JP7637046B2 - Unique deadline management device, unique deadline management method, and unique deadline management program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a unique deadline management device, a unique deadline management method, and a unique deadline management program.

Patent document 1, paragraph 0001, states, "The present invention relates to a customer inventory management system that enables appropriate management of consumables such as reagents by an external system." Furthermore, patent document 1, paragraph 0054, states, "Without adopting this invention, ... reagents with expiration dates require first-in, first-out management in addition to inventory management, placing a heavy burden on the customer, which generally results in excess inventory and an increase in the number of expired reagents that need to be discarded. In contrast, the system of this embodiment eliminates the above-mentioned drawbacks and provides efficient customer inventory management at low cost."

JP 2003-85423 A

Here, manufacturing companies that purchase raw materials from raw material manufacturers and manufacture chemical products may manage their raw materials using their own expiration dates set by the chemical product manufacturer, separate from the official expiration date set by the raw material manufacturer. The manufacturer's own expiration date is a date used to ensure the quality and safety of the product, and is usually a date earlier than the official expiration date set by the raw material manufacturer.

However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 above was unable to automate a series of processes, from automatically calculating the manufacturer's unique expiration date to dispensing the raw materials in accordance with the first-in, first-out method based on the calculated expiration date. For this reason, these tasks were previously performed manually by personnel, which resulted in a high workload and took a great deal of time.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a unique expiration date management device, a unique expiration date management method, and a unique expiration date management program that enable the dispensing of raw materials in accordance with the first-in, first-out method based on the unique expiration date of the raw materials set by the person who purchases the raw materials and manufactures the product.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the unique expiration date management device of the present invention is a unique expiration date management device equipped with a control unit and a memory unit that enables the dispensing of raw materials in accordance with the first-in, first-out method based on a unique expiration date, which is a unique expiration date for the raw materials set by a person who purchases the raw materials and manufactures the product, and the memory unit stores a deadline calculation master including raw material identification data for identifying the raw materials and the number of days for calculating the unique expiration date for the raw materials, product identification data for identifying the product, and raw material identification data for the raw materials required to manufacture the product. and the quantity for each of the products, and the control unit includes: a days number acquisition means for acquiring, from the deadline calculation master, the number of days associated with the raw material identification data input by the manufacturer on an arrival input screen, which is a screen for inputting the arrival of the raw material, or a purchase input screen, which is a screen for inputting the purchase of the raw material; and a deadline calculation means for calculating the unique deadline for the raw material by adding the number of days acquired by the days number acquisition means to the arrival date or purchase date of the raw material input by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen. a configuration acquisition means for acquiring from the configuration master the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the planned amount of the product based on the product identification data and the planned production amount of the product to be manufactured input by the manufacturer into the manufacturing planning screen, which is a screen for planning the manufacture of the product; a raw material dispensing means for dispensing the raw material by reducing the amount of the raw material in the record having the raw material identification data acquired by the configuration acquisition means in order from the oldest to the oldest unique deadline until the amount acquired by the configuration acquisition means is reached; and a manufacturing planning time deadline display means for displaying on the manufacturing planning screen the raw material identification data acquired by the configuration acquisition means, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each of the records targeted for dispensing, and the unique deadline in the record targeted for dispensing.

In addition, in the unique expiration date management device according to the present invention, the control unit is further characterized by having an arrival/purchase expiration date display means for displaying the unique expiration date for the raw material calculated by the expiration date calculation means on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen.

In addition, in the unique expiration date management device according to the present invention, the record further has an official expiration date that is the official expiration date for the raw material, and the production planning expiration date display means displays on the production planning screen the raw material identification data acquired by the configuration acquisition means, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each record that was the subject of the dispense, the unique expiration date in the record that was the subject of the dispense, and the official expiration date in the record that was the subject of the dispense.

In addition, in the unique deadline management device according to the present invention, the unique deadline is a date earlier than the official deadline, and the control unit further includes a confirmation message display means for displaying a confirmation message to ask the manufacturer whether it is OK to manufacture the product using the raw material whose unique deadline has passed, when the combination of the unique deadline and the official deadline displayed on the manufacturing planning screen by the manufacturing planning deadline display means includes a combination in which the planned manufacturing date of the product input by the manufacturer on the manufacturing planning screen is a date later than the unique deadline and a date earlier than the official deadline.

In addition, the unique expiration date management method according to the present invention is a unique expiration date management method executed by an information processing device having a control unit and a storage unit, which enables the dispensing of raw materials in accordance with the first-in, first-out method based on a unique expiration date, which is a unique expiration date for the raw materials set by a person who purchases raw materials and manufactures a product, and the storage unit stores a deadline calculation master including raw material identification data for identifying the raw materials and the number of days for calculating the unique expiration date for the raw materials, product identification data for identifying the product, and the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw materials required to manufacture the product, which are stored in the storage unit. and a configuration master including a component master including a component master for each raw material, the component master master including a component master for each raw material, and a number of days acquisition step executed by the control unit, which is a step of acquiring, from the deadline calculation master, a number of days associated with raw material identification data input by the manufacturer on a receipt input screen which is a screen for inputting the arrival of the raw material or a purchase input screen which is a screen for inputting the purchase of the raw material; a deadline calculation step of calculating the unique deadline for the raw material by adding the number of days acquired in the number of days acquisition step to the arrival date or purchase date of the raw material input by the manufacturer on the receipt input screen or the purchase input screen; a configuration acquisition step of acquiring from the configuration master the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product in the planned manufacturing amount based on the product identification data and the planned manufacturing amount of the product to be manufactured input by the manufacturer into the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen, which is a screen for planning the manufacture of the product; a raw material dispensing step of setting the records having the raw material identification data acquired in the configuration acquisition step as the targets of the raw material dispensing, and dispensing the raw materials by reducing the amount of the raw material in the records in order from the oldest to the oldest unique deadline until the amount acquired in the configuration acquisition step is reached; and a manufacturing planning time deadline display step of displaying on the manufacturing planning screen the raw material identification data acquired in the configuration acquisition step, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each of the records targeted for the dispensing, and the unique deadline in the records targeted for the dispensing.

