JP5957722B2 - Inventory management device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for managing product inventory.

  Companies that operate businesses such as manufacturing, logistics, and retail manage inventory of a very large number of products (eg, thousands or tens of thousands). In inventory management, problems such as excess inventory or inventory shortages can occur, and such problems need to be discovered and resolved early. However, since problems related to inventory management occur for each product, it is necessary to determine a procedure for solving such problems for each product. However, since there are so many types of products that are managed in stock, determination of such procedures requires enormous effort and time.

  Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-151561 discloses a technique for supporting a problem in inventory management related to a specific product by displaying a scatter diagram plotted for each product.

JP 2011-180677 A

  However, since the technique of Patent Document 1 is limited to support for finding a problem in inventory management, there is still room for improvement in support for those who perform inventory management.

  In view of such circumstances, an object of the present invention is to strengthen support for those who perform inventory management.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
A display unit for displaying a scatter diagram in which points corresponding to each of a plurality of types of products are plotted on a coordinate axis composed of a first parameter characterizing a product stock status and a second parameter characterizing a product stock status; An inventory management device that supports decision making of product inventory management,
The storage unit of the inventory management device includes:
Product basic information used to determine the first parameter and the second parameter, actual information of the product used to determine the first parameter and the second parameter, For each product,
The control unit of the inventory management device includes:
A part of the area of the scatter diagram displayed on the display unit is designated by the input from the input unit of the inventory management apparatus and is included in the designated region, 1 or selected on the scatter diagram By extracting products corresponding to points that satisfy a predetermined condition for automatically specifying a plurality of points or points on the scatter diagram, other scatter diagrams in which the points corresponding to the extracted products are plotted Control to generate and display on the display unit;
By changing at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter constituting the coordinate axis of the other scatter diagram by input from the input unit, the changed first parameter, And a control for displaying the other scatter diagram in which the points corresponding to each extracted product are plotted on the coordinate axis configured by the second parameter on the display unit.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the assistance to the person who performs inventory management can be strengthened.

3 is a software configuration diagram of the inventory management device 1. FIG. It is a data structure figure of product master T1. It is a data structure figure of track record data T2. It is a display example [A] of a scatter diagram. (A) Data structure diagram of actual result data T2 of products used in the specific example, (b) A table showing a cumulative composition ratio of the average stock of products used in the specific example, sorted in descending order of the stock amount of the average stock, (C) It is a table | surface which shows the cumulative composition ratio of the annual sales of the product used in a specific example, and is sorted in descending order of the annual sales. Display examples [B] and [C] of the scatter diagram are shown. Display examples [D] and [E] of the scatter diagram are shown. Display examples [F] and [G] for explaining a comment input method.

  Next, modes for carrying out the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “embodiments”) will be described with reference to the drawings as appropriate.

≪Configuration≫
The inventory management apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a computer including hardware such as an input unit, an output unit, a control unit, and a storage unit. The input unit includes, for example, an input interface and includes means operated by a user such as a pointing device. The output unit includes, for example, an output interface and includes a display unit such as a display. The control unit includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a dedicated circuit. The storage unit includes, for example, a storage medium such as a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and a flash (registered trademark) memory. When the control unit is composed of a CPU, information processing by a computer including the control unit is realized by a program execution process by the CPU. Further, the storage unit included in the computer stores a program (including a program for inventory management) that is instructed by the CPU and implements the function of the computer. This realizes cooperation between software and hardware.

  The present embodiment can be realized by a program for executing the information processing, and the program can be provided by being stored in a computer-readable recording medium (eg, CD-ROM). The program can also be provided through a network such as the Internet.

  Referring to FIG. 1, the inventory management apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment includes software components such as an XY axis item selection unit 11, a scatter diagram generation unit 12, a product extraction unit 13, a product master T1, and performance data T2. It has.

  The XY axis item selection means 11 selects an item defined on the horizontal axis (X axis) and an item defined on the vertical axis (Y axis) of the two-dimensional scatter diagram displayed on the display unit of the inventory management apparatus 1. This item is a parameter (first parameter, second parameter) that characterizes the stock status of the product, and includes, for example, the stock amount of the product within a predetermined period and the sales amount of the product within the predetermined period. The item selection can be realized as, for example, a GUI (Graphic User Interface) operation by the input unit of the inventory management apparatus 1.

