JP2024060890A - Trade Management System - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a transaction management system that allows a seller and a customer to smoothly share information on transaction details while trading products. [Solution] A transaction management system 10 has a memory unit 14 that stores databases 16A and 16B. The databases 16A and 16B are data that are stored in a state in which data related to identification information set for each customer is associated with data related to the customer's transaction information corresponding to the identification information. The transaction management system 10 has a usage permission unit 18 that permits the external terminal 13 to use the databases 16A and 16B when identification information is input through the operation of the external terminal 13 connected via a communication network 12. When the use of the databases 16A and 16B is permitted, a data processing unit 19 transmits data related to a transaction information page including transaction information associated with the input identification information to the external terminal 13 via the communication network 12. [Selected Figure] FIG.

Description

The present invention relates to a transaction management system that manages the transaction details of products related to the exteriors of buildings such as houses.

Generally, transactions between a seller (such as a trading company) and a customer (such as a construction company) for building exterior products are conducted as follows: First, when the seller receives an offer from the customer, a meeting is held to discuss the planned transaction details (product to be purchased, quantity to be purchased, delivery date, etc.). The seller then prepares documents (a confirmation of the meeting details and an estimate) based on the items agreed upon in the meeting and presents these documents to the customer. If the seller is satisfied with the transaction details written in the documents, the seller officially orders the product. The transaction is then completed when the product is delivered to the location specified by the customer (the construction site or construction company).

In recent years, electronic commerce sites have come into practical use (for example, see Patent Document 1). On electronic commerce sites, products selected by sellers are displayed together with their prices. A purchaser selects the product he or she wants from among the products on the electronic commerce site and purchases it. The product thus purchased is delivered to the location (usually the purchaser's home) selected on the electronic commerce site.

JP 2019-21300 A

In exterior construction work, customers such as construction companies set the schedule for construction work that uses the product based on the scheduled delivery of the product. Therefore, customers want to understand the actual transaction details of the product they are purchasing as soon as possible. In this regard, in the general product transactions described above, information is communicated verbally during meetings or by email or fax, which creates the problem that it takes time for the transaction details to be communicated between the seller and the customer.

Here, it is conceivable that all transactions related to exterior products could be carried out using an e-commerce site. The e-commerce site stores the history of transaction details, so customers can check the transaction details through the history section of the e-commerce site. However, in product transactions between businesses (so-called B2B), various conditions such as the product delivery quantity, delivery time, and past transaction records are taken into consideration, so the product sales price varies depending on the customer. Therefore, simply using an e-commerce system would not allow for the setting of such sales prices, making the system extremely difficult to use.

Various aspects of a transaction management system for solving the above problems will be described below.
[Aspect 1] A transaction management system that manages transaction details for exterior-related products, comprising: a database that stores data regarding identification information assigned to each customer and data regarding transaction information of the customer corresponding to the identification information in an associated state; a memory unit that stores the database; a usage permission unit that permits use of the database by an external terminal connected via a communications network when the identification information is input through operation of the external terminal; and a data processing unit that, when use of the database is permitted by the usage permission unit, obtains from the database data regarding the transaction information associated with the input identification information, and transmits data regarding the transaction information page to the external terminal via the communications network so as to display a transaction information page including the transaction information indicated by the data on the external terminal.

According to the above configuration, a customer whose identification information has been determined in advance can use that identification information to access a database managed by the seller and ascertain the customer's own transaction information (current status) stored in the database. This eliminates the need for the customer to have a direct meeting with the seller or to communicate by telephone or fax in order to ascertain his or her own transaction information. Therefore, the customer can quickly ascertain his or her own transaction information at any time. Therefore, according to the above configuration, it is possible to trade goods while smoothly sharing information on the transaction content between the seller and the customer.

[Aspect 2] A transaction management system as described in [Aspect 1], wherein the data regarding the transaction information includes data regarding pricing variables of the customer.
According to the above configuration, products can be displayed on the external terminal in a state that reflects a price setting variable (e.g., a value equivalent to a discount rate) for each customer that is determined by the seller based on various conditions (such as past transaction records.) Therefore, even though the product selling price differs for each customer, the seller can easily present the product selling price corresponding to each customer using the external terminal.

[Aspect 3] A transaction management system as described in [Aspect 1] or [Aspect 2], in which the data related to the transaction information includes data related to the delivery location of the product purchased by the customer, and the transaction information page has a delivery location field as a display field for displaying information related to the delivery location.

In the exterior industry, it is difficult to store products (exterior-related materials) used in construction at the construction site, which is the customer's property, for long periods of time. For this reason, when customers purchase products, they have a wide range of requirements for the delivery location of the products, such as just-in-time delivery to the construction site, delivery to the customer (such as a construction company), or delivery where the customer can pick up the products from the seller.

