KR102616648B1 - System for providing internet shoppingmall inventory management service - Google Patents

Abstract

An Internet shopping mall inventory management service provision system is provided, and a seller terminal that performs the process of inventory registration, channel setting, channel inventory transmission, and manager program connection to link inventory information held by the seller with inventory information of at least one shopping mall in real time, and An inventory register that allows you to register inventory by entering the product name, item code (stock keeping unit), and quantity on the seller's terminal. Select a channel, which is a shopping mall where products with stock information entered, are sold on the seller's terminal, and log in to log in to the channel. When registering information, the channel setting unit collects product information from the channel, and the channel mapping unit connects the inventory information registered in the inventory register and the product information collected from the channel based on the channel product code and matching code. , an inventory management service providing server including a channel inventory transmission unit that synchronizes product information to channels based on inventory information connected from the channel mapping unit.

Description

Internet shopping mall inventory management service provision system {SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING INTERNET SHOPPINGMALL INVENTORY MANAGEMENT SERVICE}

The present invention relates to an Internet shopping mall inventory management service provision system, and provides a solution that can link a seller's inventory information with product information of a sales channel.

Recently, the major changes surrounding the online shopping market are that as the combination of online and offline is accelerating, omnichannel and O2O strategies are now becoming a necessity rather than an option, and artificial intelligence, big data, robots, and The integration of innovative technologies such as autonomous driving into the distribution industry is in full swing. As convergence between online and offline and the introduction of new technologies become more active, a new competitive structure with other industries other than shopping is being formed. Amazon is expanding its market into areas such as cloud, advertising, and payments based on its absolute superiority in the shopping sector. In response, Google is expanding its area from search and advertising to online shopping and logistics delivery. I'm doing it. Looking at the actual competition status by business entity in the domestic online shopping market, traditional online shopping companies such as G Market, WeMakePrice, and Timon are currently leading, led by Coupang, which has recently been rapidly growing, while large offline companies such as Shinsegae and Lotte are leading the way. The competitive structure of the domestic online distribution market is expected to change significantly in the future as retailers strengthen their online presence, direct and indirect entry and investment by global powerhouses such as Amazon and Alibaba, and challenges from internet platform companies such as Naver and Kakao. do.

At this time, a solution to integrate and manage the inventory of online shopping malls was researched and developed. In relation to this, the prior art was Korean Patent No. 10-2524578 (announced on April 24, 2023) and Korean Patent No. 10-1903330 (announced on April 24, 2023). (published on October 1, 2018) collects and compiles sales product information using API from the shopping mall server, and when a purchase request occurs on the shopping mall server, the purchase processing status and delivery status are collected and delivered to the user terminal. , the sales product details are collected from the shopping mall server where the sales product is uploaded by the seller terminal, and when an order request is received, order quantity information is collected and provided to the seller terminal, and the inventory quantity is updated.

However, in the former case, it is not a configuration in which the seller manages the online shopping mall, but rather a configuration that the customer, a user, uses to obtain price information, inventory information, and event information for the same product in each shopping mall. In the latter case, the order is placed at the seller's terminal. Information is updated in real time, but interconnection between each shopping mall is not possible, so in order to update the inventory according to the order, it is inconvenient to log in to multiple shopping malls with the seller ID and then adjust the inventory. Recently, even for the same product, the types of sales methods have become more diverse, such as products provided as options for the basic product, bundled options through bundling, or products sold as additional products. has become more difficult to carry out. Accordingly, research and development of a middleware service that can synchronize warehouse inventory and shopping mall inventory in real time is required when managing inventory of multiple shopping malls in an integrated manner.

One embodiment of the present invention includes inventory registration to register inventory products held by the seller at the seller terminal, registration of seller channels that are multiple shopping malls, channel setting to collect product information, and channel mapping for synchronization between inventory information and channel information. , by performing the process of channel inventory transmission, which transmits inventory information to the seller channel, and the manager program connection process, which links the manager program used in the seller's terminal and the seller's channel, inventory linking between the inventory held by the seller and multiple shopping malls is performed in real time. Furthermore, by performing inventory linkage between multiple shopping malls, you can ensure that there is no inventory discrepancy between shopping malls. Set the bundle quantity and enable the additional product option in cases where sales methods vary with bundle options and additional products. It is possible to provide an internet shopping mall inventory management service provision system that can perform inventory linkage just by doing so. However, the technical challenge that this embodiment aims to achieve is not limited to the technical challenges described above, and other technical challenges may exist.

As a technical means for achieving the above-described technical problem, an embodiment of the present invention provides inventory registration, channel setting, channel inventory transmission, and a manager program to link inventory information held by the seller with inventory information of at least one shopping mall in real time. A seller terminal that performs the connection process, an inventory register that allows inventory registration by entering the product name, item code (stock keeping unit), and quantity in the seller terminal, and a channel that is a shopping mall where products with inventory information entered in the seller terminal are sold. When you select and register login information to log in to the channel, the channel setting unit that collects product information from the channel, the inventory information registered in the inventory register, and the product information collected from the channel are based on the channel product code and matching code. It includes an inventory management service providing server including a channel mapping unit that connects to and a channel inventory transmission unit that synchronizes product information to the channel based on inventory information connected from the channel mapping unit.

According to one of the above-described means for solving the problem of the present invention, inventory registration for registering inventory products held by the seller at the seller terminal, registration of seller channels, which are multiple shopping malls, and channel setting for collecting product information, inventory information and channel information By performing the process of channel mapping for synchronization, channel inventory transmission to transmit inventory information to the seller channel, and connection to the manager program that links the manager program used in the seller's terminal and the seller channel, the inventory held by the seller and multiple shopping malls are performed. By performing inventory interlocking between multiple shopping malls in real time, and furthermore, performing inventory interlocking between multiple shopping malls, you can ensure that there is no inventory discrepancy between shopping malls. Bundle quantities can be set and added to various sales methods through bundled options and additional products. Inventory linkage can be performed simply by enabling the product option.

