JP2024059154A - Server and Terminal - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To facilitate the charging of fees by a platformer for acting as an intermediary between a steel frame orderer and a fabricator. [Solution] An order information receiving unit receives order information indicating an order for steel frames from an orderer. An order information transmitting unit transmits the order information to a plurality of fabricators. An order information receiving unit receives order information indicating an acceptance of the order indicated by the order information from a plurality of candidate fabricators which are some of the plurality of fabricators. A candidate presentation unit presents at least a portion of the plurality of candidate fabricator information indicating each of the plurality of candidate fabricators to the orderer. A selection unit allows the orderer to select selected fabricator information which is one of the portions presented by the candidate presentation unit. A billing unit transmits billing information for billing a fee to a fabricator indicated by the selected fabricator information. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a server and a terminal.

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

A trading company may act as an intermediary in transactions between a construction company and a fabricator. In this case, the trading company purchases steel beams from the fabricator and sells the steel beams to the construction company. At this time, the trading company can collect the intermediation fee by charging the construction company a price including the intermediation fee. Therefore, the trading company needs to transfer the ownership of the steel beams between the construction company and the fabricator, which makes the procedure complicated. If a platformer acts as an intermediary in transactions between a construction company and a fabricator but does not own the ownership of the steel beams, it becomes difficult for the platformer to recognize the timing of charging the intermediation fee.
An object of the present invention is to provide a server and a terminal that can easily charge fees associated with the intermediation between a steel frame orderer and a fabricator by a platform provider.

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, an order information transmitting unit that transmits the order information to the multiple 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 fabricators, 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, a selection unit that allows the customer to select selected fabricator information that is one of the portions presented by the candidate presentation unit, and a billing unit that transmits billing information to bill the fabricator indicated by the selected fabricator information for a fee.

The above aspect makes it easier for the platformer to charge fees for acting as an intermediary between the steel frame orderer 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. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a steel frame ordering system according to a second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of display of billing information according to the second embodiment. FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer according to at least one 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 order information as to whether it is a rough drawing or a formal drawing indicates that it is a formal drawing, the order information receiving unit 106 treats the order as having been 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 or in response to 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 candidate 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 an 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 by a numerical value indicating, for example, 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. In addition, for example, the evaluation receiving unit 116 adds a character string included in the individual evaluation information to a 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 portion 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 orderers registered in the steel frame ordering system 1 throughout the country. In other words, according to the steel frame ordering system 1, a fabricator can receive steel frame orders during the off-season, and an 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 included in 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.

Second Embodiment
The stages of a transaction between a fabricator and a customer include a production stage where the fabricator produces the steel frame, a delivery stage where the fabricated steel frame is delivered to the customer, and a receipt stage where the fabricator settles the account with the customer and receives payment for the steel frame from the customer. The fabricator temporarily covers the material costs of the steel frame during the production stage, and collects the payment including the material costs during the receipt stage.

The steel structure ordering system 1 according to the first embodiment charges an agency fee to the orderer or fabricator when an order is confirmed between the orderer who transmitted the order information and the fabricator (selected fabricator) who receives the order related to the order information. Here, when charging an agency fee to the fabricator, at the time of order confirmation, the transaction stage is before the production stage, and it may not be easy for the fabricator to pay the fee. In contrast, the steel structure ordering system 1 according to the second embodiment charges the fee at the receipt stage when the fabricator receives the price of the steel structure. Note that the fee charged at the receipt stage is not limited to an agency fee, and may be, for example, a fee for the fabricator's use of the steel structure ordering system 1 or a fee charged to the orderer paid in advance by the fabricator.
For example, the fees may include all or any one of a registration fee for registering a fabricator in the steel structure ordering system 1, an introduction fee for introducing a fabricator to a customer, and an intermediary fee for the completion of an order for a steel structure. By charging the various fees together, the steel structure ordering system 1 can reduce the work of the fabricator and the customer.

Note that if the fabricator pays the fee to be charged to the customer, the quotation information included in the order information sent in step S11 of FIG. 2 does not include the fee, so the fabricator may resubmit quotation information including the fee after the order is confirmed.

The server 100 according to the second embodiment functions as a workflow system. The server 100 according to the second embodiment handles the process from ordering steel frames by the customer to settlement as a series of workflows, and updates one workflow data generated for each workflow according to the process. In other words, receiving order information from the customer, sending rough estimate information to the customer, sending order information to the fabricator, receiving order information from the fabricator, sending candidate information (competitive quote screen data) to the customer, and sending an order confirmation notice (selection result information) are all performed via workflows. Hereinafter, "workflow" refers to workflow data handled by the workflow system. Even after the server 100 sends an order confirmation notice, the fabricator and the customer can use the workflow to communicate about the transaction.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing the configuration of a steel structure ordering system 1 according to the second embodiment. In addition to the configuration according to the first embodiment, the steel structure ordering system 1 according to the second embodiment further includes a determination unit 117 and an update unit 118.