According to the above configuration, the customer can know the delivery location of the product he or she purchased at any time by operating the external terminal. Therefore, the customer can smoothly carry out work at the construction site where the purchased product is used while checking the delivery location of the purchased product.

[Aspect 4] A transaction management system according to any one of [Aspects 1] to 3, in which the data relating to the transaction information includes data relating to a desired delivery date for the product purchased by the customer and data relating to an actual delivery date for the same product, the transaction information page has a delivery date field that displays information relating to the actual delivery date, and the delivery date field is displayed in a different color depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies or does not satisfy the desired delivery date.

The construction work plan (work process) that uses the purchased product is determined based on the delivery date of the product. Therefore, whether or not the actual delivery date of the purchased product meets the desired delivery date assumed at the time of ordering is an important factor for the purchaser and the construction company.

In the above configuration, the delivery date field on the display screen of the external terminal is displayed in a different color depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies or does not satisfy the desired delivery date. Therefore, by simply glancing at the delivery date field on the display screen, it becomes possible to understand based on the display color whether the actual delivery date of the product is in a good condition and satisfies the desired delivery date, or whether the actual delivery date is in an inappropriate condition and does not satisfy the desired delivery date. This makes it possible to improve the convenience of the transaction management system.

[Aspect 5] A transaction management system according to any one of [Aspects 1] to 4, in which the transaction information page has a process schedule field that displays a process schedule for the work of using the product purchased by the customer.

With the above configuration, the transaction details (delivery date, delivery location, etc.) of the purchased product can be confirmed while matching them with the process in which the product is used.

According to the present invention, goods can be traded while smoothly sharing information about the transaction between the seller and the customer.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a transaction management system. A schematic diagram conceptually showing the structure of data stored in a database. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the display content of a login screen on the home screen. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display contents of the property management page in a display state showing price information. FIG. 13 illustrates the property management page in a hidden state, without showing price information. A diagram showing the display contents of an additional order page. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display content of a scheduled delivery time confirmation page. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the display contents of a process chart page.

One embodiment of the transaction management system is described below. The transaction management system of this embodiment is introduced by a sales trading company that sells products related to building exteriors, and is a system for managing various information related to product transactions between the company and its customers, who are purchasers.

(Overview of the transaction management system)
As shown in Fig. 1, a transaction management system 10 of this embodiment includes a management server 11 having a web server function and an application server function. The management server 11 is connectable to an external terminal 13 (specifically, a user terminal such as a personal computer or a smartphone) via a communication network 12 such as a mobile phone network or the Internet. The management server 11 is capable of transmitting and receiving information to and from the external terminal 13. Various data is transmitted and received between the external terminal 13 and the management server 11 in accordance with a known communication protocol.

(Management Server)
The management server 11 has a storage unit 14 and a processing unit 15. The storage unit 14 stores a database 16A in which various data related to the transaction contents of the product are stored. The storage unit 14 also stores a database 16B in which data related to identification information (customer ID) determined for each customer and data related to identification information (salesperson ID) determined for each salesperson are stored. In the storage unit 14, a database server is used as a part for storing the database 16A and a part for storing the database 16B. In addition, the storage unit 14 stores applications and various software used to manage the transaction contents of the product. In addition, the storage unit 14 also stores information on various catalogs. In the storage unit 14, a storage such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) is used as a part for storing the applications, various software, various catalogs, etc.

The processing unit 15 of the management server 11 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). This processing unit 15 executes various processes related to the management of product transaction details based on the applications and various software stored in the storage unit 14. This processing unit 15 has a data receiving unit 17, a usage permission unit 18, a data processing unit 19, and a display switching unit 19A.

The data receiving section 17 has a function of receiving data transmitted from the external terminal 13 through the operation of the external terminal 13 via the communication network 12 .
The usage permission unit 18 has the function of permitting the external terminal 13 to use the databases 16A and 16B by inputting the above-mentioned identification information (customer ID or sales representative ID) through operation of the external terminal 13 connected via the communication network 12.

When the use of databases 16A and 16B is permitted, data processing unit 19 has a function of acquiring data on the transaction information of the product associated with the identification information (customer ID or salesperson ID) input at this time from databases 16A and 16B. Data processing unit 19 also has a function of transmitting data on the transaction information page to external terminal 13 via communication network 12 in order to cause external terminal 13 to display a transaction information page including the transaction information indicated by the data acquired from databases 16A and 16B. The function of display switching unit 19A will be described later.

(Data Management Device)
The transaction management system 10 has a data management device 20 for updating the databases 16A and 16B. The data management device 20 is configured by a computer having an input device 21 (e.g., a mouse and a keyboard) for performing input operations. The data management device 20 is connected to the management server 11. The data management device 20 is intended for use by an administrator of the transaction management system 10 (e.g., an employee of a sales trading company).