1 is a diagram for explaining a system for providing an inventory management service for an Internet shopping mall according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an inventory management service providing server included in the system of FIG. 1.
Figures 3 and 4 are diagrams for explaining an embodiment of an internet shopping mall inventory management service implemented according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figure 5 is an operation flowchart for explaining a method of providing an inventory management service for an Internet shopping mall according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Below, with reference to the attached drawings, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearly explain the present invention in the drawings, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are given similar reference numerals throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is said to be "connected" to another part, this includes not only the case where it is "directly connected," but also the case where it is "electrically connected" with another element in between. . In addition, when a part is said to "include" a certain component, this does not mean excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary, but may further include other components, and one or more other features. It should be understood that it does not exclude in advance the presence or addition of numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

The terms "about", "substantially", etc. used throughout the specification are used to mean at or close to that value when manufacturing and material tolerances inherent in the stated meaning are presented, and are used to enhance the understanding of the present invention. Precise or absolute figures are used to assist in preventing unscrupulous infringers from taking unfair advantage of stated disclosures. The term “step of” or “step of” as used throughout the specification of the present invention does not mean “step for.”

In this specification, 'part' includes a unit realized by hardware, a unit realized by software, and a unit realized using both. Additionally, one unit may be realized using two or more pieces of hardware, and two or more units may be realized using one piece of hardware. Meanwhile, '~ part' is not limited to software or hardware, and '~ part' may be configured to reside in an addressable storage medium or may be configured to reproduce one or more processors. Therefore, as an example, '~ part' refers to components such as software components, object-oriented software components, class components, and task components, processes, functions, properties, and procedures. , subroutines, segments of program code, drivers, firmware, microcode, circuits, data, databases, data structures, tables, arrays, and variables. The functions provided within the components and 'parts' may be combined into a smaller number of components and 'parts' or may be further separated into additional components and 'parts'. Additionally, components and 'parts' may be implemented to regenerate one or more CPUs within a device or a secure multimedia card.

In this specification, some of the operations or functions described as being performed by a terminal, apparatus, or device may instead be performed on a server connected to the terminal, apparatus, or device. Likewise, some of the operations or functions described as being performed by the server may also be performed in a terminal, apparatus, or device connected to the server.

In this specification, some of the operations or functions described as mapping or matching with the terminal mean mapping or matching the terminal's unique number or personal identification information, which is identifying data of the terminal. It can be interpreted as

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings.

1 is a diagram for explaining a system for providing an inventory management service for an Internet shopping mall according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, the internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system 1 may include at least one seller terminal 100, an inventory management service providing server 300, and at least one shopping mall server 400. However, since the Internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is only an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limitedly interpreted through FIG. 1.

At this time, each component of FIG. 1 is generally connected through a network (Network, 200). For example, as shown in FIG. 1, at least one seller terminal 100 may be connected to the inventory management service providing server 300 through the network 200. In addition, the inventory management service providing server 300 may be connected to at least one seller terminal 100 and at least one shopping mall server 400 through the network 200. Additionally, at least one shopping mall server 400 may be connected to the inventory management service providing server 300 through the network 200.

Here, the network refers to a connection structure that allows information exchange between each node, such as a plurality of terminals and servers. Examples of such networks include a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN). Wide Area Network, Internet (WWW: World Wide Web), wired and wireless data communication network, telephone network, wired and wireless television communication network, etc. Examples of wireless data communication networks include 3G, 4G, 5G, 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), 5th Generation Partnership Project (5GPP), Long Term Evolution (LTE), World Interoperability for Microwave Access (WIMAX), and Wi-Fi. , Internet, LAN (Local Area Network), Wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WAN (Wide Area Network), PAN (Personal Area Network), RF (Radio Frequency), Bluetooth network, NFC ( It includes, but is not limited to, Near-Field Communication (Near-Field Communication) network, satellite broadcasting network, analog broadcasting network, and DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) network.

In the following, the term at least one is defined as a term including singular and plural, and even if the term at least one does not exist, each component may exist in singular or plural, and may mean singular or plural. This should be self-explanatory. In addition, whether each component is provided in singular or plural form may be changed depending on the embodiment.

At least one seller terminal 100 registers inventory information based on item code (SKU) using a web page, app page, program, or application related to the Internet shopping mall inventory management service, and the seller sells the product of the inventory information. Set up the selling outlet, that is, the shopping mall (channel), by entering the shopping mall ID and password, perform channel mapping to map between inventory information and product information of the channel, and output the results with inventory information synchronized for each channel. It may be the seller's terminal. Additionally, the seller terminal 100 may be a terminal that links a manager program that manages inventory information with each channel to enable linkage and synchronization between [manager program-solution of the present invention-channel].

Here, at least one seller terminal 100 may be implemented as a computer capable of accessing a remote server or terminal through a network. Here, the computer may include, for example, a laptop equipped with a navigation system and a web browser, a desktop, a laptop, etc. At this time, at least one seller terminal 100 may be implemented as a terminal capable of accessing a remote server or terminal through a network. At least one seller terminal 100 is, for example, a wireless communication device that guarantees portability and mobility, and includes navigation, personal communication system (PCS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), personal digital cellular (PDC), PHS (Personal Handyphone System), PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), IMT (International Mobile Telecommunication)-2000, CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)-2000, W-CDMA (W-Code Division Multiple Access), Wibro (Wireless Broadband Internet) ) It may include all types of handheld-based wireless communication devices such as terminals, smartphones, smartpads, and tablet PCs.

