JP7735781B2 - Agricultural work outsourcing device, agricultural work outsourcing method, and agricultural work outsourcing program - Google Patents

Description

This disclosure relates to an agricultural work outsourcing device, an agricultural work outsourcing method, and an agricultural work outsourcing program.

In recent years, a labor shortage for agricultural work has become a problem due to a decrease in the number of workers engaged in agricultural work and the aging of the workforce. To solve this problem, technology has been proposed that matches farmers who outsource agricultural work with contractors who will undertake the work on their behalf (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-279015

When outsourcing agricultural work, the contractor must undertake work on a certain scale in bulk, otherwise travel between farms and work preparation becomes cumbersome and the work cannot be carried out efficiently. However, due to labor shortages, it is mainly individual farmers who outsource agricultural work, and the area of each farm is often relatively small. As a result, when outsourcing agricultural work, the needs of both parties do not match, making it difficult to achieve efficient outsourcing.

This disclosure therefore proposes an agricultural work outsourcing device, an agricultural work outsourcing method, and an agricultural work outsourcing program that can realize efficient outsourcing of agricultural work.

To solve the above problem, the agricultural work outsourcing device disclosed herein includes an acquisition unit that acquires outsourcing information, which is information about agricultural work that the outsourcer requests to be outsourced, and outsourcing information, which is information about agricultural work that the outsourcee wishes to undertake; a generation unit that generates, as an outsourcing group, multiple pieces of second outsourcing information from the outsourcing information acquired by the acquisition unit that contain information in common with the base first outsourcing information; and an extraction unit that references the information included in the outsourcing group generated by the generation unit and the outsourcing information, and extracts outsourcees whose outsourcing and outsourcing conditions are met.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a flow of an agricultural work outsourcing process according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a trustee table according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a trustor table according to the embodiment. FIG. 1 is a diagram (1) for explaining a delegated group generation process according to an embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram (2) for explaining the entrusted group generation process according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram (3) for explaining the entrusted group generation process according to the embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram (4) for explaining the entrusted group generation process according to the embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram (5) for explaining the entrusted group generation process according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a management device according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a trustee information table according to the embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of agricultural work outsourcing processing according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram illustrating an example of a computer that realizes the functions of a management device.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that in the following embodiments, identical components will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted.

1. EMBODIMENTS
[1-1. Example of agricultural work outsourcing processing according to the embodiment]
Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating the flow of an agricultural work outsourcing process according to an embodiment. The agricultural work outsourcing process according to the embodiment is executed by an agricultural work outsourcing system 1 shown in Fig. 1. The agricultural work outsourcing system 1 includes a management device 100, which is an example of an agricultural work outsourcing device according to the present disclosure, a contractor terminal 200, an outsourcer terminal 300, and a database 50. Note that the devices included in the agricultural work outsourcing system 1 can send and receive data to and from each other via wireless communication or the like.

The management device 100 is an information processing device that executes the agricultural work outsourcing process according to the embodiment. For example, the management device 100 is a server or the like. Specifically, the management device 100 performs a matching process between an outsourcee who will outsource agricultural work and an outsourcer who will outsource agricultural work on the farmland that the outsourcee owns. The management device 100 stores various information as a database 50. The database 50 may be stored within the management device 100, or may be stored in an external device such as a cloud server.

The trustee terminal 200 is a terminal device used by the trustee 20. For example, the trustee terminal 200 is a personal computer, smartphone, tablet terminal, etc.

The trustee 20 is, for example, an entity that accepts orders for agricultural work from a trustor who owns farmland and carries out the work on behalf of the farmer. For example, the trustee 20 is a company that coordinates those engaged in agricultural work.

The entrustor terminal 300 is a terminal device used by the entrustor 30. For example, the entrustor terminal 300 is a personal computer, smartphone, tablet terminal, etc.

The trustor 30 is, for example, a farmer who owns farmland. The trustor 30 entrusts the agricultural work that is difficult for the trustor 30 to carry out entirely by itself to the trustee 20.

In recent years, relatively small farms managed by a single family have experienced a labor shortage for agricultural work due to factors such as a decrease in the number of people in a family and a lack of successors. As a result, efforts are underway to match contractors 20 who will undertake agricultural work on behalf of clients 30. However, unless contractors 20 undertake work on a certain scale in bulk, traveling between farms and preparing for work becomes cumbersome, making it impossible to work efficiently. Clients 30 also have a variety of requests, such as those who can do soil plowing and sowing themselves, but find harvesting difficult and therefore prefer to outsource it to a third party. However, requests that specify specific requirements tend to make it difficult to find a contractor.