The determination unit 117 determines whether or not the fabricator whose order has been confirmed, i.e., the fabricator indicated by the selection information in step S119 shown in FIG. 8, is in the receipt stage. For example, the determination unit 117 can receive a report from the fabricator that payment has been received, or receive a report from the orderer that payment has been paid, and determine whether or not the fabricator is in the receipt stage based on the report. When information used for the determination is provided, the determination unit 117 may update the evaluation information of the fabricator or orderer that is the source of the information stored in the user database 102 to a higher evaluation. Also, when information used for the determination is not provided, the determination unit 117 may update the evaluation information of the fabricator or orderer that is the source of the information stored in the user database 102 to a lower evaluation.

The update unit 118 accepts updates to the workflow by the fabricator and the orderer. The workflow is updated according to the stage of the transaction between the fabricator and the orderer.

When the determining unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage, the billing unit 105 transmits billing information for the fee to the fabricator. The fabricator pays the fee to the platformer according to the billing information. When the information used by the determining unit 117 to determine the receipt stage is provided, the billing unit 105 may transmit billing information for a reduced fee. Alternatively, when the information used by the determining unit 117 to determine the receipt stage is not provided, the billing unit 105 may transmit billing information for an increased fee.
The billing unit 105 may transmit, together with the billing information, basis information indicating the basis for determining the timing of billing the fee. Examples of the basis include a fact that a report of receipt of the fee has been received from the fabricator, a fact that a report of payment of the fee has been received from the customer, the date of the start of construction has arrived, the delivery date of the steel frame has been input, a certain period of time has passed since the confirmation of the order, etc.
Note that since the determination unit 117 does not always accurately determine whether or not the receipt stage has been reached, there is a possibility that the fabricator has not actually received payment for the steel frame. Therefore, after transmitting the billing information, the billing unit 105 may receive scheduled payment date information from the fabricator and set the payment period based on the scheduled payment date. For example, when the orderer pays the price by bill, the fabricator transmits scheduled payment date information to the server 100, with the due date of the bill as the scheduled payment date. Also, for example, the billing unit 105 may resend the billing information on the scheduled payment date.

When the display control unit 202 of the fabricator terminal 200B receives the billing information from the server 100, it causes the display device to display the billing information. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the display of billing information according to the second embodiment. The billing information includes the project name, the billing amount, and the basis for the timing of sending the billing information. This allows the fabricator to recognize that a fee should be paid to the platformer, and the amount of the fee to be paid to the platformer. This also allows the fabricator to recognize why the billing information has been sent.

The following describes the configuration by which the determination unit 117 determines whether the fabricator is in the receipt stage.

First Configuration Example
In the first configuration example, when the delivery date of the steel frame is decided, the fabricator records the delivery date in the workflow related to the order information and updates the workflow. Alternatively, when the delivery of the steel frame is completed, the fabricator records the delivery date in the workflow related to the order information and updates the workflow. In other words, the update unit 118 receives an instruction to update the delivery date from the fabricator and updates the workflow. The update unit 118 is an example of a delivery information receiving unit that receives delivery information indicating that the steel frame will be delivered from the fabricator.

The determination unit 117 determines whether or not a delivery date has been recorded in the workflow, and if a delivery date has been recorded, determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage. In other words, the determination unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage when the delivery of the steel frame from the fabricator to the customer is scheduled, or when the delivery of the steel frame has been completed.

The fact that the steel beams are scheduled to be delivered or have been delivered means that the above-mentioned delivery stage has ended. Therefore, the determination unit 117 can determine that the fabricator is in the receipt stage, which is the stage following the delivery stage.

When the determination unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage, the billing unit 105 transmits billing information for the fee to the fabricator. The billing unit 105 may transmit the billing information at the time when the determination unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage, or may wait until the delivery date recorded in the workflow before transmitting the billing information.

Second Configuration Example
In the second configuration example, when the steel beams are delivered from the fabricator, the orderer records the delivery date in the workflow related to the order information and updates the workflow. That is, the update unit 118 receives an instruction to update the delivery date from the orderer and updates the workflow. The update unit 118 is an example of a delivery information receiving unit that receives delivery information indicating that the steel beams will be delivered from the orderer.

The determination unit 117 determines whether or not a delivery date has been recorded in the workflow, and if a delivery date has been recorded, determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage. In other words, the determination unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage when the delivery of the steel frame from the fabricator to the customer is scheduled, or when the delivery of the steel frame has been completed.

When the determination unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage, the billing unit 105 transmits billing information for the fee to the fabricator. The billing unit 105 may transmit the billing information at the time when the determination unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage, or may wait until the delivery date recorded in the workflow before transmitting the billing information.