The unique expiration date management program according to the present invention is a unique expiration date management program to be executed by an information processing device having a control unit and a storage unit, which enables the dispensing of raw materials in accordance with a first-in, first-out method based on a unique expiration date that is a unique expiration date for the raw materials set by a person who purchases raw materials and manufactures a product, and the storage unit stores a deadline calculation master including raw material identification data for identifying the raw materials and a number of days for calculating the unique expiration date for the raw materials, and a configuration master including, for each product, product identification data for identifying the product, and the raw material identification data and amount of the raw materials required to manufacture the product, and the unique expiration date management program to be executed by the control unit includes a days number acquisition step of acquiring from the deadline calculation master a number of days associated with raw material identification data input by the manufacturer to an arrival input screen, which is a screen for inputting the arrival of the raw materials, or a purchase input screen, which is a screen for inputting the purchase of the raw materials, and a deadline calculation step of calculating the unique expiration date for the raw materials by adding the number of days acquired in the days number acquisition step to the arrival date or purchase date of the raw materials input by the manufacturer to the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen. an inventory file generating step of generating an inventory file including a record having the inputted raw material identification data, the amount of the raw material inputted by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen, and the unique deadline for the raw material calculated in the deadline calculation step; and acquiring from the configuration master the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product in the planned manufacturing amount based on the product identification data and planned manufacturing amount of the product to be manufactured inputted by the manufacturer on a manufacturing planning screen, which is a screen for planning the manufacture of the product. The method includes a composition acquisition step, a raw material dispensing step in which the records having the raw material identification data acquired in the composition acquisition step are used as the targets for dispensing the raw materials, and the raw material is dispensed by reducing the amount of the raw material in the records in order of the oldest unique expiration date until the amount obtained in the composition acquisition step is reached, and a manufacturing planning deadline display step in which the raw material identification data acquired in the composition acquisition step, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each record that is the target for the dispensing, and the unique expiration date in the record that is the target for the dispensing are displayed on the manufacturing planning screen.

The present invention has the effect of enabling the dispensing of raw materials according to the first-in, first-out method based on the unique expiration date of the raw materials set by the person who purchases the raw materials and manufactures the product.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a unique term management device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the product master. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of an inventory file. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an arrival input screen or a purchase input screen for raw material A. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an incoming goods input screen or a purchasing input screen for raw material B. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of an arrival input screen or a purchase input screen for raw material C. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a receipt input screen or a purchase input screen for raw material D. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration master. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an inventory file used in an example of manufacturing 20 units of product Z on 2021/04/20. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a manufacturing planning screen displayed in an example in which 20 units of product Z are to be manufactured on 2021/04/20. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an inventory file used in an example of manufacturing 30 units of product Z on 2021/05/20. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a manufacturing planning screen displayed in an example in which 30 units of product Z are to be manufactured on 2021/05/20. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an inventory file updated after reinspection in an example in which 30 units of product Z are manufactured on 2021/05/20. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an inventory file used in an example of manufacturing 10 units of product Z on 2021/05/28. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a manufacturing planning screen displayed in an example in which 10 units of product Z are manufactured on 2021/05/28.

Below, an embodiment of a unique deadline management device, a unique deadline management method, and a unique deadline management program according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment.

[1. Overview]
In the chemical industry, some raw materials have expiration dates, while others do not. In either case, manufacturers who purchase raw materials and manufacture products may set their own expiration dates (hereinafter referred to as "expiration dates" in this section) for raw materials based on their own in-house test results to ensure the quality and safety of their products. Expiration dates are usually shorter than the expiration dates (hereinafter referred to as "expiration dates" in this section) of raw materials set by the raw material manufacturer.

Previously, there was no system that could manage expiration dates, so the raw material inventory to be used could not be specified on the system, and the person in charge had to manually specify the raw material inventory.

However, manually specifying raw material inventory in this way gave rise to problems, such as the following. First, with manual specification, a person in charge could make a mistake and specify raw material inventory with the old and new ingredients reversed, which posed a risk of inconsistency in product quality due to using raw material inventory that had passed its expiration date. Secondly, in order to manage the amount of usable inventory while taking the expiration date into account, the person in charge had to look at the actual shelves, which made it easy for oversights and miscounting to occur, and there was a risk of excess inventory and waste inventory.

In this embodiment, for example, an expiration date is set for each raw material, and the expiration date and the expiration date are automatically displayed at the time of purchase or arrival. This allows, for example, a person in charge at the product manufacturing company to compare the expiration date of the raw material set by the manufacturing company's internal regulations with the expiration date marked on the raw material set by the raw material manufacturer. Note that in this embodiment, an expiration date can be set at the time of receipt even for raw materials for which the raw material manufacturer has not set an expiration date, making it possible to reliably guarantee the quality and safety of the product.

In addition, in this embodiment, for example, when inputting a production plan, the dispensing of raw material inventory can be automatically performed while taking into account the expiration date. This makes it possible, for example, to perform the dispensing of raw material inventory based on the first-in, first-out method without error, thereby eliminating the risk of excess inventory and waste inventory. Note that in this embodiment, if the automatic dispensing of raw material inventory is inappropriate (for example, if the planned production date has passed the expiration date of the dispensed raw material inventory), a flexible response is possible in which a person in charge can re-inspect the dispensed raw material inventory and then extend the expiration date of the dispensed raw material inventory.