The management device 100 according to the embodiment solves the above problem by executing the information processing described below. That is, the management device 100 acquires consignment information, which is information related to agricultural work requested by the consignor 30, and generates a "consignment group" of multiple other consignment information that contain information common to the base consignment information. The management device 100 then references the information contained in the generated consignment group and the consignment information presented by the consignee 20, and extracts consignors 30 and consignees 20 whose consignment and consignment conditions are compatible. In this way, the management device 100 realizes efficient agricultural work outsourcing. Below, an overview of the agricultural work outsourcing processing by the agricultural work outsourcing system 1 is explained using Figure 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, the management device 100 acquires consignment information from the consignee 20 via the consignee terminal 200 (step S1). Specifically, the management device 100 acquires consignment information from the consignee 20, including various information such as the type of agricultural produce and type of farm work desired to be consigned, the area available for consignment, the address of the consignee 20, the desired cost for the consignment, and the dates on which the consignment can be performed. The management device 100 stores the acquired information in the database 50 and generates a data table related to the consignment information. The management device 100 continuously acquires consignment information from the consignee 20.

The management device 100 also acquires consignment information from the consignor 30 via the consignor terminal 300 (step S2). Specifically, the management device 100 acquires consignment information from the consignor 30, including information such as the type of crop or agricultural work desired to be consigned, the consignment area, the address of the farmland to be consigned, and various other information such as the deadline for responding to the consignment and the desired date for work to be carried out. The management device 100 stores the acquired information in the database 50 and generates a data table related to the consignment information. The management device 100 continuously acquires consignment information from the consignor 30.

Then, at a predetermined timing, the management device 100 generates an outsourcing group by aggregating the acquired outsourcing information (step S3). For example, on a predetermined date, such as a few days before the response deadline, the management device 100 aggregates multiple pieces of outsourcing information that have the same response deadline, the same crop, the same type of farm work, neighboring farmland, etc., based on predetermined rules. Details of the outsourcing group generation process will be described later with reference to Figure 2 and subsequent figures.

Next, the management device 100 extracts contractors 20 who can accept the generated consignment group. As an example, the management device 100 extracts the contractor 20 with the lowest consignment fee from among the contractors 20 who can accept the total farmland area of the compiled consignment group.

The management device 100 notifies all entrustors 30 included in the entrustment group of the extracted trustees 20 and the entrustment fees (step S4). The entrustors 30 decide whether or not to entrust the work to the trustees 20 and notify the management device 100 of their response.

If all entrustors 30 included in the entrustment group agree to accept the order, the management device 100 notifies the entrustee 20 that the order for the entrustment group has been accepted (step S5). Note that if any of the entrustors 30 do not accept the order, the management device 100 removes the entrustment information for that entrustor 30, generates a new entrustment group, and selects a new entrustee 20.

As described above, in the agricultural work outsourcing system 1, the management device 100 generates outsourcing groups that consolidate outsourcing information, making it possible to handle a wide range of outsourcing and a large number of outsourcings. Furthermore, the management device 100 can efficiently accept and outsource agricultural work by consolidating, for example, multiple pieces of outsourcing information for multiple nearby farms or multiple pieces of outsourcing information that include the same agricultural work (such as harvesting). This allows the contractor 20 and the outsourcer 30 to enjoy automated and efficient outsourcing and outsourcing processing. As a result, the management device 100 promotes the use of outsourcing and outsourcing, making it possible to achieve sustainable agriculture with a small labor force.

Next, the process of generating a trust group will be explained in detail using Figures 2 to 8. First, Figure 2 shows an example of trustee information acquired by the management device 100. Figure 2 shows an example of a trustee table 51 according to an embodiment.

The management device 100 sequentially acquires contract information from companies A, B, and C, which are examples of contractors 20, and adds the acquired contract information to the contractor table 51.

