selection criteria information 311a indicating that the fabricator was selected based on candidacy is displayed, and if the other candidate fabricator is the second candidate fabricator 310b, the selection criteria information 311b indicating that the fabricator was selected based on production volume is displayed.

<Action and Effects>
In this way, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the second embodiment, the server 100 transmits order information to a plurality of recruited fabricators selected from a plurality of fabricators. This allows the server 100 to receive order information from the recruited fabricators, while preventing the server 100 from receiving order information from fabricators other than the recruited fabricators. Therefore, fabricators in the off-season and the like can be given priority in accepting orders, and the operation of the steel frame ordering system 1 can be made more efficient. The server 100 also receives order information from a plurality of candidate fabricators that are part of the plurality of recruited fabricators, and presents candidate fabricator information indicating each of the plurality of candidate fabricators 310a, 310b, and 310c (see FIG. 12) to the orderer. This allows the server 100 to present candidate fabricators in the off-season and the like to the orderer, while preventing the server 100 from presenting fabricators other than the candidate fabricators. Therefore, the orderer can efficiently select a fabricator to which the orderer will place the order. In this way, according to the second embodiment, the server 100 can act as an intermediary between the orderer of the steel frame and the fabricators in an appropriate manner.

Furthermore, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the second embodiment, the server 100 accepts applications from multiple fabricators and selects multiple recruited fabricators based on the results of the acceptance. This allows the server 100 to select recruited fabricators in response to the fabricators' positive expressions of intent. Therefore, the order can be received by fabricators who have expressed a positive intent.

Furthermore, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the second embodiment, the server 100 selects multiple recruited fabricators based on the production volume information of each of the multiple fabricators. This allows the server 100 to select recruited fabricators according to the production volume within the period until the delivery date for each fabricator. Therefore, the most suitable fabricator according to the ordered steel frame volume, the fabricator's operating status, etc. can be presented to the orderer as a candidate fabricator.

Furthermore, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the second embodiment, the server 100 obtains the production capacity weight of the steel frame of each of the multiple fabricators, and selects multiple recruited fabricators whose production capacity weight is equal to or exceeds a threshold value. This allows the server 100 to present the orderer with the optimal fabricator based on the ordered steel frame volume and the production capacity weight within the delivery date as a candidate fabricator.

Furthermore, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the second embodiment, the server 100 selects multiple recruited fabricators based on the track record information of each of the multiple fabricators. This makes it possible to present fabricators with a track record of production to the orderer as candidate fabricators according to the building type or track record specific type corresponding to the order information. Therefore, the orderer can do business with fabricators who specialize in the building type or track record specific type, making it possible to obtain high-quality steel frames at low prices.

Furthermore, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the second embodiment, the server 100 acquires building type information corresponding to the order information received by the order information receiving unit. Furthermore, the production track record is a track record corresponding to the building type indicated by the building type information. As a result, for example, when ordering steel frames for a small building, fabricators with a track record of producing steel frames for small buildings can be presented to the orderer as candidate fabricators. Therefore, the orderer can do business with a fabricator who specializes in small buildings, making it possible to obtain high-quality steel frames for small buildings at a low price.

Furthermore, according to the steel structure ordering system 1 of the second embodiment, the orderer terminal 200A displays selection criteria information 311 indicating the reasons for selecting multiple candidate fabricators 310 when displaying candidate fabricator information based on the results of sending order information. This allows the orderer to understand the criteria by which the displayed candidate fabricators 310 were selected. This allows the orderer to efficiently select a fabricator with whom they wish to do business.

Furthermore, according to the steel frame ordering system 1 of the second embodiment, when the selection criteria information 311 is displayed indicating that the selection was made based on the fabrication record, the building type information 312 is displayed together with the selection criteria information 311. This makes it possible to present the fabrication record of buildings in which each fabricator excels. Therefore, the customer can select a fabricator who excels in creating the steel frame to be purchased, making it possible to obtain high-quality steel frame suited to the building at a low price.

1...Steel frame ordering system 100...Server 101...Registration reception unit 102...User database 103...Payment confirmation unit 104...Setting unit 105...Billing unit 106...Order information receiving unit 107...Calculation unit 108...Approximate estimate transmission unit 109...Order information transmission unit 110...Order information receiving unit 111...Candidate presentation unit 112...Candidate selection unit 113...Contract presentation unit 114...Notification unit 115...Settlement processing unit 116...Evaluation reception unit 121...Selection unit 122...Reception unit 123...Production volume information acquisition unit 124...Production possible weight acquisition unit 125...Actual performance information acquisition unit 126...Building type information acquisition unit 200...Terminal device 200A...Orderer terminal 200B...Fabricator terminal 201...Reception unit 202...Display control unit 203...Input unit 204...Transmission unit 211... Acquisition unit 300... Display unit 50... Computer 51... Processor 53... Main memory 55... Storage 57... Interface

Claims (3)

A steel frame ordering system comprising an orderer terminal operated by an orderer who orders a steel frame, and a server that communicates with the orderer and a plurality of fabricators that manufacture the steel frame via a network,
The orderer terminal includes:
a transmitting unit that transmits order information indicating an order for the steel frame to a server that communicates with a plurality of fabricators that manufacture the steel frame;
a display control unit that displays, on a display unit, candidate fabricator information regarding a plurality of candidate fabricators that are part of the plurality of fabricators that are destinations of the order information based on selection criteria information regardless of their locations, based on a transmission result from the transmission unit; and
Equipped with
Steel frame ordering system. The display control unit causes the display unit to display the selection criteria information indicating that the plurality of candidate fabricators have been selected based on their candidacy, based on their production volume, or based on their steel frame production track record.
The steel frame ordering system according to claim 1. The orderer terminal includes:
an acquisition unit that acquires building type information indicating a building type corresponding to the order information transmitted by the transmission unit,
When the display control unit causes the selection criterion information indicating that the selection was made based on the production record to be displayed, the display control unit causes the selection criterion information and the building type information to be displayed together.
The steel frame ordering system according to claim 2.

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