In short, this embodiment is able to carry out a series of processes, including automatically calculating the expiration date when raw materials are received, updating the automatically calculated expiration date in the inventory file, checking the expiry date against the expiration date set by the raw material manufacturer, and extending the expiration date through reinspection. This, for example, can encourage the use of raw materials within the expiration date. Furthermore, even if the expiration date has passed, the quality of the product can be guaranteed (in other words, the occurrence of dead stock can be eliminated) by extending the expiration date through reinspection. The specific configuration and operation are explained below.

2. Configuration
An example of the configuration of the unique deadline management device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the unique deadline management device 100.

The unique deadline management device 100 is a commercially available desktop personal computer. Note that the unique deadline management device 100 is not limited to a stationary information processing device such as a desktop personal computer, but may be a portable information processing device such as a commercially available notebook personal computer, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), smartphone, or tablet personal computer.

The unique deadline management device 100 includes a control unit 102, a communication interface unit 104, a memory unit 106, and an input/output interface unit 108. Each unit included in the unique deadline management device 100 is connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via any communication path.

The communication interface unit 104 communicatively connects the unique term management device 100 to the network 300 via a communication device such as a router and a wired or wireless communication line such as a dedicated line. The communication interface unit 104 has a function of communicating data with other devices via a communication line. Here, the network 300 has a function of connecting the unique term management device 100 and the server 200 so that they can communicate with each other, and is, for example, the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network). Note that data such as various masters described below may be stored in the server 200, for example.

An input device 112 and an output device 114 are connected to the input/output interface unit 108. The output device 114 may be a monitor (including a home television), a speaker, or a printer. The input device 112 may be a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, or a monitor that works with a mouse to provide a pointing device function. In the following, the output device 114 may be referred to as the monitor 114, and the input device 112 may be referred to as the keyboard 112 or the mouse 112.

The storage unit 106 stores various databases, tables, files, and the like. The storage unit 106 records computer programs that work in cooperation with the OS (Operating System) to give instructions to the CPU (Central Processing Unit) to perform various processes. The storage unit 106 can be, for example, a memory device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory), a fixed disk device such as a hard disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, or the like.

The memory unit 106 includes, for example, a product master 106a as a master for calculating deadlines, an inventory file 106b, and a configuration master 106c.

Here, we will explain the definitions of the terms used in this specification and drawings. The unique expiration date is the unique expiration date for a raw material that is set by the person who purchases the raw material and manufactures the product. Hereinafter, in this specification and drawings, this unique expiration date may be referred to as the "use by date." The official expiration date is the official use by date for the raw material, set by, for example, the manufacturer of the raw material. Hereinafter, in this specification and drawings, this official expiration date may be referred to as the "expiration date." Usually, the use by date is shorter than the expiration date, i.e., it is a date that precedes the expiration date.

In this embodiment, it is possible to set an expiration date for both ingredients that have an expiration date and ingredients that do not.

As shown in FIG. 2, the product master 106a includes, for example, ingredient identification data (product code) for identifying the ingredient, and the number of days for calculating the expiration date of the ingredient (number of days until expiration), etc.

The inventory file 106b is a file generated by the inventory file generation unit 102d, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 3, the inventory file 106b includes, for example, the ingredient identification data (product code), the amount (quantity) of the ingredient, the calculated expiration date of the ingredient, the expiration date of the ingredient, and the like.

The configuration master 106c is a master for managing the configuration of the product. For each product, the configuration master 106c includes, for example, product identification data for identifying the product, and the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product. In the configuration master 106c shown in FIG. 8, it is set that one unit of raw material A and one unit of raw material D are required to manufacture one unit of product Z.

The control unit 102 is a CPU or the like that performs overall control of the unique deadline management device 100. The control unit 102 has an internal memory for storing control programs such as an OS, programs that define various processing procedures, and required data, and executes various information processing operations based on these stored programs.

The control unit 102 has, in terms of its functional concept, for example: (1) a number of days acquisition unit 102a as a number of days acquisition means for acquiring the number of days associated with the raw material identification data entered by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen, which is a screen for entering the arrival of the raw material, or the purchase input screen, which is a screen for entering the purchase of the raw material, from the deadline calculation master; (2) a deadline calculation unit 102b as a deadline calculation means for calculating the unique deadline for the raw material by adding the number of days acquired by the number of days acquisition means to the arrival date or purchase date of the raw material entered by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen; and (3) a deadline calculation unit 102b as a deadline calculation means for calculating the unique deadline for the raw material calculated by the deadline calculation means. (4) an inventory file generating unit 102d as an inventory file generating means for generating an inventory file including a record having the inputted raw material identification data, the amount of the raw material input by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen, and the unique deadline for the raw material calculated by the deadline calculation means; and (5) a product identification data and a manufacturing time limit for the product to be manufactured input by the manufacturer on a manufacturing planning screen, which is a screen for planning the manufacturing of the product, from the configuration master. (6) a raw material dispensing unit 102f as raw material dispensing means for reducing the amount of the raw material in the record having the raw material identification data acquired by the configuration acquisition means until the amount acquired by the configuration acquisition means is reached, by subtracting the amount of the raw material in the record in order from the oldest unique expiration date; and (7) a raw material identification data acquired by the configuration acquisition means, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each record that is the object of the dispensing, and a raw material dispensing unit 102g as raw material dispensing means for reducing the amount of the raw material in the record in order from the oldest unique expiration date, by subtracting ... (8) a production planning deadline display unit 102g as production planning deadline display means for displaying the unique deadline on the production planning screen, and (9) a confirmation message display unit 102h as confirmation message display means for displaying a confirmation message to the manufacturer to confirm whether it is OK to manufacture the product using the raw material whose unique deadline has passed, when there is a combination of the unique deadline and the official deadline displayed on the production planning screen by the production planning deadline display means, in which the planned production date of the product entered by the manufacturer on the production planning screen is a date later than the unique deadline and a date earlier than the official deadline.