  The scatter diagram generation means 12 generates a scatter diagram composed of the horizontal axis determined by the XY axis item selection means 11 and the vertical axis. In this scatter diagram, points corresponding to all or a part of products registered in the product master T1 and the record data T2 are plotted. In other words, the scatter diagram generation means 12 refers to the value of the parameter relating to the inventory management of the product stored in the product master T1 and the actual data T2, and sets the point corresponding to the product to a predetermined position in the scatter diagram. Plot.

  The product extraction unit 13 selects a part of the points plotted in the scatter diagram generated by the scatter diagram generation unit 12, thereby extracting a product corresponding to the point. The selection by the product extraction unit 13 may be, for example, a method of selecting points included in a specific region using a method of dividing a region of a scatter diagram (details will be described later). Alternatively, a method may be used in which a desired area on the scatter diagram is designated by the input unit and points included in the area are selected. Alternatively, a method of selecting one or a plurality of points on the scatter diagram by the input unit may be used. For a product extracted by point designation, rectangular range designation, automatic designation by a predetermined condition, etc., the points corresponding to the product are plotted at predetermined positions in another scatter diagram generated by the scatter diagram generation means 12. can do. The XY axis item selection means 11 can select an item defined on the horizontal axis (X axis) of another scatter diagram and an item defined on the vertical axis (Y axis).

  The product master T1 is a database in which basic information on products to be inventory managed is registered. Referring to FIG. 2, the product master T1 has “SKU code”, “service level”, “procurement lead time”, “order point”, “replenishment point”, “rank”, and “ordering method”. ”,“ Comment ”, and“ last update date ”fields, and a record is created for each product.

In the “SKU code”, a SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) code number that is product identification information is registered.
Registered in the “service level” is a service level value that is a probability that a product order (or demand) can be handled without delay in the stock at hand for a predetermined period. The higher the required service level, the more safety stock is required. The “safety stock” refers to the amount of stock necessary to keep the risk that a product will be out of stock within a predetermined value. Since the stock quantity indicated by the safety stock is a theoretical value, the safety stock may be referred to as “theoretical safety stock”.
In the “procurement lead time”, a value of the procurement lead time, which is a period (for example, days) required from product ordering to delivery, is registered.

In the “order point”, a value (for example, quantity) of an order point serving as a reference when it is decided to place an order when the stock amount of the product falls below a predetermined reference is registered.
In the “replenishment point”, the value of the replenishment point that is the upper limit value of the order quantity when the product is ordered is registered. The upper limit value is usually determined according to past operation results.
In “Rank”, a value that determines the importance of the product is registered. In the present embodiment, a value “A” is assigned when the importance is high, a value “B” is assigned when the importance is normal, and a value “C” is assigned when the importance is low. The importance level of the product can be said to be a parameter representing the strength of the user's intention to suppress as much as possible the occurrence of problems related to inventory management such as excess inventory and missing inventory. In other words, the higher the importance, the stronger the willingness to suppress problems related to inventory management.

In the “ordering method”, a value indicating the ordering method, which is a rule on how to order a product, is registered. When the ordering method is the ordering point ordering method, a value of “ordering point ordering” is registered. The “ordering point ordering method” is a method in which a predetermined ordering amount is ordered when the stock amount of the product falls below the ordering point. When the ordering method is the replenishment point ordering method, a value of “replenishment point ordering” is registered. The “replenishment point ordering method” is a method of placing an order from the current stock quantity to a predetermined replenishment point quantity when the stock quantity of the product falls below the ordering point.
In the “comment”, for example, text data input as a comment by operating the input unit is registered.
The date and time when the user inputs a comment is registered in the “last update date and time”.

  The basic information registered in the product master T1 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 2, for example, other basic information may be added, or some of the information shown in FIG. 2 may be omitted. May be.

