JPH10149386A - Physical distribution system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To dynamically change the delivery route and time of goods in response to the instruction of a client by preparing a system where a delivery control means decides the delivery control information including a group of delivery routes and dates based on the 1st request information and also changes the delivery control information based on the 2nd request information. SOLUTION: When only the goods which are requested to an agent 2 from a client 1 are received at a delivery center 3, the center 3 decides to immediately deliver the goods to a delivery destination 7 or to a warehouse 4 based on the request information. If the 2nd request information is received at the center 3 from the client 1 via a public circuit while the goods sent from the client 1 are stored in the warehouse 4, the center 3 transfers the goods between the warehouses 4 and 5 or sends the goods to the destination 7 based on the 2nd request information. Thus, the client 1 can give the additional requests to the center 3 for the transfer of goods via the public circuit. Therefore the goods can be flexibly delivered based on the circumstances of the client 1.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

The present invention relates to a distribution system for packages and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In conventional delivery of parcels by courier service or the like, when requesting parcels to a delivery company, the client can only specify the destination of the parcels, and therefore, until the parcel arrives at the destination. During the period, the delivery route and timing could not be dynamically specified.

[0003]

However, if the client asks the delivery company for the package and then learns that the recipient is traveling, the delivery time is determined by the client. If it is not possible to change, etc., it is not possible to reliably deliver and receive luggage at the delivery destination, and it is necessary for the delivery company to go to the destination many times, which is disadvantageous for both the client and the delivery company .

An object of the present invention is to provide a distribution system capable of dynamically changing the delivery route and timing of a package according to the instruction of the client of the package.

[0005]

In order to achieve the above object, a distribution system according to the present invention is a distribution system having a package delivery means and a delivery control means, wherein the delivery control means comprises a package requester. Based on the first request information from
It has a function of determining delivery control information including a group of a delivery route and a delivery date and time, and changing the delivery control information based on second request information from the package requester. .

[0006]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In FIG.
Is a client, 2 is an agent, 3 is a distribution center, 4 and 5 are warehouses, 6 is a service provider, and 7 is a destination. The double arrow indicates the flow of the package requested to be delivered by the client 1.

[0007] First, the client 1 brings the package desired to be delivered to the agency 2. At this time, the client 1 deposits the package at the agency 2 by specifying the delivery destination, the delivery route, and the delivery date of the package, and obtains the ID number of the package from the agency 2. The baggage deposited at the agency 2 is transported to the distribution center 3 at a predetermined time.

[0008] The distribution center 3 determines where the package transported from the agent 2 is to be transported next. The delivery center 3 is communicatively connected to the client 1 via a network such as a public line, and can obtain one or more pieces of request information from the client 1.

When the package arrives at the distribution center 3, if the request information from the client 1 is only the one requested by the client 1 to the agent 2, the distribution center performs the following processing based on the request information. Immediately deliver the package to the destination 7 or
It is determined whether to deliver the package to the warehouse 4. For example, if the delivery date and time included in the request information is "next day" or "as soon as possible", the delivery center 3
Decides to immediately deliver the package to the destination 7, and if the designated delivery date is later, such as "3 days later" or "1 week later", the delivery center 3 temporarily removes the package.
Make a decision to deliver to Then, when approaching the designated date and time, the delivery center 3 issues an instruction to the warehouse 4 to deliver the package from the warehouse 4 to the destination 7. As described above, if the luggage can be stored in the warehouse when the designated date is late, the client 1 does not need to keep the luggage at home.

If the designated date and time is very late, such as "one month later", the distribution center once decides to deliver the package to the warehouse 4, and then, if necessary, stores the package. The cargo from the client 1 is transported between the warehouse 4 and another warehouse 5. This transportation instruction is generated based on the inventory capacity of the packages in the warehouse 4 and the warehouse 5. That is, the distribution center 3 inquires the warehouse 4 and the warehouse 5 about the inventory capacity of the warehouse at a predetermined frequency, and when the inventory capacity between the warehouses becomes unbalanced, the warehouse 4 and the warehouse 5 The mutual transportation of the luggage from the client 1 can be performed, and each warehouse can be effectively used.

Furthermore, when the warehouse 4 and the warehouse 5 are in different location conditions, for example, the warehouse 4 is located near a city,
If the warehouse 5 is located in a rural area, the distribution center 3 makes the same inquiry as described above to the warehouses 4 and 5, and when the stock capacity of the warehouse 4 approaches the limit, the delivery designation is made. By preferentially transporting the baggage with a late date and time to the local warehouse 5, the warehouse 4 near the city with a high land price can be effectively used.

When the second request information is sent from the client 1 to the delivery center 3 through the public line while the package from the client 1 is stored in the warehouse, the delivery center 3
Transports the package between the warehouse 4 and the warehouse 5 in the same manner as described above, based on the designated delivery date and time included in the second request information. For example, when the delivery date and time included in the first request information from the client 1 is late and the delivery date and time included in the second request information is early, Delivery center 3 is warehouse 5
Is sent to the warehouse 4 or the destination 7 is stored.

At this time, it is conceivable that the request information from the client 1 includes a change in the destination 7. In such a case, the delivery center 3 changes the destination 7 based on the request information. The destination 7 may be the client 1 itself.

Further, the request information from the client 1 may include additional service information in addition to the above-mentioned designated delivery date and delivery destination. This is because, for example, when the luggage from the client 1 is clothing, the distribution center 3 cleans the luggage when receiving the additional service information from the client 1 saying “Clean the contents of the luggage”. An instruction to deliver to the service provider 6 such as a shop is issued. After cleaning the clothes in the luggage, the service provider 6 such as a laundry shop may send the luggage directly to the destination 7 based on the instruction of the delivery center 3 or store the luggage in the warehouse 5. Is also good.

As another example, in the case where the package from the client 1 is a personal computer, the distribution center 3 receives the additional service information from the client 1 stating "Install the software on the personal computer". An instruction is provided to deliver the package to the service provider 6 such as a personal computer service provider. After installing the software on the personal computer of the luggage, the service provider 6 such as a personal computer service provider
May send the package directly to the destination 7 based on an instruction from the delivery center 3 or may store the package in the warehouse 5.

[0016]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the distribution system of the present invention, the distribution center can store the luggage at an early stage from the client, so that the warehouse can be effectively used and the cost can be reduced. be able to. Further, according to the distribution system of the present invention, since the client can make an additional request for the transportation of the package to the distribution center through the public line, it is possible to flexibly distribute the package according to the convenience of the client.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a system showing a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... client, 2 ... agency, 3 ... distribution center, 4,5 ...
Warehouse, 6 ... Service provider, 7 ... Destination

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A logistics system comprising: a package delivery unit; and a delivery control unit, wherein the delivery control unit includes a group of a delivery route and a delivery date and time based on first request information from a package requester. And a function of determining the delivery control information, and changing the delivery control information based on the second request information from the luggage requester. 2. The distribution system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of package storage means, wherein said delivery control means controls said package delivery means based on request information from said package requester. A logistics system having a function of controlling and delivering a package to the package storage means. 3. The distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the delivery control unit controls the package delivery unit based on request information from the package requester, and has a function of stopping delivery of the package. Distribution system characterized by having. 4. The distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the delivery control unit obtains information on a storage amount of each of the plurality of package storage units, and controls the package delivery unit based on the storage amount information. A logistics system having a function of controlling and delivering a package.