The inventory management service providing server 300 may be a server that provides an internet shopping mall inventory management service web page, app page, program, or application. In addition, the inventory management service providing server 300 provides inventory information held by the seller of the seller terminal 100 and the channel of each seller through [inventory registration → channel setting → channel mapping → channel inventory transmission → manager program connection]. By enabling linkage and synchronization between registered product information, it may be a server that does not require each seller to log in to the shopping mall one by one to modify product information or notify each customer that it is out of stock and ask for their understanding.

Here, the inventory management service providing server 300 may be implemented as a computer that can connect to a remote server or terminal through a network. Here, the computer may include, for example, a laptop equipped with a navigation system and a web browser, a desktop, a laptop, etc.

At least one shopping mall server 400 may be a server that allows access to the inventory management service providing server 300 with or without using a web page, app page, program, or application related to the Internet shopping mall inventory management service. Here, at least one shopping mall server 400 may be implemented as a computer capable of accessing a remote server or terminal through a network. Here, the computer may include, for example, a laptop equipped with a navigation system and a web browser, a desktop, a laptop, etc. At this time, at least one shopping mall server 400 may be implemented as a terminal that can connect to a remote server or terminal through a network.

Figure 2 is a block diagram for explaining the inventory management service providing server included in the system of Figure 1, and Figures 3 and 4 show an embodiment of the Internet shopping mall inventory management service according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is a drawing for explanation.

Referring to FIG. 2, the inventory management service providing server 300 includes an inventory register 310, a channel setting unit 320, a channel mapping unit 330, a channel inventory transmission unit 340, a connection unit 350, and a bundle. It may include an option providing unit 360, an additional product option providing unit 370, an out-of-stock notification unit 380, a channel synchronization unit 390, a demand forecasting unit 391, a supply management unit 393, and a log recording unit 395. there is.

The inventory management service providing server 300 or another server (not shown) operating in conjunction with an embodiment of the present invention manages Internet shopping mall inventory with at least one seller terminal 100 and at least one shopping mall server 400. When transmitting a service application, program, app page, web page, etc., at least one seller terminal 100 and at least one shopping mall server 400, the internet shopping mall inventory management service application, program, app page, web page, etc. You can install or open . Additionally, a service program may be run on at least one seller terminal 100 and at least one shopping mall server 400 using a script executed in a web browser. Here, a web browser is a program that allows the use of web (WWW: World Wide Web) services and refers to a program that receives and displays hypertext written in HTML (Hyper Text Mark-up Language), for example, Netscape. , Explorer, Chrome, etc. Additionally, an application refers to an application on a terminal and includes, for example, an app running on a mobile terminal (smartphone).

Referring to FIG. 2, the inventory register 310 allows the seller terminal 100 to register inventory by inputting the product name, item code (stock keeping unit), and quantity. The seller terminal 100 may perform an inventory registration process to link inventory information held by the seller with inventory information of at least one shopping mall in real time. Figure 4a is the process of inventory registration by the seller terminal 100. After accessing the solution page of the present invention on the seller terminal 100, select the inventory management menu and click the inventory registration button in the upper right corner to register inventory. Call the pop-up, and when the pop-up is called, enter the product name, item code (SKU), and quantity and click the register button to complete inventory registration. The inventory information registered in this way can also be viewed on the screen in Figure 4a. Once the seller's information, i.e. inventory information, has been registered, product information such as where the seller is located and how many units have been sold and how many are left at the seller must be registered. In one embodiment of the present invention, the information held by the seller is referred to as inventory information, and the information held by each seller (shopping mall, channel) is referred to as product information.

The channel setting unit 320 can collect product information from the channel when the seller terminal 100 selects a channel that is a shopping mall where products for which inventory information is input are sold and registers login information for logging into the channel. there is. The seller terminal 100 may perform a channel setting process to link inventory information held by the seller with inventory information of at least one shopping mall in real time. Figure 4b is a channel settings screen. After accessing the solution page of the present invention on the seller terminal 100, select the channel settings menu, press the add channel button at the top right, select the shopping mall to register, and store information pops up. When calling, enter the seller's ID and password for each shopping mall (channel). If the seller's account information for each channel is registered in this way, the channel setting unit 320 collects the product information of the seller registered in each channel and can monitor the status of product information collection.

The channel mapping unit 330 can connect inventory information registered in the inventory register and product information collected from the channel based on the channel product code and matching code. The seller terminal 100 may perform a channel inventory transmission process to link inventory information held by the seller with inventory information of at least one shopping mall in real time. Figure 4c is a channel mapping screen for mapping channels. After entering the channel mapping menu on the seller terminal 100, channel product codes, such as Naver, Coupang, or G Market, provide each product with its own unique identification code. It is registered and managed based on the standard, and in one embodiment of the present invention, it is called a channel product code. When such a channel product code is selected on the seller terminal 100, the channel mapping unit 330 calls an option information pop-up, clicks Find Matching Code, selects product information by item name or item code in the search box, and selects the matching code. When you save, the matching between the inventory information entered by the seller and the product information collected from the channel is completed.