  The performance data T2 is a database in which performance information indicating operation performance of product inventory management is registered. Referring to FIG. 3, the record data T2 includes fields such as “SKU code”, “stock record”, and “sales record”, and a record is created for each product. Moreover, the performance data T2 can be configured in a format in which a plurality of daily performance information is collected, for example, in a format in which a plurality of performance information over a predetermined period such as 1 hour, 1 month, and 1 year is combined. You can also. Further, for example, it is possible to create one-year performance information from one-day performance information by a predetermined calculation. That is, the record data T2 can register record information for an arbitrary period.

The “SKU code” is equivalent to the “SKU code” shown in FIG.
In the “inventory record”, the value of the inventory amount of the product is registered. As the value of the stock quantity, for example, it may be expressed by a quantity, or may be displayed by an amount obtained by multiplying the quantity by the unit price of the product. In addition, the product inventory amount may be the inventory amount at hand, or the inventory amount that is not at hand but can be procured immediately if there is an order.
In the “sales record”, the value of the sales volume for which the product has been sold is registered. As the value of the sales amount, for example, it may be expressed by a quantity, or may be displayed by an amount obtained by multiplying the quantity by the unit price of the product.

  The record information registered in the record data T2 is not limited to that shown in FIG. 3, for example, other record information may be added, or a part of the record information shown in FIG. 3 is omitted. May be.

  In addition, the field which product master T1 and performance data T2 comprise can be used for the item which XY axis item selection means 11 selects as a horizontal axis or a vertical axis of a scatter diagram. For example, “procurement lead time”, “rank” of the product master T1 or “inventory performance” and “sales performance” of the performance data T2 can be items on the horizontal axis or the vertical axis of the scatter diagram.

  Further, a parameter that can be calculated from one item of the product master T1 or the result data T2 can also be an item selected by the XY axis item selection unit 11. For example, when the sales standard deviation of a product is obtained by statistically processing the value of “sales performance” of the performance data T2, the sales standard deviation can be set on the horizontal axis or vertical axis of the scatter diagram.

Furthermore, what is calculated by appropriately combining two or more items of the product master T1 and the result data T2 can also be items selected by the XY axis item selection means 11. For example,

Safety stock factor × Sales standard deviation × √ (Procurement lead time)

The theoretical safety stock of the product obtained from the above formula can be set on the horizontal axis or the vertical axis of the scatter diagram. Note that the “safety stock count” is a coefficient indicating the tolerance of the risk of missing items. The safety stock count can be obtained from the service level, and there is a correlation as shown in Table 1 between the safety stock count and the service level. The theoretical safety stock is a stock quantity that keeps the risk of missing items below the safety stock count.

  The user uses the inventory management apparatus 1 including the above-described software to display a scatter diagram having different coordinate axis items in multiple stages, identify a product having a problem in inventory management, and solve the problem. Can be determined.

≪Specific example≫
Next, a method for solving the problem that the user has an excessive inventory of products using the inventory management apparatus 1 of the present embodiment will be described. In general, in order to solve problems in inventory management, (1) detect the product that has the problem (first phase), (2) identify the cause of the problem of the detected product It is considered necessary to achieve three phases: (second phase), (3) selecting a method for effectively eliminating the identified cause (third phase). The inventory management apparatus 1 supports the user's decision making to solve the problem by displaying an optimal scatter diagram corresponding to these three phases.

  Referring to FIG. 4, the display unit of the inventory management apparatus 1 displays a dialog d1 as a screen for inventory management. On the right side of the dialog d1, a scatter diagram display area S is arranged. In the scatter diagram display area S, a scatter diagram generated by the scatter diagram generation means 12 is displayed. The points (indicated by circles) in the scatter diagram of FIG. 4 are plotted according to the values in the table of (a) shown in FIG. Actually, the number of records in the table of FIG. 5A is enormous, but the number is reduced for convenience of explanation.

  On the left side of the dialog d1, a pull-down menu b1, a pull-down menu b2, a comment button b3, and an extraction button b4 are arranged.