The number of days acquisition unit 102a acquires the number of days until expiration associated with the product code of the raw material entered by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen (see Figures 4 to 7), which is a screen for entering the arrival of the raw material, or the purchase input screen (see Figures 4 to 7), which is a screen for entering the purchase of the raw material, from the product master 106a (see Figure 2), which includes the product code of the raw material and the number of days until expiration.

The expiration date calculation unit 102b calculates the expiration date of the raw material by adding the number of expiration days acquired by the number of days acquisition unit 102a to the arrival date or purchase date of the raw material entered by the person who manufactures the product on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen.

The arrival/purchase expiration date display unit 102c displays the expiration date of the raw materials calculated by the expiration date calculation unit 102b on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen.

The inventory file generation unit 102d generates an inventory file 106b (see Figure 3) that includes records having the product code of the input raw material, the amount of raw material input by the product manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen, and the expiration date of the raw material calculated by the expiration date calculation unit 102b.

The configuration acquisition unit 102e acquires the product codes and quantities of raw materials required to manufacture the planned amount of product from the configuration master 106c (see FIG. 8), which contains, for each product, product identification data and the product codes and quantities of raw materials required to manufacture the product, based on the product identification data and planned manufacturing quantity of the product to be manufactured that are input by the person who manufactures the product into the manufacturing planning screen, which is a screen for planning the manufacture of the product.

The raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses raw materials by subtracting the amount of raw material in the record containing the raw material product code acquired by the configuration acquisition unit 102e, starting with the raw material with the oldest expiration date, until it reaches the amount acquired by the configuration acquisition unit 102e (see Figures 9, 11, and 14).

The production planning expiration display unit 102g displays on the production planning screen the product codes of the ingredients acquired by the configuration acquisition unit 102e, the amount of ingredients dispensed for each record to be dispensed, and the expiration date in the record to be dispensed (see Figures 10, 12, and 15). If the record to be dispensed has an expiration date, the production planning expiration display unit 102g may also display the expiration date (see Figures 10, 12, and 15).

If there is a combination of expiration dates and expiration dates displayed on the manufacturing planning screen by the manufacturing planning expiration date display unit 102g, where the planned manufacturing date of the product entered on the manufacturing planning screen by the person manufacturing the product is a date that is later than the expiration date and is a date that is earlier than the expiration date, the confirmation message display unit 102h displays a confirmation message, for example, on the manufacturing planning screen or off the screen, to ask the person manufacturing the product whether it is OK to manufacture the product using raw materials whose expiration date has passed.

3. Specific examples of processing
In this section, a specific example of the process according to the present embodiment will be described. In the following [3-1], the management of expiration dates at the time of arrival or purchase will be described, and in the following [3-2], the management of expiration dates when inputting a manufacturing plan will be described.

[3-1. Expiration date management at the time of arrival or purchase]
In this section, the management of expiration dates at the time of arrival or purchase will be explained with reference to Figures 2 to 7. In this section, the explanation will be given on the assumption that the product master 106a is preset with the contents shown in Figure 2. In addition, in this section, it is assumed that 2021/05/31 is set as the expiration date of the raw material D only.

(1) Entering necessary information from the arrival input screen or purchase input screen First, assume that raw materials A to D were ordered from the manufacturer on 2021/01/15 by the manufacturing company's staff and arrived on 2021/01/18. In this case, the manufacturing company's staff enters the order date 2021/01/15, arrival date 2021/01/18, product code representing each raw material, and arrival quantity for each of raw materials A to D from the arrival input screen or purchase input screen. Figures 4 to 7 are screens corresponding to raw materials A to D, respectively. Raw materials A to D are entered as product codes, respectively. As arrival quantities, 10 units for raw material A, 80 units for raw material B, 60 units for raw material C, and 40 units for raw material D are entered.

(2) Days Acquisition Process The days acquisition unit 102a acquires the expiration date days associated with each of the ingredients A to D, which are the product codes of each ingredient entered in (1), from the product master 106a in Fig. 2. Specifically, the days acquisition unit 102a acquires 100 days for ingredient A, 0 days for ingredient B, does not acquire the number of days for ingredient C because the expiration date is not set, and acquires 100 days for ingredient D.

(3) Expiration date calculation process Next, the expiration date calculation unit 102b calculates the expiration date for each raw material by adding the expiration date days acquired for each raw material by the day number acquisition unit 102a in (2) to the arrival date 2021/01/18 input in (1). Specifically, the expiration date calculation unit 102b calculates 2021/04/28 for raw material A by adding the acquired 100 days to the arrival date 2021/01/18, calculates 2021/01/18 for raw material B by adding the acquired 0 days to the arrival date 2021/01/18, does not calculate the expiration date for raw material C because the expiration date days have not been acquired, and calculates 2021/04/28 for raw material D by adding the acquired 100 days to the arrival date 2021/01/18.

(4) Receipt/purchase expiration date display process Then, the receipt/purchase expiration date display unit 102c displays the expiration date for each raw material calculated by the expiration date calculation unit 102b in (3) on the receipt input screen or purchase input screen shown in Figures 4 to 7. At this time, the receipt/purchase expiration date display unit 102c also displays the expiration date if there is a preset expiration date.