The channel inventory transmission unit 340 can synchronize product information to channels based on inventory information connected from the channel mapping unit 330. The seller terminal 100 may perform a process of connecting a manager program to link inventory information held by the seller with inventory information of at least one shopping mall in real time. Referring to FIG. 4d, select the inventory management menu on the seller terminal 100, press the Open Detailed Search button to call the detailed search window for the list, and then select Apply Channel Connection to select the inventory entered by the seller through the connected channel. All information is entered so that it is synchronized. In addition, the order volume, cancellation volume, and inventory volume of various shopping malls such as G Market, 11th Street, Auction, and Naver are linked between each channel, so sellers do not have to go to each registered shopping mall to modify the quantity. If each shopping mall is linked in this way, when selecting from the seller terminal 100 which product of which shopping mall the inventory information held by the seller will be linked and clicking on inventory linkage and channel inventory transfer, each shopping mall is based on the inventory information held by the seller. The product information of the channel is synchronized. The monitoring results can be viewed on the seller terminal 100 until all are completed, and when the transmission is completed, the linkage history is output as a log.

When registering a manager program for managing inventory information in the seller terminal 100, the connection unit 350 can collect inventory information included in the manager program using an API (Application Programming Interface). For example, by linking the manager program used by the seller terminal 100 with the solution or channel of the present invention, [Administrator Program-Solution-Channel] can be linked. The manager used by the seller in the seller terminal 100 When you click the program [Import Product], only changed inventory is sent to the sales channel. That is, when the manager program is selected on the seller terminal 100 and the product import menu is selected, the connection unit 350 collects products with changed inventory information and automatically transmits the inventory to at least one shopping mall channel. You can.

When selling a product with a bundle option on the seller terminal 100, the bundle option provider 360 selects the channel product code of the channel sold with the bundle option, selects the Find Matching Code menu, and selects the bundle option. You can enter the bundle quantity in the item code sold as and apply and save the bundle option. In addition to the additional products described later, there may be various product configurations such as option products, set products, and special products, and each product configuration can proceed with the same flow. In the case of a bundled option, select the channel mapping menu on the seller terminal 100, select the channel product code to call the option information pop-up, select Find matching code in the pop-up to call the code search window, and then select the item code (SKU) ) to search for a product, enter the bundle quantity, and you're done.

When selling a product as an additional product at the seller terminal 100, the additional product option provision unit 370 selects the additional product option, selects the Find Matching Code menu, and enters the bundle quantity in the item code sold as a bundle option. You can then apply and save additional product options. In the case of an additional product option, select the channel mapping menu on the seller terminal 100, click [Use] on the additional product option to call the option information pop-up, and select Find matching code in the pop-up to call the code search window. , search for the product by item code (SKU), enter Apply, and you are done. In addition, for option products other than the single product in Figure 3b, additional products and bundled products in Figure 3c, and set products in Figure 3d, inventory can be transferred and linked to channels even if the product composition is diverse by changing only the items as shown in Figure 3e. do. For this purpose, an inventory engine as shown in Figure 3f can be used. The inventory information of the manager program is collected as XML and JSON data, and data from each channel (shopping mall) is collected with a web crawler and analyzed through a parser and filter. and sorting, and by going through a mapping process, each data can be linked based on the item code.

For example, the seller sets the stock quantity of spicy ramen (item code: SKU001) to 10, and sets 10 spicy ramen as a single item in each shopping platform, for example, shopping mall A, and sets it as an option name in shopping mall B. Let's assume a situation where 2, 5, and 10 spicy ramen items are set, and shopping mall C has 5 spicy ramen items as an option, and a buyer purchases 5 spicy ramen items at shopping mall A. At this time, 5 pieces of spicy ramen were purchased from shopping mall A, so the remaining quantity is 5 pieces in total. Accordingly, since the 10-piece option in shopping mall B cannot be sold, it is sold out, that is, set to 0, and can be updated by setting 5 spicy ramen in shopping malls A and C, respectively. Likewise, referring to Figure 3g, assuming that an online buyer purchases 5 red shoes (item code: SKU001, size: 235) from the smart store, the total inventory of red shoes (item code: SKU001, size: 235) is Since there were 5, the remaining shopping malls, namely Coupang and G Market, must also sell out. Accordingly, the inventory engine of the present invention can automatically change red shoes (item code: SKU001, size: 235) to be sold out in Coupang and Gmarket after confirming the change in stock status in the smart store.

In order to synchronize each inventory information and product information, the single product, option product, additional product, option product, and set product of each channel are classified based on the item code (SKU) as shown in Figure 3f A mapping relationship is established based on codes such as bundle codes and set codes, and if codes that reflect the characteristics of each product configuration are mapped for various product configurations and sales methods, inventory management is possible for all product configurations. becomes possible. Additionally, an embodiment of the present invention may present a strategy for how a seller should bundle each product to optimally manage inventory and increase sales efficiency. At this time, bundling is a marketing strategy that means bundling two or more products into one and selling them as new products at a single price. The bundling strategy is very broad, ranging from commonly available consumer goods such as toothbrushes and toothpaste to computer software such as Microsoft Office, travel products such as Airtel that combine hotels and airplanes, and communication products such as Internet and IPTV, and mobile phone and rate plan combinations. It is being applied in industry. Bundling strategies can be broadly classified into three types. The first is a strategy of selling only individual products without bundling (Pure Components Strategy), and the second is a pure bundling strategy, which is a strategy of selling only the individual products that make up the bundle as a bundle rather than selling them separately. The last is the Mixed Bundling Strategy, which means selling not only the bundle but also the bundle's components separately. The mixed bundle strategy can be divided into a case of selling only some of the products in the bundle and a case of selling all of the products in the bundle, and the latter case is specifically referred to as a full product line strategy. Bundled products of various snacks commonly found in large supermarkets or convenience stores can be viewed as a representative example of an overall product strategy applied to consumer goods in that they can be purchased individually.