By operating this data management device 20 at an appropriate time, the data stored in databases 16A and 16B is updated successively. In more detail, the administrator of the transaction management system 10 operates the data management device 20 to update data related to existing transaction information, add data related to new transaction information, and add data related to identification information corresponding to new customers and sales representatives.

(Database)
The data stored in the databases 16A and 16B will now be described in detail.
2, databases 16A and 16B store purchased product data, customer ID, price setting variables, delivery location, delivery method, desired delivery date, actual delivery date, sales representative ID, item name, order slip number, scheduled delivery time, sender, delivery date notification, etc. in an associated state. These data will be described in more detail below.

[Purchased Product Data] The purchased product data (A1, A2, . . . ) is data relating to products purchased by a customer (product model number, manufacturer name, product name, product color, etc.).
[Customer ID] The customer ID (B1, B2, ...) is data related to identification information (customer code, login ID, and login password) determined for each customer. This customer ID is set by the sales trading company for each customer who trades products.

[Price setting variables] The price setting variables (C1, C2, etc.) are data related to variables related to setting product prices (e.g., 30% discount). These price setting variables are set by the sales trading company for each customer, taking into consideration past trading performance (e.g., trading period, trading volume), etc.

[Delivery location] The delivery location (D1, D2, etc.) is data related to the location where the goods purchased by the customer are delivered. Data stored as the delivery location includes "your company", "land yard", "site", "- (other)", etc. "Your company" indicates that the goods will be delivered directly to the customer (e.g. a construction company). "Land yard" indicates that the delivery location will be the customer's material storage site. "Site" indicates that the delivery location will be the site where the customer will install the goods. "-" indicates that the delivery location will be some other location.

"Delivery method"The delivery method (E1, E2, ...) is data on the method of delivering the product purchased by the customer. The data stored as the delivery method includes "normal", "collection from manufacturer", "delivery to store", "collection at construction", and "direct delivery from manufacturer". "Normal" indicates that the selling company delivers the product. "Collection from manufacturer" indicates that the customer picks up the product directly from the product's manufacturer. "Delivery to store" indicates that the product is delivered at the selling company to which the sales representative belongs (more specifically, the selling company's office, warehouse, or logistics center). "Collection at construction" indicates that the selling company arranges for and installs the product, and more specifically, that the product is assembled by a construction worker employed by the selling company in accordance with the construction timing of the product, and then the product is picked up. "Direct delivery from manufacturer" indicates that the product is delivered directly from the manufacturer to the customer.

[Desired Delivery Date] Desired delivery date (F1, F2, . . . ) is data related to the desired delivery date (year, month, and day) of the product specified by the customer when placing the product order.
[Actual Delivery Date] The actual delivery date (G1, G2, . . . ) is data on the actual delivery date (year, month, day) of the product that is confirmed by the seller with the manufacturer (or sales company) based on the details of the order placed by the customer.

[Salesperson ID] The salesperson ID (H1, H2, ...) is data related to identification information (salesperson code, login ID, and login password) that is determined for each salesperson of the sales trading company. This salesperson ID is set by the sales trading company for the salesperson who sells the product.

[Property Name] The property name (J1, J2, . . . ) is data relating to the property name (for example, Mr. A's house in Ginan Town) corresponding to the product purchased by the customer.
[Order Slip Number] The order slip number (K1, K2, . . . ) is data relating to the order slip number corresponding to the product purchased by the customer.

[Scheduled Delivery Time] Scheduled delivery times (L1, L2, . . . ) are data related to the scheduled delivery times of products purchased by customers.
[Sender] Sender (M1, M2, . . . ) is data relating to the sender of the product purchased by the customer.

[Delivery Date Notification] Delivery date notification (N1, N2, . . . ) is data showing the status of delivery date notification for the product purchased by the customer.
(Operation of the transaction management system 10)
In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, a customer or a salesperson can check product transaction information on a transaction information page displayed on the external terminal 13 through operation of the external terminal 13 .

The following describes the process in which a customer or a salesperson checks product transaction information using the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment.
First, when a customer or a salesperson operates the external terminal 13 to access the transaction management system 10 (more specifically, the management server 11), a home screen is displayed on the display screen of the external terminal 13.

As shown in FIG. 3, if a customer or salesperson is not logged in to the transaction management system 10, a login screen is displayed on the home screen 30.
When a customer starts using the transaction management system 10, a "customer ID" is entered on this home screen 30. More specifically, a login ID is entered in the ID input field 31 on the home screen 30, and a login password is entered in the password field 32, and then the login button 33 is operated. When this customer ID is authenticated by the usage permission unit 18 of the management server 11, the external terminal 13 is permitted to use the databases 16A and 16B. Thereby, from then on, various information related to commodity transactions linked to the customer ID entered at this time (more specifically, a transaction information page including this information) is permitted to be displayed on the external terminal 13.