  The pull-down menu b1 is an input interface for selecting an X-axis item of the scatter diagram, and an XY-axis item selection means 11 is embodied. Items selected by the user operating the pull-down menu b1 constitute the X axis of the scatter diagram. In FIG. 4, when the item “annual sales”, which is the total of sales results in a certain year, is selected, the X axis of the scatter diagram of the dialog d1 becomes the coordinate axis of “annual sales”.

  The pull-down menu b2 is an input interface for selecting a Y-axis item of the scatter diagram, and XY-axis item selection means 11 is embodied. Items selected by the user by operating the pull-down menu b2 constitute the Y axis of the scatter diagram. In FIG. 4, when the item “average inventory” which is the average value of the daily inventory in a certain year is selected, the Y axis of the scatter diagram of the dialog d1 becomes the coordinate axis of “average inventory”.

  The comment button b3 is an input interface for inputting a predetermined comment to the product corresponding to the point on the scatter diagram designated by the input unit of the inventory management apparatus 1. Details of comment input will be described later.

  The extraction button b4 is a product corresponding to a point included in a part of the region of the scatter diagram (a point on the boundary of the region may or may not be included, but is included in the present embodiment). This is an input interface for extracting, and product extracting means 13 is embodied.

  The scatter diagram of the dialog d1 is divided into four regions by a broken line extending in the vertical direction and a broken line extending in the horizontal direction. The four divided areas are called “upper right area”, “upper left area”, “lower left area”, and “lower right area”, respectively. The generation of the broken line depends on the function of the scatter diagram generation means 12, for example. As a method of dividing the scatter diagram, for example, there is a dividing method based on the cumulative composition ratio of the average inventory shown in FIG. 5B and the cumulative composition ratio of the annual sales shown in FIG.

  This method is as follows. First, a predetermined reference value related to the cumulative component ratio of the average inventory, for example, 90.00% is set, and a predetermined reference value related to the cumulative component ratio of the annual sales, for example, 90.00% is set. Next, the product corresponding to the point closest to these reference values is specified. According to FIGS. 5B and 5C, the product of the SKU code: 110006 is applicable. Finally, a broken line extending in the vertical direction and a broken line extending in the horizontal direction across the specified product point are displayed on the scatter diagram.

  Products that exceed the standard value for the average inventory cumulative composition ratio have not been stocked as much in a set of all types of products in stock over the course of a year, causing problems such as excess inventory and missing items. Even if it is a product, it is difficult to reveal the problem. Specifically, the product in the lower right region and the product in the lower left region are applicable. In addition, products that exceed the standard value for the cumulative composition ratio of annual sales have not been sold so much over the course of one year, and even if there are problems such as excess inventory or missing items, the problem becomes apparent. It is a difficult product. Specifically, the product in the lower left region and the product in the upper left region are applicable.

  By displaying a scatter diagram in which the area is divided into four parts, it is possible to identify at a glance products having problems in inventory management. Products corresponding to the points included in the upper right area and lower left area have a good balance between the product inventory quantity and the product sales quantity, and are less likely to cause problems such as excess inventory or missing items. It can be said. Thus, the user does not need to monitor these products so carefully, and the monitoring burden can be reduced.

  On the other hand, the products corresponding to the points included in the upper left area have a relatively large product inventory and an excessive inventory, although the product sales volume is relatively small in the product group subject to inventory management. It can be said that it is a product. Therefore, the user can easily monitor the inventory of such products, easily detect the necessity of taking measures such as reducing the inventory quantity, and can easily achieve the first phase.

  In addition, the products corresponding to the points included in the lower right area have a relatively large product sales volume and a low inventory, although the product inventory volume is relatively small in the product group subject to inventory management. It can be said that it is a missing product. Therefore, the user can easily monitor the stock of such products, easily detect the necessity of taking measures such as increasing the stock quantity, and can easily achieve the first phase.

  In the scatter diagram of the dialog d1, a point included in the upper left area is automatically specified when a broken line dividing the area is drawn, or a point included in the upper left area is specified by the input unit, and the extraction button b4 is set. When operated, the product corresponding to the points (four points) included in the upper left area is extracted by the function of the product extraction means 13. Then, as shown in the display example [B] in FIG. 6, the display unit displays a dialog d2 different from the dialog d1, and a new scatter diagram is displayed in the dialog d2.