Bundling of consumer goods is closely linked to the inventory decision problem. In particular, when using the mixed bundle strategy, existing products are used as parts to create a bundle, so the sellable inventory of existing products decreases each time a bundle is produced. Therefore, the question of how to manage the inventory of each product and bundle is very important. One embodiment of the present invention presents the optimal purchase policy for each product according to the inventory level that can maximize the seller's profit when using a mixed bundle strategy, especially a full product line strategy, under a continuous inventory replenishment model, By including the demand substitution problem in the model, it can be used when a consumer's desired product is not in stock, the demand for the product is probabilistically transferred to a bundle, and the demand from the bundle is transferred to each product. To this end, this problem can be modeled as a Markov Decision Process (MDP) problem. A seller sells two products and can create a bundle by combining the two products. All ordering costs follow an exponential distribution, and the ordering of all products follows the seller's decision. The generation of demand follows a Poisson process, and consumers choose one of two product bundles with a certain probability according to the Reservation Price Model. Demand that arises when a product is out of stock is treated as an opportunity loss or replaced with a bundle depending on probability. If the bundle is out of stock, it is similarly treated as an opportunity loss or the demand is transferred to the product. Under this model, the characteristics of the optimal product ordering policy can be identified, and the impact of model parameter changes on the seller's profitability and optimal policy can be analyzed and presented through numerical analysis. At this time, the optimal purchase policy is a basic inventory policy that depends on the inventory status, but since the basic inventory must be set differently for each inventory status, it is difficult to apply it to the reality where the inventory status changes frequently. Therefore, it is possible to compare the performance of realistically applicable heuristic policies and optimal policies.

The out-of-stock alarm unit 380 synchronizes the out-of-stock situation by changing the quantity to 0 among the product information with the same item code registered in other channels registered in the seller terminal 100 when out-of-stock occurs because the quantity in the product information of the channel is 0. You can do it.

The channel synchronization unit 390 can synchronize the quantity of product information sold in multiple channels between multiple channels based on the item code. At this time, the quantity in the product information can reflect not only the quantity that decreases with purchase, but also the quantity that changes or changes due to purchase cancellation, refund, or exchange.

The demand forecasting unit 391 analyzes the sales volume by item code of the seller terminal 100, performs demand forecasting by predicting the sales volume according to changes in at least one preset variable, and performs demand forecasting according to the demand predicted by the demand forecasting. You can be guided to the seller terminal 100 to manage inventory. In one embodiment of the present invention, order data is collected from a plurality of shopping malls periodically or in real time, so it is possible to determine sales trend information. For example, by analyzing daily, weekly, and monthly order quantities, it is possible to determine the inventory quantity at the current quantity and when. It is possible to predict whether this will be 0 or not. Although the online seller is aware that product A is out of stock, it is possible to prevent a situation where out-of-stock orders occur due to the inventory quantity of product A being inconsistent across multiple shopping malls.

Accordingly, in one embodiment of the present invention, it is determined whether the product name, sales price, sales status, and inventory quantity of products sold in multiple shopping malls are consistent, and when an order for a product sold in multiple shopping malls occurs, the estimated inventory before shipment is determined. can be transmitted to multiple shopping malls to ensure that the inventory quantity in multiple shopping malls is consistent, and the past order quantity of products sold in multiple shopping malls can be analyzed on an hourly basis to recognize the point when inventory becomes 0 as a notification. At this time, sales forecasting is necessary to predict the point when inventory becomes zero, and demand forecasting is necessary to predict sales. For this purpose, the following demand forecasting method can be used. Of course, it is obvious that the method is not limited to the following method and that various methods can be used.

<Time series prediction method>

Time series forecasting is a technique that predicts future demand by identifying changes over time using past data or trends. Because it predicts the future based on past data, the characteristics of time series forecasting start from the assumption that the demand generated from past time series patterns will repeat the same pattern in the future. Therefore, it is difficult to apply it to products that did not exist in the past or to new products. Based on this basic concept, forecasters who need short-term future demand have an accurate basis for predicting future demand by analyzing patterns of past demand that affect future demand. A time series has a certain pattern, and this pattern consists of trend (T: Trend), seasonal variation (S: Seasonal Variation), cyclical element (C: Cyclical Element), and irregular or random variation (R: Irregular or Random Variation). do. In time series analysis, demand Y is analyzed as a complex action of four factors and an additive or multiplicative model is designed.

① Gradually changing over a long period of time is called a trend. Stocks, prices, population, income, weather, etc. sometimes show small fluctuations up and down, but when viewed from a long-term perspective, they show a steady rise, decline, or stagnation. ② The phenomenon in which demand fluctuates over a long period of time, usually over a year, showing some kind of wave, is called cyclical fluctuation. Typical examples of cyclical fluctuations include economic fluctuations and stock price fluctuations, which are caused by various political, economic, and social environmental variables, making it difficult to predict the future. A person who predicts such cyclical fluctuations must determine what phase of the cycle the current point is in and adjust the forecast according to the results. ③ Repetitive demand fluctuations, usually with a period of 1, are called seasonal fluctuations. Seasonal fluctuations occur due to natural or artificial factors such as climate change or customary systems. Because seasonal fluctuations are more regular than cyclical fluctuations, it is relatively easy to predict future demand. ④ Irregular fluctuations are called random fluctuations. Even if the three factors - cycle, season, and trend - are perfectly understood and predicted, some forecast errors are bound to occur. This is because irregular accidental factors exist in addition to factors that are continuously considered. Random fluctuations are random fluctuations that appear irregularly and cannot be predicted, so they are also called residuals, meaning the remainder after excluding trends, cycles, and seasonal fluctuations.