On the other hand, when a salesperson uses the transaction management system 10, a salesperson ID is entered on the home screen 30. More specifically, a login ID is entered in the ID input field 31 on the home screen 30, a login password is entered in the password field 32, and then the login button 33 is operated. When this salesperson ID is authenticated by the usage permission unit 18 of the management server 11, the external terminal 13 is permitted to use the databases 16A and 16B. Thereby, from then on, various information related to the product transaction linked to the salesperson ID entered at this time (more specifically, a transaction information page including this information) is permitted to be displayed on the external terminal 13.

In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, a menu field 40 is set on the transaction information page (including the home screen 30) displayed on the external terminal 13. Various operation buttons are displayed in the menu field 40, such as a "Home" button 41, a "Customer ledger" button 42, an "Order history" button 43, a "Property management" button 44, a "Schedule" button 45, a "Catalog" button 46, and an "Inquiries" button 47. Customers and sales staff can operate these operation buttons 41 to 47 by logging in to the transaction management system 10.

When the “home” button 41 in the menu section 40 is operated, the home screen 30 is displayed on the external terminal 13 .
When the “Property Management” button 44 in the menu section 40 is operated, a property management page, which is one of the transaction information pages, is displayed on the external terminal 13 .

As shown in FIG. 4, the property management page 50 displays various information about the transaction details of the product, organized by the property that the customer is constructing. The property management page 50 has display columns for displaying information about the transaction details of the product, such as a purchased product information column 60, a property name column 61, an order slip number column 62, a delivery location column 63, a sender column 64, a desired delivery date column 65, an actual delivery date column 66, and a delivery method column 67. The information about the transaction details of the product displayed in each display column is described below.

(Purchased Product Information Column 60) Information regarding the product purchased by the customer (specifically, product code, product name, remaining order quantity, list price, sales price, and sales amount) is displayed.
(Property Name Column 61) The property name corresponding to the product is displayed.

(Order slip number column 62) The order slip number corresponding to the product is displayed.
(Delivery place column 63) The delivery place of the product is displayed.
(Sender field 64) The sender of the product is displayed.

(Desired Delivery Date Column 65) The desired delivery date of the product specified by the customer when ordering the product is displayed.
(Actual delivery date field 66) The actual delivery date of the product that has been confirmed by the seller with the manufacturer (or sales company) is displayed. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, when the actual delivery date of the product is in an unconfirmed state where it has not been confirmed, the actual delivery date field 66 displays "Delivery date unconfirmed." Also, when the actual delivery date of the product is in a confirmed state where it has been confirmed, and the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date, the actual delivery date is displayed in "black" in the actual delivery date field 66. On the other hand, when the actual delivery date does not satisfy the desired delivery date in the confirmed state, the actual delivery date is displayed in red in the actual delivery date field 66.

(Delivery method column 67) The delivery method of the product is displayed.
A switching section 68 for switching between displaying and not displaying the prices of items is set on the property management page 50. This switching section 68 is configured as a pull-down menu that allows the customer (or salesperson) to select either "display price" or "hide price" through operation.

When "Display price" is selected in the switching unit 68, the property management page 50 is in a display state (as shown in FIG. 4) in which the price information of the product (specifically, the list price, sales price, and sales amount) is displayed in the purchased product information field 60. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5, when "Hide price" is selected in the switching unit 68, the property management page 50 is in a hidden state in which the price information of the product is not displayed in the purchased product information field 60. In this way, in the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, it is possible to switch between a display state in which the price field displaying the price information of the product is displayed on the display screen of the external terminal 13 and a hidden state in which it is not displayed, through the operation of the external terminal 13. In this embodiment, the process of switching between the display state and the hidden state in this way is executed by the display switching unit 19A in the processing unit 15 of the management server 11 (see FIG. 1).

The property management page 50 has an additional order button 70 set for placing an additional order for a product. The additional order button 70 is set for each group of products ordered at the same time (specifically, products with the same order slip number). In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, by operating the additional order button 70, an additional order for a product included in the group of products corresponding to the additional order button 70 can be easily placed. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the screen display content when the additional order button 70 is operated differs depending on whether the user logs in using a sales representative ID or a customer ID. The procedure for placing such an additional order is described below.

When a salesperson logs into the transaction management system 10 using a salesperson ID, when the salesperson operates the additional order button 70 (see Figure 5), the additional order page 51 is displayed on the external terminal 13.