  This new scatter diagram is generated by the scatter diagram generation means 12. The display format of the dialog d2 is the same as the display format of the dialog d1. In the scatter diagram of the dialog d2, only the points corresponding to the products extracted by the product extracting means 13 are displayed. That is, the scatter diagram of the dialog d2 of the display example [B] is an enlarged display of the upper left area of the scatter diagram of the dialog d1 of the display example [A].

  The coordinate axis of the scatter diagram is changed in order to identify the cause of the excess of inventory for the dialog d2 displaying the scatter diagram of the product with excessive inventory. Specifically, by changing the item on the Y axis of the scatter diagram from “average stock” to “theoretical safety stock”, the stock quantity of the theoretical safety stock of the product is examined. The user operates the pull-down menu b2 to select the item “theoretical safety stock”. Then, as shown in the display example [C], the Y axis of the scatter diagram of the dialog d2 becomes the coordinate axis of “theoretical safety stock”. With such a change of the coordinate axes, the positions of the points plotted on the scatter diagram are changed according to the value of the theoretical safety stock for each product.

  In the display example [C], the scatter diagram of the dialog d2 is divided into four regions by a broken line extending in the vertical direction and a broken line extending in the horizontal direction. The dividing method here is based on the cumulative component ratio of the theoretical safety stock and the cumulative component ratio of the annual sales, following the method of dividing the area in the display example [A]. The region is divided by the reference value relating to the cumulative component ratio of the safety stock and the reference value relating to the cumulative component ratio of the annual sales (which is different from 90.00% set in the display example [A]). Then, the horizontal broken line displayed in the scatter diagram of the dialog d2 becomes a broken line indicating the reference value regarding the cumulative composition ratio of the theoretical safety stock, and the vertical broken line displayed in the scatter diagram of the dialog d2 represents the annual sales. It becomes a broken line which shows the standard value about a high accumulation composition ratio.

  In the display example [C], by dividing the scatter diagram of the dialog d2 into four, it is possible to specify a product resulting from an excess of stock resulting from a large theoretical safety stock value. That is, it can be said that the products included in the upper left area of the scatter diagram are products in which a relatively large value of the theoretical safety stock is set in order to avoid the shortage as much as possible for the convenience of inventory management. Thus, users can easily monitor the inventory of such products and easily identify that the cause of excess inventory is the high value of the theoretical safety inventory, and easily achieve the second phase. can do.

  In the display example [C], in the scatter diagram of the dialog d2, a point included in the upper left area is automatically designated when a broken line dividing the area is drawn, or a point included in the upper left area is input by the input unit. When the user designates and operates the extraction button b4, the product corresponding to the points (two points) included in the upper left area is extracted by the function of the product extraction means 13. Then, as shown in the display example [D] in FIG. 7, the display unit displays a dialog d3 different from the dialogs d1 and d2, and a new scatter diagram is displayed in the dialog d3.

  This new scatter diagram is generated by the scatter diagram generation means 12. The display format of the dialog d3 is the same as the display format of the dialogs d1 and d2. In the scatter diagram of the dialog d3, only the points corresponding to the products extracted by the product extracting means 13 are displayed. That is, the scatter diagram of the dialog d3 of the display example [D] is an enlarged display of the upper left region of the scatter diagram of the dialog d2 of the display example [C].

  In order to eliminate the cause of the relatively large value of the theoretical safety stock for the dialog d3 displaying the scatter diagram of the product whose stock is excessive because the value of the theoretical safety stock is relatively large, the coordinate axes of the scatter diagram To change. Specifically, by changing the X-axis of the scatter chart from “Annual Sales” to “Rank” and changing the Y-axis item of the scatter chart from “Theoretical Safety Stock” to “Sales Standard Deviation” Investigate the relationship between the importance of a product and the fluctuations in product sales. The user operates the pull-down menu b1 to select the item “rank” and also operates the pull-down menu b2 to select the item “sales standard deviation”. Then, as shown in the display example [E], the X axis of the scatter diagram of the dialog d3 becomes the coordinate axis of “rank” and the Y axis becomes the coordinate axis of “sales standard deviation”. With such a change of the coordinate axes, the positions of the points plotted on the scatter diagram are changed according to the rank value and the sales standard deviation value for each product.