Third Configuration Example
In the third configuration example, the orderer updates the construction start date in the workflow related to the order information every time the construction start date of the steel frame is changed. In other words, the update unit 118 accepts an instruction to update the delivery date from the orderer and updates the workflow. In general, since the construction start date changes frequently, it is difficult for the platformer to manage the delivery schedule of the steel frame. On the other hand, as in the second configuration example, by appropriately updating the construction start date in the workflow, it is easy for the server 100 to predict the latest delivery schedule of the steel frame. The construction start date is updated to be earlier than the construction start date that has already been set. The update unit 118 is an example of an acquisition unit that acquires construction start date information indicating the construction start date of the steel frame from the orderer.

The determination unit 117 determines whether the current date is the construction start time related to the workflow or a date later than the construction start time, and determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage if the current date is the construction start time or a date later than the construction start time. That is, the determination unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage based on the construction start time information acquired from the orderer. Note that the construction start time does not necessarily need to be updated, and the determination unit 117 may determine whether the fabricator is in the receipt stage based on the construction start date included in the order information accepted by the setting unit 104 in step S102. In this case, the setting unit 104 is an example of an acquisition unit that acquires construction start time information indicating the construction start time of the steel frame from the orderer.
The billing unit 105 transmits billing information for the fee to the fabricator when the determining unit 117 determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage. If the fabricator has not delivered the steel frame by the start of construction, the fabricator can transmit to the server 100 scheduled payment date information that sets the scheduled delivery date of the steel frame as the scheduled payment date. This enables the billing unit 105 to set the period up to the scheduled delivery date as the payment period.

<<Fourth Configuration Example>>
The determination unit 117 according to the fourth configuration example determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage when a predetermined period has passed since the date on which the candidate presentation unit 111 transmitted the extracted candidate fabricator information to the orderer terminal 200A. For example, the determination unit 117 may obtain the predetermined period by the sum of the standard procurement period and the construction period according to the type of steel material. Since the procurement period of steel materials is usually a bottleneck for the delivery date for fabricators, the scheduled delivery date of the steel frame can be accurately estimated by using the sum of the standard procurement period and the construction period according to the type of steel material as described above. The determination unit 117 may estimate the scheduled delivery date based on the procurement period without using the construction period. If the fabricator has not been able to deliver the steel frame when a predetermined period has passed since the date on which the order was confirmed, the fabricator can transmit scheduled payment date information to the server 100, which sets the scheduled delivery date of the steel frame as the scheduled payment date. This allows the billing unit 105 to set the period until the scheduled delivery date as the payment period.

Fifth Configuration Example
The determination unit 117 according to the fifth configuration example determines that the fabricator is in the receipt stage when a predetermined period has passed since the date on which the candidate selection unit 112 accepted the selection of the contract fabricator to order the steel frame from the orderer terminal 200A among the three recommended fabricators (the date on which the order was confirmed). For example, the determination unit 117 may determine the predetermined period by the sum of the standard procurement period and the construction period according to the type of steel material. The determination unit 117 may estimate the scheduled delivery date based on the procurement period without using the construction period. If the fabricator has not been able to deliver the steel frame when a predetermined period has passed from the date on which the order was confirmed, the fabricator can transmit scheduled payment date information to the server 100, which sets the scheduled delivery date of the steel frame as the scheduled payment date. This allows the billing unit 105 to set the period until the scheduled delivery date as the payment period.
The billing unit 105 may transmit billing information when the candidate selection unit 112 receives a selection of a contract fabricator from among the three recommended fabricators to order the steel frame from the orderer terminal 200A.

<<Sixth Configuration Example>>
The determination unit 117 according to the sixth configuration example determines that a fabricator is in the receipt stage when the settlement processing unit 115 receives information related to settlement. For example, the determination unit 117 may determine that a fabricator is in the receipt stage when the settlement processing unit 115 receives performance information in step S126 of Fig. 8. Also, for example, the determination unit 117 may determine that a fabricator is in the receipt stage when the settlement processing unit 115 receives settlement information directly from the fabricator.

If the billing amount changes due to the settlement information, the billing unit 105 may determine the fee based on the price that has changed due to the settlement.

Although several configuration examples according to the second embodiment have been described above, the server 100 may determine whether or not the fabricator is in the receipt stage by combining the above configuration examples.
For example, the determination unit 117 may determine that the product is in the receipt stage based on the delivery date when the delivery date is input as in the first configuration example. On the other hand, when the construction start time arrives without the delivery date being input, the determination unit 117 may determine that the product is in the receipt stage based on the construction start time as in the third configuration example.
Also, for example, when the update unit 118 receives updates of the delivery date from both the fabricator and the orderer, it may determine that the product is in the receipt stage based on the delivery date updated by the fabricator, or it may determine that the product is in the receipt stage based on the delivery date updated by the orderer.
Also, for example, the determination unit 117 may have the functions of each of the first to sixth configuration examples, and may determine whether or not the fabricator is in the receipt stage based on a plurality of pieces of obtained information.