The arrival/purchase expiration date display unit 102c displays the expiration date calculated by the expiration date calculation unit 102b for raw material A and raw material B, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, respectively, but does not display the expiration date because no expiration date has been set.

As shown in FIG. 6, the arrival/purchase expiration date display unit 102c does not display the expiration date for raw material C because the expiration date has not been calculated, and does not display the expiration date because no expiration date has been set.

The arrival/purchase expiration date display unit 102c displays the expiration date calculated by the expiration date calculation unit 102b for raw material D, as shown in FIG. 7, and also displays the expiration date because an expiration date has been set as explained at the beginning of this section [3-1].

In this way, the manufacturing company's personnel can check the expiration date, which is a deadline specific to the company, on the arrival entry screen or purchase entry screen. In addition, if the expiration date is also displayed, as with raw material D in this example, the personnel can compare the expiration date with the use-by date.

(5) Inventory File Generation Process Finally, the inventory file generation unit 102d generates an inventory file 106b that includes the product codes representing the ingredients input in (1), the incoming quantities of the ingredients input in (1), the expiration dates calculated in (3) if any, and the expiration dates if any are preset. The generated inventory file 106b is shown in FIG.

The order of the arrival/purchase deadline display process described in (4) and the inventory file generation process described in (5) is not particularly limited. In other words, the order of the processes may be reversed from this example, that is, (5) → (4), or the processes (4) and (5) may be performed simultaneously.

[3-2. Expiration date management when inputting manufacturing plans]
In this section, the management of the expiration date in the manufacturing plan input will be described with reference to Fig. 8 to Fig. 15. In this section, the description will be given on the assumption that the configuration master 106c is preset with the contents shown in Fig. 8.

Below, we will explain specific examples of processing when planning to manufacture product Z using raw materials A and D, divided into three different manufacturing plans.

[3-2-1. A production plan to manufacture 20 units of product Z on 2021/04/20]
In this section, the necessary information input, configuration acquisition process, raw material delivery process, and production planning deadline display process in the case of a production plan to produce 20 units of product Z on 2021/04/20 will be explained using Figures 8, 9, and 10. Note that in this section [3-2-1], the explanation will be given on the assumption that the inventory file 106b has been generated in advance with the contents shown in Figure 9 (not the contents shown in Figure 3).

(1) Entering necessary information from the production planning screen First, a person in charge at the manufacturing company enters 2021/04/20 as the production date on the production planning screen of Figure 10, enters product Z as the product to be manufactured, and enters 20 units as the planned production quantity of product Z.

(2) Configuration Acquisition Process The configuration acquisition unit 102e acquires 20 units each of raw materials A and raw materials D from the configuration master 106c in FIG. 8 as raw materials required to manufacture the 20 units of product Z input in (1).

(3) Raw Material Dispensing Process The raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses raw material A by subtracting the raw material from the record containing the product code "raw material A" in the inventory file 106b of FIG. 9 until 20 units are reached, in order from the record with the oldest expiration date. Specifically, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses all 10 units of the quantity of 10 units contained in the record, starting from the record with the oldest expiration date of 2021/04/28. Next, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses 10 units of the quantity of 80 units contained in the record, starting from the record with the next oldest expiration date of 2021/06/30. This results in 20 units of raw material A being dispensed.

Similarly, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses raw material D by subtracting the amount of raw material in the record containing the product code "Raw material D" in the inventory file 106b of FIG. 9 from the record with the oldest expiration date until it reaches 20 units, starting with the record with the oldest expiration date of 2021/04/28. Specifically, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses 20 units of the 60 units contained in the record, starting with the record with the oldest expiration date of 2021/04/28. This results in 20 units of raw material D being dispensed.

The dispensing results for raw materials A and D are summarized in Figure 9.

(4) Production planning deadline display process Finally, the production planning deadline display unit 102g displays the raw materials acquired in (2), the number of raw materials dispensed for each record to be dispensed in (3), the expiration date in the record to be dispensed in (3), and the expiration date if any in the record to be dispensed in (3) on the production planning screen in Fig. 10. Specifically, the production planning deadline display unit 102g displays three rows, "Used item: raw material A, quantity: 10, expiration date: 2021/04/28", "Used item: raw material A, quantity: 10, expiration date: 2021/06/30", and "Used item: raw material D, quantity: 20, expiration date: 2021/04/28, expiration date: 2021/05/31", as shown in the lower half of the production planning screen in Fig. 10.

[3-2-2. A production plan to manufacture 30 units of product Z on 2021/05/20]
In this section, the necessary information input, configuration acquisition process, raw material dispensing process, production planning deadline display process, and confirmation message display process in the case of a production plan to manufacture 30 units of product Z on 2021/05/20 will be explained using Figures 8, 11, 12, and 13. Note that in this section [3-2-2], the explanation will be given on the assumption that the inventory file 106b has been updated to the contents after the raw material dispensing in [3-2-1], that is, the contents shown in Figure 11.

(1) Entering necessary information from the production planning screen First, the person in charge at the manufacturing company enters 2021/05/20 as the production date on the production planning screen of Figure 12, enters product Z as the product to be manufactured, and enters 30 units as the planned production quantity of product Z.

(2) Configuration Acquisition Process The configuration acquisition unit 102e acquires 30 units each of raw materials A and raw materials D from the configuration master 106c in FIG. 8 as raw materials required to manufacture the 30 units of product Z input in (1).

(3) Raw Material Dispensing Process The raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses raw material A by subtracting the raw material from the record containing the product code "raw material A" in the inventory file 106b in FIG. 11 until it reaches 30 units, starting with the record with the oldest expiration date. Specifically, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses 30 units out of the 70 units contained in the record, starting with the record with the oldest expiration date of 2021/06/30. This results in 30 units of raw material A being dispensed.