<Moving average method>

The moving average method is a method of forecasting by averaging demand over a certain period of time. Moving averages are commonly used in the stock market, and long-term (120 days), medium-term (60 days), and short-term (5, 20 days) methods use the moving average method. It is an easy-to-use method among time series forecasting methods and is used for stable short-term forecasting. Since time series always contain some unpredictable random fluctuations, by analyzing the average value of the time series using the moving average method, the part where random fluctuations appear is removed to reveal the correct part of the time series. There is a simple moving average method that gives equal weight to all past demand and a weighted moving average method that gives weight to recent demand.

<Simple moving average method>

The Simple Moving Average method assigns the same weight to all past demand and is a demand forecast suitable for cases where there is little seasonal variation, no rapid increase or decrease, and only random fluctuations are particularly large. In the simple moving average method, random fluctuations are eliminated by using a moving average. The simple moving average method uses the simple average of actual demand for a certain period before the forecast period as the future forecast. In other words, if the actual demand for period t is At, the forecast value for period t is Ft, and the moving average period is N, then Ft in the simple moving average method is as follows.

<Weighted moving average method>

The weighted moving average method is a technique designed under the assumption that recently generated data acts more closely on predicted future demand. It is believed that recent data has greater potential for future predictions than older data, and relatively greater weight is given to recent data. If there is a trend in the recent data and this trend appears prominently in the recent data, a high weight is given to the recent data to respond to future demand changes. The weighted moving average method can change the influence of past data more than the simple moving average method, but it has the disadvantage of being inconvenient to use and expensive. The forecast value using the weighted moving average method can be calculated as follows.

At this time, Ft is the forecasted demand for period t, At is the actual demand for period t, and Wt is the weight given to period t.

<Exponential smoothing method>

Exponential smoothing, which is used for corporate inventory management and production planning, is a frequently used forecasting technique for short-term demand. It is a technique in which the target period is extended indefinitely to all periods of past time series data, and the weight is applied more as it gets closer to the period to be predicted, and progressively less as it gets farther away at a certain rate. The advantages of the exponential smoothing method are that first, the accuracy is very high, second, it is easy to create a forecast model, third, the application principles of the model are easy to understand, fourth, the calculation method to obtain the predicted value is simple, and fifth, among the past data, Since it is only partially used, the required data storage requirements are small. Sixth, it is easy to test whether the prediction model is accurate.

<Simple exponential smoothing method>

The method of assigning greater weight to recent data and giving less weight to past performance values as they are further away from the present is similar to the weighted moving average method. However, the weighted moving average method only uses performance for a certain period from the present, while the simple exponential smoothing method uses current data. All past section performances are used.

In other words, this month's forecast is the delivery forecast + smoothing constant (delivery actual value - delivery forecast).

<Exponential smoothing method reflecting trends>

The simple exponential smoothing method can make accurate predictions when there is no upward or downward trend in demand in the time series. However, if there is a trend, the trend change during the forecast period must be reflected in order to forecast as close to actual demand as possible. In other words, realistic demand can be predicted by reflecting trends in forecasts obtained using the exponential smoothing method.

<Winters Model>

The Winters Model was designed to reflect both trend factors and seasonal factors. This technique is a method of predicting sales by specifying the value for each element under the assumption that sales are comprised of basic sales volume, seasonal factors, and linear elements.

<Regression Analysis>

Regression analysis is a technique that attempts to analyze social phenomena in terms of functional relationships between independent variables that influence them and dependent variables that are influenced by them. In this way, it is used to analyze the causes of many unknown problems by analyzing and predicting functional relationships between variables through data analysis. If there is one independent variable, it is called simple regression analysis. If there are two or more independent variables, it is called multiple regression analysis. Additionally, regression analysis can be divided into linear regression analysis and nonlinear regression analysis depending on the form of the regression equation.

<Simple regression analysis>

Simple regression analysis, which sees a relationship between one independent variable and a dependent variable, is the most easily used linear model. The basic formula is as follows:

<Multiple regression analysis>

In simple regression analysis, there is only one variable that has influence, but in the real world, various variables have a complex influence, and this aspect often needs to be studied. Looking at economic indicators, there are many variables that affect exports and imports, such as interest rates, exchange rates, and each country's economic situation. The technique that can be used in these cases is multiple regression. In other words, multiple regression analysis refers to linear regression analysis used when there are multiple independent variables. Both multiple regression analysis and simple regression analysis can be said to be linear regression analysis, and the relationship between independent variables and dependent variables may be linear or interactive.

<Demand forecasting using hybrid model>

Qualitative forecasting is a useful method for predicting important events or changes that will occur in the future, so it is used to predict new technologies or develop new products. Quantitative forecasting uses mathematical models and data to determine cause and effect through a mathematical method. It is used to find causal relationships and predict demand. Today, companies use a variety of methods to predict future demand, using both qualitative and quantitative methods to fit each environment. The demand forecasting method using a hybrid model is a method of predicting demand in a quantitative method after assuming factors that predict the demand of the target to be predicted in a qualitative method.

The supply management unit 393 may register the manufacturer terminal (not shown) of the product whose sales volume has been aggregated and analyzed, and provide the sales volume and predicted demand to the manufacturer terminal.

The log recorder 395 can synchronize data between a manager program that manages inventory information and at least one channel where product information is registered in real time based on the item code and then record it in a log.

In addition, since the solution according to an embodiment of the present invention can collect sales data of each seller, it can also provide a solution for fulfillment companies that perform fulfillment using this. Since the fulfillment business has the characteristic that delivery must be completed within 6 to 8 hours, demand forecasting is very important in these business characteristics. Appropriate picking, packing manpower and delivery within the fulfillment center are based on the customer's online order information. The appropriate size of vehicles must also be calculated and accompanied by management of related costs and resources. In particular, its importance is growing day by day because the forecast results affect manpower operation costs and delivery. Accordingly, an embodiment of the present invention can further provide demand forecasting for fulfillment companies in addition to the demand forecasting for sellers described above, and may be sold to fulfillment companies as a solution. One embodiment of the present invention can use a multi-combination demand forecasting model based on deep learning and machine learning.