Other 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 are possible. That is, in other embodiments, 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 the 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 embodiment may extract two candidate fabricators based on two perspectives of location, order price, and reputation. Furthermore, the server according to another 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 200A. In this case, the orderer terminal 200A may display all of the received candidate fabricator information, or the orderer terminal 200A 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 extracted candidate fabricator information.

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 other embodiments 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 are 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 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.

Although the server 100 according to the embodiment described above transmits the order information regardless of the location of the fabricator, this is not limited to this. For example, the server 100 according to another embodiment may narrow down the fabricators to which the order information is transmitted depending on the contents of the contract with the orderer. For example, the server 100 may limit the destinations of the order information to fabricators nationwide, fabricators in the same region as the construction site, fabricators in the same municipality as the construction site, etc. depending on the contents of the contract with the orderer. In this case, the amount of the fee charged by the billing unit 105 may differ depending on the transmission range of the order information.

Computer Configuration
FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer 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 other embodiments, 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.

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 reception unit 107...Calculation unit 108...Approximate estimate transmission unit 109...Order information transmission unit 110...Order information reception unit 111...Candidate presentation unit 112...Candidate selection unit 113...Contract presentation unit 114...Notification unit 115...Settlement processing unit 116...Evaluation reception unit 117...Determination unit 118...Update unit 120...Confirmation result reception unit 200...Terminal device 200A...Orderer terminal 200B...Fabricator terminal 201...Reception unit 202...Display control unit 203...Input unit 204...Transmission unit 50...Computer 51...Processor 53...Main memory 55...Storage 57...Interface

Claims (9)

A server that communicates with an orderer who orders a steel frame and a plurality of fabricators that manufacture the steel frame via a network,
an order information receiving unit that receives order information indicating an order for a steel frame from the orderer;
an order information transmitting unit that transmits the order information to the plurality of fabricators;
an order information receiving unit that receives order information indicating that the order indicated by the order information will be accepted from a plurality of candidate fabricators that are part of the plurality of fabricators;
a candidate presentation unit that presents at least a portion of a plurality of candidate fabricator information items indicating each of the plurality of candidate fabricators to the orderer;
a selection unit that allows the orderer to select selected fabricator information that is one of the portion presented by the candidate presentation unit;
a billing unit that transmits billing information for billing a fee to the fabricator indicated by the selected fabricator information;
A server comprising: a determination unit that determines whether or not the fabricator indicated by the selected fabricator information is in a receipt stage of receiving payment for the steel frame from the orderer;
Further comprising:
the billing unit transmits the billing information to the fabricator indicated by the selected fabricator information when the determination unit determines that the process is in the receipt stage;
The server of claim 1 . The determination unit determines that the process is in the receipt stage when the delivery of the steel frame from the fabricator indicated by the selected fabricator information to the orderer is scheduled or when the delivery of the steel frame has been completed.
The server according to claim 2. An acquisition unit that acquires construction start time information indicating a construction start time of the steel frame from the orderer;
Further comprising:
The determination unit determines that the construction is in the receipt stage based on the construction start time acquired by the acquisition unit.
The server according to claim 2. the determining unit determines that the process is in the receipt stage when a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the selecting unit caused the selected fabricator information to be selected;
The server according to claim 2. a decision unit that decides whether or not to confirm an order for the steel frame to the fabricator indicated by the selected fabricator information;
Further comprising:
The determination unit determines that the receipt stage is in a case where a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the determination unit determined that the receipt stage is in a case where ...
The server according to claim 2. a delivery information receiving unit that receives delivery information indicating that the steel frame will be delivered from the orderer or the fabricator indicated by the selected fabricator information;
Further comprising:
The determination unit determines that the process is in the receipt stage when the delivery information is received by the delivery information receiving unit.
The server according to claim 2. a settlement processing unit that accepts settlement of the fee for the steel frame;
Further comprising:
The determination unit determines that the system is in the receipt stage when the settlement is accepted by the settlement processing unit.
The server according to claim 2. A terminal that communicates with a server that communicates with an orderer who orders a steel frame and a plurality of fabricators that manufacture the steel frame via a network,
A display control means for displaying, on a display unit, order information including information exchanged between the orderer and the plurality of fabricators, the order information relating to the order for the steel frame placed by the orderer;
a billing information receiving unit that receives billing information for billing a fee corresponding to the order information from the server;
Equipped with
the display control means causes the display unit to display information used in determining the timing for receiving the billing information from the server together with the billing information.
Terminal.

Images