As shown in Figure 2, the consignment information stored in the consignee table 51 includes the company name of the consignee 20, the type of agricultural produce, the type of work, the minimum and maximum area that can be accepted per day, the maximum area that can be accepted per month, and the location (address) of the consignee 20. Although not shown in Figure 2, the consignment information may also include information such as the cost of accepting each task (for example, the cost per standard area (ares, etc.)) and the type of agricultural equipment owned by the consignee 20. In the data tables described in Figure 2 and subsequent figures, the stored information may be conceptually represented as "A01," but in reality, specific information and numerical values are stored.

For example, in the example shown in Figure 2, if Company A is contracted to produce the item "radish" and perform the task "harvesting," the minimum area that can be contracted per day is 15 a (ares), the maximum area that can be contracted per day is 30 a, and the maximum area that can be contracted per month is 300 a, and the latitude and longitude of Company A's address are "A01" and "B01."

Next, an example of entrustment information acquired by the management device 100 will be shown using Figure 3. Figure 3 shows an example of an entrustor table 52 according to an embodiment.

The management device 100 sequentially acquires consignment information from Farmer 1, Farmer 2, etc., which are examples of consignees 20, and adds the acquired consignment information to the consignor table 52.

As shown in Figure 3, the consignment information stored in the consignor table 52 includes the name of the consignor 30, the type of agricultural produce, the type of work, the area of the farmland, the address, the date of the request, the deadline for responses regarding the consignment, the desired date for the agricultural work to be carried out, etc. Although not shown in Figure 3, the consignment information may also include the desired cost of consignment for each task (for example, the cost per standard area (ares, etc.)).

For example, in the example shown in Figure 3, Farmer 1 has outsourced the item "radish" and the task "harvesting," the farmland area outsourced by Farmer 1 is 10a, the latitude of the address is "A11" and the longitude is "B11," the request date is "April 1st," the response deadline is "April 30th," and the desired date for the farm work to be completed is "June 1st."

Next, the process flow for the management device 100 to generate a delegated group will be explained using Figure 4 and subsequent figures. Figure 4 is a diagram (1) for explaining the delegated group generation process according to the embodiment.

The management device 100 extracts several pieces of consignment information from the consignment information stored in the consignor table 52 at a predetermined timing and generates a consignment group (step S11). Specifically, the management device 100 first determines base consignment information (hereinafter referred to as "base consignment information") and generates other consignment information that includes information similar to the base consignment information as a consignment group. In the example illustrated in Figure 4, the predetermined timing is assumed to be when a deadline arrives, such as a few days before the response deadline, and multiple pieces of consignment information are generated as a consignment group.

This example will be explained using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram (2) for explaining the entrusted group generation process according to the embodiment.

First, the management device 100 extracts consignment information that includes a response deadline that is the same as or similar to (e.g., within a few days of) the base consignment information. Furthermore, the management device 100 may sort by agricultural work item and work type, etc., and extract only consignment information that includes similar items and work types. The consignment group candidate table 53 shown in Figure 5 shows a situation in which only consignment information similar to the base consignment information has been extracted from the consignor table 52.

The management device 100 then sorts other consignment information that includes addresses close to the address of the base consignment information in order of proximity (step S12). For example, the management device 100 sorts the consignment information in order of proximity to the address of the base consignment information based on the latitude and longitude values. This allows the management device 100 to sort consignment information related to farmland that has similar items and work and is located close to the address of the farmland in the base consignment information.

An example of the delegation information sorted by the management device 100 is shown in Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram (3) for explaining the delegation group generation process according to the embodiment.

In the example shown in Figure 6, the addresses in the base consignment information with latitude "A11" and longitude "B11" are located relatively close to each other, as are the addresses with latitude "A12" and longitude "B12," latitude "A13" and longitude "B13," and latitude "A14" and longitude "B14." Furthermore, the addresses in the base consignment information with latitude "A11" and longitude "B11" are located relatively far from each other, as are the addresses with latitude "A21" and longitude "B21," and latitude "A22" and longitude "B22." In this case, the management device 100 ranks the consignment information of Farmer 2, Farmer 5, and Farmer 6, whose addresses are close to the base consignment information, at the top, and the information of Farmer 3 and Farmer 4, whose addresses are farther away, at the bottom. The consignment group candidate table 54 shown in Figure 6 is the consignment information contained in the consignment group candidate table 53 sorted by address. Note that the distance between addresses in this embodiment does not simply refer to the straight-line distance, but may also take into account the distance (time) to arrive, including road information, etc. In this case, the management device 100 obtains map data, for example, from an external service, and calculates the travel distance and travel time based on the addresses of the trustee and the entrustor.