  In the display example [E], the scatter diagram of the dialog d3 is divided into four regions by a broken line extending in the vertical direction and a broken line extending in the horizontal direction. The division method here is different from the display examples [A] and [C] (unlike the relative evaluation of the product group with reference to the cumulative composition ratio), and is simply a predetermined standard regarding the sales standard deviation. The region is divided using the value and a predetermined reference value related to the rank (by absolute evaluation). Then, the horizontal broken line displayed in the scatter diagram of the dialog d3 becomes a broken line indicating the reference value related to the sales standard deviation, and the vertical broken line displayed in the scatter diagram of the dialog d3 indicates the reference value related to the rank. It becomes a broken line.

  In the display example [E], by dividing the scatter diagram of the dialog d3 into four, it is possible to select a method of appropriately reducing the magnitude of the value of the theoretical safety stock that causes excess inventory. In other words, the product included in the upper left area of the scatter diagram has a large sales standard deviation and a large fluctuation in sales, so the value of theoretical safety stock is large, but the rank is small and it is missing (Even if the safety stock count increases), it can be said that it is a product that does not have a significant adverse effect. Therefore, the user can easily select a method for reducing the theoretical safety stock value by lowering the service level and increasing the safety stock count for such products. Phases can be easily achieved.

  The product included in the upper right area of the scatter diagram has a large sales standard deviation and a large fluctuation in sales, so the value of theoretical safety stock is large, but if the rank is large and it becomes a shortage (safety It can be said that the product has an influence that cannot be ignored if the inventory count is increased. Thus, the user may decide that such products should be carefully monitored without lowering the service level, for example, a method of adopting an irregular unordered ordering method, The third phase can be easily achieved. The “irregular and non-quantitative ordering method” is a method for determining the ordering timing and the order quantity using prediction, and has an advantage that the management cost is high, but it can be adjusted to a desired stock quantity with high accuracy.

  Moreover, it can be said that the products included in the lower left region and the lower right region of the scatter diagram are products having a large theoretical safety stock value although the sales standard deviation is small. Therefore, the user can easily select the method of shortening the procurement lead time (regardless of the rank) for such products, and can easily achieve the third phase. it can.

  In the third phase, the user can comment on products that have selected a method for solving the problem of excess inventory. Referring to FIG. 8, in the display example [F] equivalent to the display example [E], when the user selects a point included in the upper left area of the scatter diagram of the dialog d3 with the input unit, the selected point is Highlight the black circle ● and switch to the selected state. Subsequently, when the user operates the comment button b3 on the input unit, as shown in the display example [G], the display unit displays a dialog d4 for inputting a comment.

  In the dialog d4, the SKU code of the product corresponding to the selected point is described. A pull-down menu b5 for selecting a product ordering method and a text box b6 for inputting a comment are input. An OK button for validating the contents and a cancel button for invalidating the input contents are arranged.

  In the display example [G], the user sets the ordering method to the ordering point ordering method for the product corresponding to the point in the selected state, and inputs a comment “lower service level!”. By operating the OK button, the set ordering method and the input comment become valid. Specifically, in the record of the target product of the product master T1 (see FIG. 2), a value “ordering point order” is registered in the “ordering method” field, and “service” in the “comment” field. The value "Decrease the level!" Is registered. Also, the date and time when the comment is input is registered in the “last update date and time” field. By performing such processing, it is possible to reconfirm later how the decision regarding inventory management was made for the target product, and it is possible to provide materials for objective analysis related to inventory management. .

  According to the above description, the inventory management device 1 indicates a product whose inventory is excessive (first phase), indicates a cause that the value of the theoretical safety inventory is large (second phase), and lowers the service level. The procedure of showing the method (third phase) can be shown to the user to support the user's decision making.