<DNN>

DNN (Deep Neural Network) can analyze both continuous and categorical variables, and non-linear combinations between input variables are possible. Additionally, it has the characteristic that performance continues to improve as the amount of data increases. RNN (RecurrentNeural Networks) shows strength when sequence or time information is inherent in the input variables and can be applied to various input and output lengths.

<Demand forecast variables>

The variables that have the greatest impact on e-commerce demand forecasting are event variables such as discount coupon issuance and discount sales events conducted by manufacturers or e-commerce platform companies to increase sales profits, and these have enough influence to greatly influence the forecast results. Accordingly, in order to respond to events, various event data can be collected from external sites such as e-commerce platforms and public data portals. For example, it may be, but is not limited to, consumer spending forecast surveys collected by the Bank of Korea, consumer sentiment index, and discount event information within shopping platforms. Various event data can be classified into weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc. events and used for prediction by classifying them into events with predictable patterns and one-off events without them. Event information with representative patterns within the e-commerce platform is collected twice a day according to the update cycle and used for demand forecasting based on a machine learning model. For events without patterns such as flash sales, it is based on a deep learning model. It can be used for demand forecasting.

<Seller Online Event>

Manufacturers, called sellers, conduct online sales through various online sales channels and attempt to generate profits based on various sales strategies. In particular, the sales strategy is to encourage the influx of consumers by continuously creating events such as flash sales, discount sales, and issuing affiliate coupons, rather than traditional marketing methods of the past. Fulfillment services were created as a quick response strategy to these market changes, and are transitioning into various businesses based on them.

<Selection of BaseLine model and Best model>

In one embodiment of the present invention, the BaseLine model and Best model selection process can be constructed for a number of prediction algorithms that are effective for existing time series data. This is to calculate the results by distinguishing between the demand forecasts of manufacturers and platform companies with existing abundant learning data and those of manufacturers and platform companies with insufficient data due to new store openings. Key events by manufacturer and platform company that affect demand forecasting results can be separately distinguished. For example, if an event executed by Manufacturer A shows a different pattern from existing orders and event analysis patterns, the average order quantity and events for the past 8 weeks on the same day of the week as of the present are compared and analyzed, and what events are included in the current order. Analysis and predictions are made as to whether there will be an impact. By correcting the prediction results of manufacturer A generated in this way, the error in the results can be minimized.

<Multi-combination e-commerce demand forecast>

After an order is placed through an e-commerce platform, in order to deliver the product within a preset time, we predict when the product will be sold, prepare inventory for the product, and carry out picking, packing, shipping, and delivery. The process must be performed, and for this, demand forecasting technology is a prerequisite. Accordingly, a multi-combination demand forecasting model can be used to make predictions considering e-commerce orders, discount event events of e-commerce platform companies, and manufacturer performance events. Moving average model (MA) and machine learning Based on various analysis algorithms such as (Machine Learning)-based models Random Forest, Lasso, and By reflecting this, you can select the algorithm with the highest accuracy. At this time, due to the nature of the order data, variables are created and selected to reflect the characteristics of time series data. For example, the impact of forecast time standards and changes by date on the forecast, or the consumer purchase type identified through data analysis within the system also creates important variables. You can choose.

variable explanation Quantity variable Order quantity 1 day ago Order quantity 2 days ago Order quantity 3 days ago Order quantity 4 days ago Order quantity 5 days ago Order quantity 6 days ago Order quantity 7 days ago Order quantity 8 days ago Order quantity 28 days ago Order quantity 29 days ago Effect variable compared to average quantity Average effect per week Average effect per month Effect of departure from average quantity Average quantity-based deviation change rate effect Consumer psychology variable monday effect tuesday effect Wednesday effect Thursday effect friday effect saturday effect sunday effect holiday effect Sunday-Thursday effect Friday-Saturday effect

Based on order information, various environmental variables such as events, weather, and holidays of each manufacturer or platform can be selected and reflected, and the results can be verified using the above-mentioned model.

Matters that are not explained regarding the method of providing inventory management services for internet shopping malls in FIGS. 2 to 4 are the same as those previously described for the method for providing inventory management services for internet shopping malls in Figure 1, or can be easily inferred from the content explained. Therefore, the following description will be omitted.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a process in which data is transmitted and received between components included in the internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system of FIG. 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Hereinafter, an example of the process of transmitting and receiving data between each component will be described with reference to FIG. 5, but the present application is not limited to this embodiment, and the process shown in FIG. 5 according to the various embodiments described above It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the process of transmitting and receiving data can be changed.

Referring to FIG. 5, the inventory management service providing server registers inventory by entering the product name, item code (stock keeping unit), and quantity at the seller terminal (S5100), and operates a shopping mall where products for which inventory information is entered at the seller terminal are sold. When an in-channel is selected and login information for logging in to the channel is registered, product information is collected from the channel (S5200).

In addition, the inventory management service providing server connects the inventory information registered in the inventory register and the product information collected from the channel based on the channel product code and matching code (S5300), and based on the inventory information connected in the channel mapping department. Synchronize product information with channels (S5400).

The sequence between the above-described steps (S5100 to S5400) is only an example and is not limited thereto. That is, the order between the above-described steps (S5100 to S5400) may change, and some of the steps may be executed simultaneously or deleted.

Matters that are not explained about the method of providing the Internet shopping mall inventory management service in FIG. 5 are the same as or can be easily inferred from the content explained about the method of providing the Internet shopping mall inventory management service through FIGS. 1 to 4. Therefore, the following description will be omitted.