Similarly, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses raw material D by subtracting the amount of raw material in the record containing the product code "Raw material D" in the inventory file 106b of FIG. 11 from the record with the oldest expiration date until it reaches 30 units. Specifically, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses 30 units of the 40 units contained in the record starting with the record with the oldest expiration date of 2021/04/28. This results in 30 units of raw material D being dispensed.

The dispensing results for raw materials A and D are summarized in Figure 11.

(4) Production planning deadline display process Next, the production planning deadline display unit 102g displays the raw materials acquired in (2), the number of raw materials dispensed for each record to be dispensed in (3), the expiration date in the record to be dispensed in (3), and the expiration date, if any, in the record to be dispensed in (3) on the production planning screen in Fig. 12. Specifically, the production planning deadline display unit 102g displays two rows, "Used item: raw material A, quantity: 30, expiration date: 2021/06/30" and "Used item: raw material D, quantity: 30, expiration date: 2021/04/28, expiration date: 2021/05/31", as shown in the lower half of the production planning screen in Fig. 12.

(5) Confirmation Message Display Processing Here, if we look at the "Items used: Raw material D, quantity: 30, use by: 2021/04/28, expiration date: 2021/05/31" displayed on the production plan screen in Figure 12, the production date 2021/05/20 entered in (1) is a date that comes after the use by date 2021/04/28 and is a date that comes before the expiration date 2021/05/31. In other words, although the production date 2021/05/20 is within the expiration date range, the use by date (the deadline set by the company) has passed.

In this case, the confirmation message display unit 102h displays a confirmation message on the manufacturing plan screen in FIG. 12 or off the screen to ask the person in charge at the manufacturing company whether it is okay to manufacture product Z using raw material D that has passed its expiration date.

Here, there is a certain amount of time between the manufacturing date 2021/05/20 and the expiration date 2021/05/31. In other words, it is only a matter of the expiration date. In this case, the person in charge at the manufacturing company reinspects the raw material D, which has passed its expiration date, and if there is no problem with the quality of raw material D, the person in charge at the manufacturing company can extend the expiration date for raw material D in the inventory file 106b. In this example, the person in charge at the manufacturing company extends the expiration date of raw material D from "2021/04/28" to "2021/05/24". As a result, the inventory file 106b is updated as shown in FIG. 13.

[3-2-3. A production plan to manufacture 10 units of product Z on 2021/05/28]
In this section, the necessary information input, configuration acquisition process, raw material dispensing process, production planning deadline display process, and confirmation message display process in the case of a production plan to manufacture 10 units of product Z on 2021/05/28 will be explained using Figures 8, 14, and 15. Note that in this section [3-2-3], the explanation will be given on the assumption that the inventory file 106b has been updated to the contents after the update due to the reinspection in [3-2-2], that is, the contents shown in Figure 14.

(1) Entering necessary information from the production planning screen First, the person in charge at the manufacturing company enters 2021/05/28 as the production date on the production planning screen of Figure 15, enters product Z as the product to be manufactured, and enters 10 units as the planned production quantity of product Z.

(2) Configuration Acquisition Process The configuration acquisition unit 102e acquires 10 units each of raw materials A and raw materials D from the configuration master 106c in FIG. 8 as raw materials required to manufacture the 10 units of product Z input in (1).

(3) Raw Material Dispensing Process The raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses raw material A by subtracting the raw material from the record containing the product code "raw material A" in the inventory file 106b in FIG. 14 until it reaches 10 units, starting with the record with the oldest expiration date. Specifically, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses 10 units out of the quantity of 40 units contained in the record, starting with the record with the oldest expiration date of 2021/06/30. This results in 10 units of raw material A being dispensed.

Similarly, the raw material dispensing unit 102f dispenses raw material D by subtracting the amount of raw material in the record containing the product code "Raw material D" in the inventory file 106b in FIG. 14 from the record with the oldest expiration date until it reaches 10 units, starting with the record with the oldest expiration date of 2021/05/24. In this way, 10 units of raw material D have been dispensed.

The dispensing results for raw materials A and D are summarized in Figure 14.

(4) Production planning deadline display process Next, the production planning deadline display unit 102g displays the raw materials acquired in (2), the number of raw materials dispensed for each record to be dispensed in (3), the expiration date in the record to be dispensed in (3), and the expiration date if any in the record to be dispensed in (3) on the production planning screen in Fig. 15. Specifically, the production planning deadline display unit 102g displays two rows, "Used item: raw material A, quantity: 10, expiration date: 2021/06/30" and "Used item: raw material D, quantity: 10, expiration date: 2021/05/24, expiration date: 2021/05/31", as shown in the lower half of the production planning screen in Fig. 15.

(5) Confirmation Message Display Processing Here, if we look at the "Items used: Raw material D, quantity: 10, use by: 2021/05/24, expiration date: 2021/05/31" displayed on the manufacturing plan screen in Figure 15, the manufacturing date 2021/05/28 entered in (1) is a date that comes after the use by date 2021/05/24 and is a date that comes before the expiration date 2021/05/31. In other words, although the manufacturing date 2021/05/28 is within the expiration date range, the use by date (the deadline set by the company) has passed.

In this case, the confirmation message display unit 102h displays a confirmation message on the manufacturing planning screen in FIG. 15 or off the screen to ask the person in charge at the manufacturing company whether it is okay to manufacture product Z using raw material D that has passed its expiration date.