As shown in FIG. 6, the additional order page 51 displays an input field 71 for placing an additional order for the product corresponding to the additional order button 70 operated at this time. The input field 71 has a display field for displaying information about the product previously purchased by the customer (specifically, product code, product name, list price, sales unit price, discount rate, purchase unit price, cost rate, and supplier), as well as the following input sections 72 to 75 for additional orders. Specifically, the additional order page 51 has a desired delivery date input section 72 for inputting a desired delivery date for the product to be additionally ordered, and a delivery destination input section 73 for inputting a delivery destination for the product to be additionally ordered. The additional order page 51 also has a delivery date notification input section 74 for inputting the status of delivery date notification for the product to be additionally ordered, and a quantity input section 75 for inputting the quantity of the product to be additionally ordered. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, a value corresponding to the "price setting variable" is used as the "discount rate" displayed in the input field 71, and a price reflecting the "price setting variable" in the "list price" is used as the "sales unit price".

After the sales representative has completed inputting information into the desired delivery date input area 72, delivery destination input area 73, delivery date notification input area 74, and quantity input area 75, the confirmation button 76 set on the additional order page 51 is operated. This causes the screen display on the external terminal 13 to switch to a confirmation page (not shown) for confirming the details of the additional order. After confirming the details of the additional order on this confirmation page, the order button displayed on the confirmation page is operated to confirm the additional order.

On the other hand, when a customer logs in to the transaction management system 10 using a customer ID and operates the additional order button 70 (see Figure 5), the additional order page 51 is displayed on the external terminal 13.

In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the display mode of the additional order page 51 differs only in the display items in the display field of the input field 71 when logging in with a customer ID and when logging in with a salesperson ID. Specifically, when logging in with a customer ID, the display field of the input field 71 does not display "unit purchase price, cost rate, supplier (see FIG. 6)" as information about the product previously purchased by the customer, but displays only "product code, product name, list price, unit sales price, discount rate." Even in this case, after the customer inputs information into the desired delivery date input section 72, delivery destination input section 73, delivery date contact input section 74, and quantity input section 75, the confirmation button 76 set on the additional order page 51 is operated. This switches the screen display of the external terminal 13 to a confirmation page (not shown) for confirming the contents of the additional order. After confirming the contents of the additional order on this confirmation page, the order button displayed on the confirmation page is operated to confirm the additional order.

In this way, in the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, additional orders for previously purchased products can be easily placed from the transaction information page (more specifically, the property management page 50) that displays information about the transaction details of the product. This allows the ordering process to be performed with minimal effort when repurchasing previously purchased products in various situations (such as adding to or repairing products that have already been installed).

As shown in Figures 4 and 5, a scheduled delivery time button 80 is set on the property management page 50. When the scheduled delivery time button 80 is operated by the customer (or the salesperson), a scheduled delivery time confirmation page is displayed on the external terminal 13.

As shown in FIG. 7, the estimated delivery time confirmation page 53 has display columns for displaying information about the product transaction, such as a purchased product information column 60, a property name column 61, an order slip number column 62, a delivery location column 63, a sender column 64, an actual delivery date column 66, and an estimated delivery time column 69. The example shown in FIG. 7 shows the display contents of the estimated delivery time confirmation page 53 for a product for which delivery has been completed. As shown in FIG. 7, in the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, when delivery of the product has been completed, "Delivered" is displayed in the estimated delivery time column 69.

In this way, in the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, by operating the scheduled delivery time button 80 on the property management page 50, details about the delivery schedule (including the scheduled delivery time of the product) can be displayed and confirmed on the external terminal 13.

When the "Order History" button 43 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on a transaction information page (e.g., property management page 50) is operated, an order history page (not shown), which is one of the transaction information pages, is displayed on the external terminal 13. The order history page displays various information about the products ordered by the customer in a table. The display items on the order history page include the product's "order number," "order date," "orderer," "customer," "property name," "desired delivery date," "delivery destination," "product name," and "quantity."

When the "Schedule" button 45 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on the transaction information page is operated, a schedule page is displayed on the external terminal 13. The transaction management system 10 of this embodiment has a function of displaying a schedule for construction work that uses a product when the customer purchases the product.

As shown in FIG. 8, the process chart page 54 displays a search field 90 and a process chart field 91 .
The search field 90 has input fields for inputting search information such as "search start date", "customer", "sales representative", and "construction engineer". The "customer" is the purchaser of the product. The "sales representative" is the person in charge of the sales trading company who is responsible for selling the product. The "construction engineer" is the person who constructs the product. The search field 90 also has a search button 92. In this embodiment, by inputting information into the input fields of the search field 90 and operating the search button 92, a process schedule for the product that matches the conditions entered into the input fields is displayed in the process schedule field 91. The search field 90 also has input fields for inputting sorting conditions for the process schedule displayed in the process schedule field 91.