≪Summary≫
According to the present embodiment, it is possible to strengthen support for those who perform inventory management. This is because by displaying a scatter diagram in which the coordinate axes can be freely changed in multiple stages, it is possible to present a procedure for reaching a method for solving the problem relating to inventory management to a person who performs inventory management.
Moreover, by displaying a line (broken line) that divides the area of the scatter diagram on the scatter diagram, the product group corresponding to the points plotted on the scatter diagram can be classified for each problem related to inventory management. .

≪Others≫
The above-described embodiment is suitable for carrying out the present invention, but the form of implementation is not limited to these, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. Is possible.

  For example, in this embodiment, one line (broken line) for dividing a region of a two-dimensional scatter diagram is set for one coordinate axis, and a total of two broken lines are set and displayed. However, two or more may be set for one coordinate axis.

  Further, for the convenience of inventory management, the item set in the product master T1 may be the item of the actual data T2, and the item set in the actual data T2 may be the item of the product master T1. Furthermore, you may design one database which combined the product master T1 and the performance data T2.

  Further, with respect to the divided area when the area of the scatter diagram is divided, the features relating to the inventory management of the product corresponding to the points included in the area may be highlighted. For example, in the display example [A] in FIG. 4, as a problem related to inventory management in the first phase, text such as “overstock” is displayed in the upper left area, or the background color or pattern of the upper left area is changed to that in other areas. It may be different from the background color or pattern. In addition, in the display example [E] of FIG. 7, as a method for solving the problem relating to inventory management in the third phase, a text such as “I recommend lowering the service level” is displayed in the upper left area, or the lower left area. And a text such as “Recommended to reduce procurement lead time” may be displayed across the lower right area.

  In addition, a function for confirming how the distribution on the scatter diagram has changed by executing the method selected in the third phase can be introduced into the inventory management apparatus 1. For example, it is assumed that a method of lowering a service level of a product for which the inventory is excessive by a predetermined amount is selected. In this case, it is possible to confirm how the point of the product whose service level has been lowered has changed on the scatter diagram in the first phase and has moved to a place where it can be determined that the stock is not excessive. .

In the present embodiment, components realized by hardware can be realized by software, and components realized by software can be realized by hardware.
Moreover, a new technique can be realized by appropriately combining the technical matters described in the present embodiment.
Other specific configurations of hardware, software, database, and the like can be changed as appropriate without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Inventory management apparatus 11 XY-axis item selection means 12 Scatter chart production | generation means 13 Product extraction means T1 Product master T2 Actual data

Claims (1)

A display unit for displaying a scatter diagram in which points corresponding to each of a plurality of types of products are plotted on a coordinate axis composed of a first parameter characterizing a product stock status and a second parameter characterizing a product stock status; An inventory management device that supports decision making of product inventory management,
The storage unit of the inventory management device includes:
Product basic information used to determine the first parameter and the second parameter, actual information of the product used to determine the first parameter and the second parameter, For each product,
The control unit of the inventory management device includes:
A part of the area of the scatter diagram displayed on the display unit is designated by the input from the input unit of the inventory management apparatus and is included in the designated region, 1 or selected on the scatter diagram By extracting products corresponding to points that satisfy a predetermined condition for automatically specifying a plurality of points or points on the scatter diagram, other scatter diagrams in which the points corresponding to the extracted products are plotted Control to generate and display on the display unit;
By changing at least one of the first parameter and the second parameter constituting the coordinate axis of the other scatter diagram by input from the input unit, the changed first parameter, In the coordinate axis composed of the second parameter, control for displaying the other scatter diagram in which the points corresponding to each extracted product are plotted on the display unit ;
A line that divides the region of the scatter diagram using a plurality of reference values related to the first parameter and a plurality of reference values related to the second parameter is displayed on the display unit, or the changed first Control for displaying on the display section a line that divides the region of the other scatter diagram using a plurality of reference values for one parameter and a plurality of reference values for the second parameter;
A point that is recognized as having an inventory management problem is selected from the points on the other scatter diagram by the input from the input unit, and the product corresponding to the selected point is used to solve the problem. And a control for displaying a dialog for selecting an ordering method and inputting a comment on the display unit .

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