Here, there is only a short period of time between the manufacturing date 2021/05/28 and the expiration date 2021/05/31. In this case, the person in charge at the manufacturing company can change the raw material D to be dispensed to one that still has some time left before the expiration date and expiration date. In this example, the person in charge at the manufacturing company changes the record to be dispensed of raw material D from "Raw material D, quantity 10, expiration date: 20201/05/24, expiration date 2021/05/31" in the inventory file 106b of FIG. 14 to "Raw material D, quantity 40, expiration date: 20201/06/30, expiration date 2021/07/31" in the inventory file 106b of FIG. 14.

In addition, in [3-2-1] to [3-2-3], the expiration date of the product itself may be calculated by adding a predetermined number of days (for example, a number of days set in a separate master) to the manufacturing date entered on the manufacturing planning screen in FIG. 15.

[4. Summary of the present embodiment]
As described above, the unique expiration date management device 100 according to this embodiment enables the delivery of raw materials in accordance with the first-in, first-out method based on the unique expiration date of the raw materials set by the person who purchases the raw materials and manufactures the product. In this way, by managing raw materials based on the manufacturer's unique expiration date, for example, it is possible to more reliably guarantee the quality and safety of the product. In addition, by delivering raw materials in accordance with the first-in, first-out method, it is possible to eliminate, for example, the risk of excess inventory and waste inventory.

[5. Contribution to the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)]
This embodiment can contribute to improving business efficiency and promoting appropriate management decisions by companies, thereby making it possible to contribute to goals 8 and 9 of the SDGs.

In addition, this embodiment can contribute to reducing waste and promoting paperless and electronic systems, which can contribute to the achievement of SDGs goals 12, 13, and 15.

In addition, this embodiment can contribute to strengthening control and governance, making it possible to contribute to Goal 16 of the SDGs.

6. Other embodiments
The present invention may be embodied in various different embodiments other than those described above within the scope of the technical concept set forth in the claims.

For example, among the processes described in the embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using a known method.

In addition, the processing procedures, control procedures, specific names, registered data for each process, information including parameters such as search conditions, screen examples, and database configurations shown in this specification and drawings may be changed as desired unless otherwise specified.

Furthermore, with regard to the unique deadline management device 100, each component shown in the figure is a functional concept, and does not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown in the figure.

For example, the processing functions of the unique term management device 100, particularly the processing functions performed by the control unit, may be realized in whole or in part by a CPU and a program interpreted and executed by the CPU, or may be realized as hardware using wired logic. The program is recorded on a non-transient computer-readable recording medium that contains programmed instructions for causing the information processing device to execute the processes described in this embodiment, and is mechanically read by the unique term management device 100 as necessary. That is, a computer program is recorded in a storage unit such as a ROM or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) for working with the OS to give instructions to the CPU and perform various processes. This computer program is executed by being loaded into RAM, and works with the CPU to form the control unit.

In addition, this computer program may be stored in an application program server connected to the unique deadline management device 100 via any network, and it is also possible to download all or part of it as needed.

In addition, the program for executing the processing described in this embodiment may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium, or may be configured as a program product. Here, the term "recording medium" refers to a memory card, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, a SD (Secure Digital) card, a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (registered trademark) (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory), a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), a DVD (Digital Versatile This includes any "portable physical media" such as a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc, and a Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc.

A "program" is a data processing method written in any language or description method, and may be in any format, such as source code or binary code. Note that a "program" is not necessarily limited to a single configuration, but also includes a distributed configuration consisting of multiple modules or libraries, and a program that works in conjunction with a separate program, such as an OS, to achieve its function. Note that the specific configuration and reading procedure for reading a recording medium in each device shown in the embodiments, as well as the installation procedure after reading, can use well-known configurations and procedures.

The various databases stored in the memory unit are storage devices such as RAM, ROM, etc., fixed disk devices such as hard disks, flexible disks, and optical disks, and store various programs, tables, databases, and web page files used for various processes and providing websites.

The unique deadline management device 100 may be configured as an information processing device such as a known personal computer or workstation, or may be configured as the information processing device to which any peripheral device is connected. The unique deadline management device 100 may be realized by implementing software (including programs or data, etc.) that causes the device to realize the processing described in this embodiment.

Furthermore, the specific form of distribution and integration of the devices is not limited to that shown in the figures, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various additions or functional loads. In other words, the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented in any combination, or the embodiments can be implemented selectively.

The present invention is useful, for example, in industries that purchase raw materials and supplies from manufacturers to manufacture products.

100 Unique expiration date management device 102 Control unit
102a Number of days acquisition section
102b Deadline calculation unit
102c Receipt/purchase expiration date display section
102d inventory file generator
102e Configuration acquisition unit
102f Raw material delivery section
102g Production planning deadline display section
102h Confirmation message display unit 104 Communication interface unit 106 Storage unit
106a Product master
106b Inventory File
106c Configuration master 108 Input/output interface unit 112 Input device 114 Output device 200 Server 300 Network

Claims (6)