The example shown in FIG. 8 shows the display state of the above-mentioned schedule page 54 when logging in to the transaction management system 10 with a sales representative ID. When logging in to the transaction management system 10 with a customer ID, the search field 90 displays only the input field for entering the "search start date" as the input field for entering search information.

The schedule column 91 on the schedule page 54 has display columns that display information about the construction of the product, such as "Customer," "Property Name," "Construction Details," and "Construction Calendar." In the "Construction Calendar," the "Date" column that corresponds to the construction date is colored, making the construction date clear. A details button 93 is located in the display column that displays "Construction Details" in the schedule column 91. By operating this details button 93, the details of the product to be constructed and the delivery date are displayed.

The contents displayed in the schedule column 91 are entered and stored as follows: When a product is purchased, the installation date for the product is decided after coordination among the relevant parties. Information about the installation of the product (including the construction date) is then entered into the transaction management system 10 through the operation of the data management device 20. Based on the information entered in this way, information about the product is displayed in the schedule column 91 on the schedule page 54.

In this embodiment, the construction date is displayed in the "Construction Calendar" column on the condition that the actual delivery date of the product has been confirmed, specifically, that data indicating the actual delivery date has been stored in the actual delivery date field of databases 16A and 16B through the operation of data management device 20. In other words, when the actual delivery date of the product purchased by the customer is in an unconfirmed state and has not been confirmed, the construction date is not displayed in the "Construction Calendar" column. In this case, as shown by arrow P in FIG. 8, "Construction date being adjusted" is displayed in the display column that displays "Construction details" in the schedule column 91. Then, when the actual delivery date of the product purchased by the customer is confirmed and confirmed, the construction date will be displayed in the "Construction Calendar" column, as shown by arrow Q in FIG. 8.

When the "Customer Register" button 42 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on the transaction information page is operated, the external terminal 13 displays the customer register page (not shown). The customer register page displays information about the customer. The display contents displayed on the customer register page are specifically the "customer" who is the person in charge of construction of the property, the "customer name" which is the name of the property, the "control number", the "address" of the property, the "vehicle type that can be delivered (3t short, 4t short, 4t long, etc.)", and the "construction period". Other display contents include the "sales representative, contact information" of the customer, the "site representative, contact information", the "site map", and "drawings" related to the construction on site. Each display field on the customer register page can be used to input and register corresponding information through the operation of the external terminal 13. The customer register page also includes a site map registration field for registering the "site map", a drawing registration field for registering the "drawing", and a search field for searching for customer information based on the "customer" and "address". In this embodiment of the transaction management system 10, it is possible to register and display customer information on the customer ledger page.

When the "Catalog" button 46 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on the transaction information page is operated, a catalog page (not shown) is displayed on the external terminal 13. The catalog page makes it possible to search and view various catalogs stored in the memory unit 14. By using this catalog page, customers can easily check information on products that interest them at any time. In addition, by using the catalog page, sales staff can quickly obtain product information in a variety of situations and present it to customers.

When the "Inquiry" button 47 in the menu section 40 (see FIG. 3) on the transaction information page is operated, an inquiry page (not shown) is displayed on the external terminal 13. In this embodiment of the transaction management system 10, the customer can use the inquiry page to make inquiries to the seller.

(Action and Effect)
According to this embodiment, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.
(1) The memory unit 14 of the transaction management system 10 stores databases 16A and 16B in which a customer ID determined for each customer is associated with data on the transaction information of the customer corresponding to the customer ID. In the transaction management system 10, a customer ID is input through the operation of an external terminal 13 connected via a communication network 12, and the usage permission unit 18 permits the external terminal 13 to use the databases 16A and 16B. When the usage permission unit 18 permits the use of the databases 16A and 16B, the data processing unit 19 acquires data on the transaction information associated with the customer ID from the databases 16A and 16B. The data processing unit 19 transmits data on the transaction information page to the external terminal 13 via the communication network 12 so that the external terminal 13 can display a transaction information page including the transaction information indicated by the acquired data.

According to this transaction management system 10, a customer with a predetermined customer ID can use that customer ID to access the management server 11 managed by the seller and grasp the customer's own transaction information (current status) stored in the management server 11. This eliminates the need for the customer to have a direct meeting with the seller or to communicate by telephone or fax in order to grasp the customer's own transaction information. Therefore, the customer can quickly grasp the customer's own transaction information at any time. Therefore, product transactions can be carried out while smoothly sharing information on the transaction content between the seller and the customer.

(2) The data stored in databases 16A and 16B includes data on the customer's price setting variables. In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the "discount rate" displayed in input field 71 on additional order page 51 uses a value corresponding to the above-mentioned "price setting variable," and the "unit sales price" uses a price that reflects the "price setting variable" in the "list price."