The method of providing an internet shopping mall inventory management service according to an embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5 may also be implemented in the form of a recording medium containing instructions executable by a computer, such as an application or program module executed by a computer. . Computer-readable media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer and includes both volatile and non-volatile media, removable and non-removable media. Additionally, computer-readable media may include all computer storage media. Computer storage media includes both volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data.

The method of providing an internet shopping mall inventory management service according to an embodiment of the present invention described above can be executed by an application installed by default on the terminal (this may include programs included in the platform or operating system, etc., installed by default on the terminal). It may also be executed by an application (i.e., program) installed by the user directly on the master terminal through an application providing server such as an application store server, an application, or a web server related to the service. In this sense, the method of providing an internet shopping mall inventory management service according to an embodiment of the present invention described above is implemented as an application (i.e., a program) installed by default in the terminal or directly installed by the user and can be read by a computer such as the terminal. It can be recorded on any recording medium.

The description of the present invention described above is for illustrative purposes, and those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be easily modified into other specific forms without changing the technical idea or essential features of the present invention. will be. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. For example, each component described as unitary may be implemented in a distributed manner, and similarly, components described as distributed may also be implemented in a combined form.

The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims described below rather than the detailed description above, and all changes or modified forms derived from the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalent concepts should be construed as being included in the scope of the present invention. do.

Claims (11)

A seller terminal that performs the process of inventory registration, channel setting, channel inventory transmission, and manager program connection to link inventory information held by the seller with inventory information of at least one shopping mall in real time; and
An inventory register that allows you to register inventory by entering the product name, item code (stock keeping unit), and quantity at the seller terminal. Select a channel, which is a shopping mall where the product for which the inventory information is entered, is sold at the seller terminal, and connect to the channel. When registering login information to log in, the channel setting unit that collects product information from the channel, the inventory information registered in the inventory register, and the product information collected from the channel are connected based on the channel product code and matching code. When registering a channel mapping unit, a channel inventory transmission unit that synchronizes product information to the channel based on inventory information connected from the channel mapping unit, and a manager program for managing the inventory information in the seller terminal, When the inventory information included in the manager program is collected using an API (Application Programming Interface), the manager program is selected on the seller terminal, and the product import menu is selected, products with changed inventory information are collected. It includes an inventory management service providing server including a connection unit that automatically transmits inventory to the channel of the at least one shopping mall,
The seller terminal is,
After accessing the page provided by the inventory management service provider server, select the inventory management menu and press the inventory registration button displayed on one side of the page to call the inventory registration pop-up. When the pop-up is called, the product name and the item code are displayed. Inventory registration is completed by entering the above quantity and clicking the register button.
Select the channel settings menu on the above page, select the shopping mall to register by pressing the add channel button displayed on the other side of the page, and call the store information pop-up. Enter the seller's ID and password for each channel, and enter the seller's ID and password for each channel. When the account information of a star seller is registered, the channel setting section collects the product information of the seller registered in each channel.
Select the channel mapping menu on the above page, select the channel product code, call the option information pop-up, click Find Matching Code, select product information by item name or item code in the search box, and save the matching code, then the seller Completes the matching between the inventory information entered and the product information collected from the channel.
Select the Inventory Management menu on the above page, click the Open Detailed Search button to call the detailed search window for the list, and then select Apply Channel Connection to ensure that all inventory information entered by the seller is synchronized with the connected channel. A system that provides inventory management services for internet shopping malls.
delete delete According to claim 1,
The inventory management service providing server is,
When selling a product with a bundle option on the seller terminal, select the channel product code of the channel sold with the bundle option, select the Find Matching Code menu, and enter the bundle quantity for the item code sold with the bundle option. A bundled option provision unit that allows you to input and applies and saves the bundled options;
An internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system further comprising:
According to claim 1,
The inventory management service providing server is,
When selling a product as an additional product on the seller terminal, select the additional product option, select the Find Matching Code menu, enter the quantity or bundle quantity in the item code sold as the additional product option, and select the additional product option. Additional product option provision department to apply and save;
An internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system further comprising:
According to claim 1,
The inventory management service providing server is,
When selling a product as a set (kitting) on the seller terminal, select the channel product code of the channel sold as a set, select the Find Matching Code menu, and add multiple item codes sold as a set to determine the quantity. Or, a set provider that allows you to enter the bundle quantity and applies and saves the set;
An internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system further comprising:
According to claim 1,
The inventory management service providing server is,
If out-of-stock occurs because the quantity in the product information of the channel is 0, a sold-out alarm unit synchronizes the out-of-stock by changing the quantity to 0 in the product information with the same item code registered in another channel registered in the seller terminal;
An internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system further comprising:
According to claim 1,
The inventory management service providing server is,
a channel synchronization unit that synchronizes the quantity of product information sold in a plurality of channels between the plurality of channels based on the item code;
An internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system further comprising:
According to claim 1,
The inventory management service providing server is,
Analyze the sales volume by item code of the seller terminal, perform demand forecasting by predicting sales volume according to changes in at least one preset variable, and guide the seller terminal to manage inventory according to the demand predicted by the demand forecast. demand forecasting department;
An internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system further comprising:
According to clause 9,
The inventory management service providing server is,
a supply management unit that registers the manufacturer terminal of the product for which the sales volume has been aggregated and analyzed, and provides the sales volume and predicted demand to the manufacturer terminal;
An internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system further comprising:
According to claim 1,
The inventory management service providing server is,
a manager program that manages the inventory information, and a log recorder that synchronizes data between at least one channel in which the product information is registered in real time based on the item code and then records it in a log;
An internet shopping mall inventory management service providing system further comprising:

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