A unique expiration date management device that is equipped with a control unit and a memory unit and enables the dispensing of raw materials in accordance with a first-in, first-out method based on a unique expiration date that is a unique expiration date for the raw materials set by a person who purchases raw materials and manufactures products,
The storage unit includes:
A deadline calculation master including ingredient identification data for identifying the ingredient and a number of days for calculating the unique deadline for the ingredient;
A configuration master including, for each of the products, product identification data for identifying the product, and the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product;
is stored,
The control unit is
a days acquisition means for acquiring the number of days associated with the raw material identification data input by the manufacturer on a receipt input screen, which is a screen for inputting the receipt of the raw material, or a purchase input screen, which is a screen for inputting the purchase of the raw material, from the deadline calculation master;
a deadline calculation means for calculating the unique deadline for the raw material by adding the number of days acquired by the number of days acquisition means to the arrival date or purchase date of the raw material input by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen;
an inventory file generating means for generating an inventory file including a record having the inputted raw material identification data, the amount of the raw material inputted by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen, and the unique deadline for the raw material calculated by the deadline calculation means;
a configuration acquisition means for acquiring, from the configuration master, the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product in the production plan amount based on the product identification data and the production plan amount of the product to be manufactured input by the manufacturer to a production planning screen, which is a screen for planning the manufacture of the product;
a raw material dispensing means for dispensing the raw material by subtracting the amount of the raw material in the record having the raw material identification data acquired by the composition acquisition means from the raw material amount acquired by the composition acquisition means in the order of the oldest unique expiration date, until the amount of the raw material in the record is reached;
a production planning time limit display means for displaying on the production planning screen the raw material identification data acquired by the configuration acquisition means, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each of the records that are the subject of the dispense, and the unique limit in the record that is the subject of the dispense;
To have
A unique expiration date management device that features the following: The control unit is
a means for displaying the unique deadline for the raw material calculated by the deadline calculation means on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen;
2. The unique term management device according to claim 1, The record further includes an official expiration date that is an official expiration date for the ingredient;
The production planning deadline display means
displaying on the manufacturing planning screen the raw material identification data acquired by the configuration acquisition means, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each of the records that are the subject of the dispense, the unique deadline in the record that is the subject of the dispense, and the official deadline in the record that is the subject of the dispense;
3. The unique term management device according to claim 1 or 2. The unique deadline is a date that precedes the official deadline;
The control unit is
a confirmation message display means for displaying a confirmation message to ask the manufacturer whether it is OK to manufacture the product using the raw material whose unique deadline has passed, when a combination of the unique deadline and the official deadline displayed on the manufacturing planning screen by the manufacturing planning deadline display means exists in which the planned manufacturing date of the product input by the manufacturer on the manufacturing planning screen is a date later than the unique deadline and a date earlier than the official deadline;
4. The unique term management device according to claim 3, A unique expiration date management method executed by an information processing device having a control unit and a storage unit, which enables the dispensing of raw materials in accordance with a first-in, first-out method based on a unique expiration date that is a unique expiration date for the raw materials set by a person who purchases the raw materials and manufactures the product, comprising:
The storage unit includes:
A deadline calculation master including ingredient identification data for identifying the ingredient and a number of days for calculating the unique deadline for the ingredient;
A configuration master including, for each of the products, product identification data for identifying the product, and the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product;
is stored,
Executed by the control unit,
a step of acquiring a number of days from the deadline calculation master to acquire a number of days associated with the raw material identification data input by the manufacturer on an arrival input screen, which is a screen for inputting the arrival of the raw material, or a purchase input screen, which is a screen for inputting the purchase of the raw material;
a deadline calculation step of calculating the unique deadline for the raw material by adding the number of days acquired in the number of days acquisition step to the arrival date or purchase date of the raw material input by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen;
an inventory file generating step of generating an inventory file including a record having the inputted raw material identification data, the amount of the raw material inputted by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen, and the unique deadline for the raw material calculated in the deadline calculation step;
a configuration acquisition step of acquiring, from the configuration master, the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product in the production planning amount based on the product identification data and the production planning amount of the product to be manufactured input by the manufacturer to a production planning screen, which is a screen for planning the manufacture of the product;
a raw material dispensing step of dispensing the raw material by subtracting the amount of the raw material in the record having the raw material identification data acquired in the composition acquisition step from the raw material having the oldest unique expiration date until the amount of the raw material acquired in the composition acquisition step is reached;
a manufacturing planning time limit display step of displaying on the manufacturing planning screen the raw material identification data acquired in the configuration acquisition step, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each of the records that are the subject of the dispense, and the unique limit in the record that is the subject of the dispense;
containing,
A unique deadline management method characterized by: A unique expiration date management program to be executed by an information processing device having a control unit and a storage unit, which enables the dispensing of raw materials in accordance with a first-in, first-out method based on a unique expiration date that is a unique expiration date for the raw materials set by a person who purchases the raw materials and manufactures the product,
The storage unit includes:
A deadline calculation master including ingredient identification data for identifying the ingredient and a number of days for calculating the unique deadline for the ingredient;
A configuration master including, for each of the products, product identification data for identifying the product, and the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product;
is stored,
To cause the control unit to execute
a step of acquiring a number of days from the deadline calculation master to acquire a number of days associated with the raw material identification data input by the manufacturer on an arrival input screen, which is a screen for inputting the arrival of the raw material, or a purchase input screen, which is a screen for inputting the purchase of the raw material;
a deadline calculation step of calculating the unique deadline for the raw material by adding the number of days acquired in the number of days acquisition step to the arrival date or purchase date of the raw material input by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen;
an inventory file generating step of generating an inventory file including a record having the inputted raw material identification data, the amount of the raw material inputted by the manufacturer on the arrival input screen or the purchase input screen, and the unique deadline for the raw material calculated in the deadline calculation step;
a configuration acquisition step of acquiring, from the configuration master, the raw material identification data and the amount of the raw material required to manufacture the product in the production planning amount based on the product identification data and the production planning amount of the product to be manufactured input by the manufacturer to a production planning screen, which is a screen for planning the manufacture of the product;
a raw material dispensing step of dispensing the raw material by subtracting the amount of the raw material in the record having the raw material identification data acquired in the composition acquisition step from the raw material having the oldest unique expiration date until the amount of the raw material acquired in the composition acquisition step is reached;
a manufacturing planning deadline display step of displaying on the manufacturing planning screen the raw material identification data acquired in the configuration acquisition step, the amount of the raw material dispensed for each of the records that are the subject of the dispense, and the unique deadline in the record that is the subject of the dispense;
containing,
A unique deadline management program that features:

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