Here, when trading goods, it is common to set product prices for each customer, taking into consideration past trading performance, etc. With the transaction management system 10, it is possible to display product information on the additional order page 51 while reflecting price setting variables (e.g., discount rates) for each customer. Therefore, even though product sales prices differ for each customer, the seller can use the external terminal 13 to easily present the product sales price that corresponds to each customer.

(3) The data stored in databases 16A and 16B includes data regarding the delivery location of the products purchased by the customer. The transaction information page displayed on external terminal 13 (specifically, property management page 50 and estimated delivery time confirmation page 53) has a delivery location field 63 as a display field that displays information regarding the delivery location.

In the exterior industry, it is difficult to store products (exterior-related materials) used in construction at a construction site, which is customer-owned land, for a long period of time. Therefore, when a customer purchases a product, there are a wide range of requirements for the delivery location of the product, such as just-in-time delivery of the product to the construction site, delivery of the product to the customer (such as a construction company), or delivery of the product by the customer picking it up from the seller. According to the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the customer can know the delivery location of the product he or she purchased at any time by operating the external terminal 13. Therefore, the customer can smoothly carry out work at the construction site where the purchased product will be used while checking the delivery location of the purchased product.

(4) The data stored in databases 16A and 16B includes data on the desired delivery date for the product purchased by the customer and data on the actual delivery date for the same product. The transaction information page displayed on external terminal 13 has as its display field an actual delivery date field 66 that displays information on the actual delivery date. In the actual delivery date field 66, when the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date, the actual delivery date is displayed in "black text," whereas when the actual delivery date does not satisfy the desired delivery date, the actual delivery date is displayed in "red text."

Usually, the plan (work process) for construction work that uses a purchased product is determined based on the delivery date of that product. Therefore, whether or not the actual delivery date of the purchased product meets the desired delivery date assumed at the time of ordering is an important factor for the purchaser and the construction company.

In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the color of the displayed text in the actual delivery date field 66 on the transaction information page is set to a different color depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies or does not satisfy the desired delivery date. Therefore, by simply glancing at the actual delivery date field 66, it becomes possible to understand based on the text color whether the actual delivery date of the product is in a good condition and satisfies the desired delivery date, or whether the actual delivery date is in an inappropriate condition and does not satisfy the desired delivery date. This makes it possible to improve the convenience of the transaction management system 10.

(5) The schedule page 54 displays a schedule for the work that uses the product purchased by the customer. This allows the customer to check the transaction details for the purchased product (e.g., delivery date, delivery location, etc.) while matching them with the process that uses the product.

(6) When the actual delivery date of a product purchased by a customer is unconfirmed, the "Construction Calendar" on the schedule page 54 does not display construction dates for work that uses the product. Then, when the actual delivery date of a product purchased by a customer is confirmed, the "Construction Calendar" on the schedule page 54 displays construction dates for work that uses the product.

If a schedule is created that includes work that uses a product when the delivery date of the product has not yet been determined, there is a risk of confusion at the construction site where work is being carried out based on that schedule if the delivery date of the product turns out to be later than expected.

According to the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, during the period from when a product is ordered to when the delivery date is determined, in other words when the date by which the product will arrive has not been determined, the construction date for work using the product is not displayed on the schedule page 54 of the external terminal 13. This prevents confusion at the construction site in the manner described above. Then, the construction date for work using the product is displayed on the external terminal 13 only when the delivery date for the product has been determined, i.e. when the date by which the product will arrive has been determined, so that the construction date can be accurately known.

(7) The transaction information page has a purchased product information field 60 that displays product price information (specifically, list price, sales price, and sales amount) as a display field. In the transaction management system 10, the customer (or salesperson) can operate the switching unit 68 to switch between a display state in which product price information is displayed in the purchased product information field 60 and a hidden state in which product price information is not displayed. This allows the external terminal 13 to be in a display state in which product price information is displayed when checking the product price using the external terminal 13 or when showing the external terminal 13 to someone with the product price displayed. In addition, when showing the external terminal 13 on which the transaction information page is displayed to a specific person (such as a client who has ordered construction work on a building or a construction site supervisor) who does not need to see the product price, the external terminal 13 can be in a hidden state in which product price information is not displayed. According to the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the transaction information page displayed on the external terminal 13 can be made easy to use.

(8) Databases 16A and 16B contain data that associates a salesperson ID, which is assigned to each salesperson who sells products, with data on transaction information for customers corresponding to the salesperson ID. This allows not only customers who purchase products, but also salespersons at retail stores who sell products to conveniently use transaction management system 10 when making product transactions.

(9) Databases 16A and 16B contain data relating to products purchased by customers that are associated with data relating to the property names corresponding to the same products. The transaction information page has a property name column 61 that displays the property name as a display column. This allows customers and sales staff to easily grasp the product transaction information for each property.

In the transaction management system 10 of this embodiment, the information on the transaction details of the products displayed on the property management page 50 is sorted based on data on the property name, and is organized for each property that the customer is constructing. Therefore, by looking at this property management page 50, the customer or salesperson can easily grasp the entire transaction information of the products for each property. This makes it easy to grasp the total amount of the products purchased for the same property at any time without relying on invoices issued by the sales trading company. The salesperson can then communicate the total amount of the products thus grasped to the customer in response to an inquiry, which helps the customer understand the amount of construction costs and the amount to be paid. In addition, the delivery dates of the products used in construction on the same property can be confirmed in a collectively displayed state, making it easy to manage the delivery dates of those products while imagining the work process for the same property.

Other Embodiments
The above embodiment can be modified as follows: The above embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that no technical contradiction occurs.

- Instead of using different text colors in the actual delivery date field 66 on the transaction information page depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not, the background color of the actual delivery date field 66 may be different. In short, it is sufficient if the display color of the actual delivery date field 66 can be different depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not.

The display color of the actual delivery date field 66 on the transaction information page can be set to the same color whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not.
The display fields on the estimated delivery time confirmation page 53 can be changed as desired, for example, by omitting the order slip number field 62 or the sender field 64.

The "construction calendar" in the construction schedule section 91 on the construction schedule page 54 may display the construction date for the product, regardless of whether the actual delivery date for the product has been confirmed or not.
Instead of using information input through the operation of the data management device 20 as the "information related to product construction" to be displayed in the process schedule column 91 of the process schedule page 54, information input by the customer may be used. As a method for the customer to input information, a process information input page may be newly set as a page to be displayed on the external terminal 13, and the customer may input "information related to product construction" on that page. In addition, a method may be adopted in which a new page for uploading is set and the customer uses that page to upload the process schedule.

The information displayed on the schedule page 54 can be changed as desired.
The "Schedule" button 45 and schedule page 54 may be omitted.
The "Customer Register" button 42 and the customer register page can be omitted.

The "catalog" button 46 and the catalog page can be omitted, and the "contact us" button 47 and the contact us page can be omitted.
- The order history button 43 and the "order history" page can be omitted.

- In addition to making the operation buttons displayed in the menu field 40 the same when logging in to the transaction management system 10 using a sales representative ID and when logging in using a customer ID, the operation buttons displayed in the menu field 40 may be made non-identical.

The configuration for setting the sales representative ID can be omitted.
The display switching unit 19A may be omitted, and the price information of the product may always be displayed in the purchased product information field 60 on the transaction information page.

The delivery location field 63, the sender field 64, the delivery method field 67, etc. may be omitted from the transaction information page.
- Pricing variables may be omitted from the data stored in databases 16A and 16B.

- The management server 11 can be built using a self-developed system or by using an external service such as an ASP (Application Service Provider) service.

10...Transaction management system 11...Management server 12...Communication network 13...External terminal 14...Memory unit 15...Processing unit 16A, 16B...Database 17...Data receiving unit 18...Usage permission unit 19...Data processing unit 19A...Display switching unit 50...Property management page 51...Additional order page 53...Scheduled delivery time confirmation page 54...Process chart page 60...Purchased product information field 61...Property name field 63...Delivery location field 65...Desired delivery date field 66...Actual delivery date field 67...Delivery method field 68...Switching unit 69...Scheduled delivery time field 91...Process chart field

Claims (5)

A transaction management system for managing transaction details of products related to exteriors,
a database for storing data on identification information assigned to each customer and data on transaction information of the customer corresponding to the identification information in an associated state;
A storage unit that stores the database;
a usage permission unit that permits the external terminal to use the database by inputting the identification information through an operation of the external terminal connected via a communication network;
a data processing unit that, when the use of the database is permitted by the usage permission unit, obtains data on the transaction information associated with the input identification information from the database, and transmits data on a transaction information page including the transaction information indicated by the data to the external terminal via the communication network so as to cause the external terminal to display the transaction information page;
A transaction management system having the above configuration. The transaction management system of claim 1 , wherein the data regarding transaction information includes data regarding pricing variables of the customer. The data regarding the transaction information includes data regarding a delivery location of the product purchased by the customer;
The transaction management system according to claim 1 , wherein the transaction information page has, as a display field, a delivery location field that displays information regarding the delivery location. The data on the transaction information includes data on a desired delivery date for the product purchased by the customer and data on an actual delivery date for the product,
the transaction information page has a delivery date field for displaying information about the actual delivery date;
2. A transaction management system according to claim 1, wherein the delivery date field is displayed in different colors depending on whether the actual delivery date satisfies the desired delivery date or not. 2. The transaction management system according to claim 1, wherein the transaction information page has, as a display field, a schedule field for displaying a schedule of work for utilizing the product purchased by the customer.