Then, the management device 100 groups together Farmer 1, which is the base consignment information, and Farmer 2, Farmer 5, and Farmer 6, which are other consignment information close to the base consignment information, into a higher-ranking consignment group.

After sorting the consignment group, the management device 100 performs a process of summarizing the consignment contents in the consignment group and extracting consignees 20 who can accept the order. This will be explained using Figures 7 and 8. Figure 7 is a diagram (4) for explaining the consignment group generation process according to the embodiment.

The consignment group table 55 shown in Figure 7 shows the consignment information included in the generated consignment group. The management device 100 adds up the farmland areas of all the consignment information in the consignment group to calculate the cumulative area (step S15). The cumulative area table 56 shown in Figure 7 is a data table that accumulates the farmland areas included in the consignment group. In the examples of Figures 7 and 8, the management device 100 aggregates the top-ranked farmer 1, farmer 2, farmer 5, and farmer 6 in the consignment group.

Next, the management device 100 extracts contractors 20 who can accept orders related to the entrusted group. This will be explained using Figure 8. Figure 8 is a diagram (5) for explaining the entrusted group generation process according to the embodiment.

The consignment group table 57 shown in Figure 8 shows the items, work types, and cumulative area in the consignment group. The management device 100 generates a candidate consignment table 58 that shows candidate contractors 20 who can accept the items, work types, and cumulative area in the consignment group (step S16). In the example shown in Figure 8, the candidate contractors 20 who can accept the item "radish" and work "harvesting" are "Company A" and "Company B." In this example, Company A can accept orders for up to "131a" of farmland, which is the cumulative total of all consignment information for the consignment group, and Company B can accept orders for up to "31a" of farmland from the consignment information for the consignment group.

In this case, the management device 100 calculates the cost if Company A accepts the order under "131a" (step S17). The management device 100 then presents the calculated cost to all of the entrustors 30 included in the entrustment group. If all of the entrustors 30 agree to the conditions, the management device 100 determines that the contract has been concluded.

In step S17, the management device 100 may calculate the costs if Company B accepts the order under "31a." If Company B's costs are lower than Company A's, the management device 100 may present Company B to the consignor 30 as a potential supplier. In this case, the management device 100 considers the consignment information up to Company B's maximum order area (up to Farmer 5 in the example of Figure 8) as a new consignment group, presents costs to Farmer 1, Farmer 2, and Farmer 5, and performs processing such as treating Farmer 6 as new base consignment information or incorporating him into a different consignment group.

The process for generating an outsourcing group and extracting candidates for outsourcing has been described above using Figures 2 to 8, but this process is merely an example, and the management device 100 may generate an outsourcing group or extract candidates for outsourcing based on various other conditions.

For example, the management device 100 may generate a consignment group based on consignment information that shares common tasks, rather than on the item itself. This is because, in agricultural work, it may be more efficient to accept or accept consignments based on task type, such as "pest control" or "harvesting," rather than on the item itself. The management device 100 may also generate a consignment group by prioritizing consignment information with a close "desired implementation date" rather than a response deadline. This is because, in agricultural work, it may be more efficient to prioritize consignment information based on the dates when the agricultural work will actually be performed, rather than the response deadline. The management device 100 may also consider commonalities in tasks and group consignment information based on similar farmland areas, rather than addresses, into a consignment group. For example, farmland with similar areas tends to use similar agricultural machinery and work processes, which may result in more efficient work by the contractor 20. As described above, the management device 100 can generate consignment groups and extract candidate consignments based on various conditions.

As described above using Figures 1 to 8, the management device 100 according to the embodiment acquires consignment information and consignment acceptance information, and generates a consignment group from the acquired consignment information multiple pieces of consignment information that contain information common to the base consignment information. The management device 100 then references the information contained in the generated consignment group and the consignment acceptance information to extract consignors 30 and consignees 20 whose consignment and acceptance conditions are compatible. In this way, the management device 100 realizes efficient consignment and acceptance of agricultural work.

[1-2. Configuration of management device according to embodiment]
Next, a configuration of the management device 100 that executes the agricultural work outsourcing process according to the embodiment will be described. Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the management device 100 according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, the management device 100 has a communication unit 110, a memory unit 120, and a control unit 130. The management device 100 may also have an input unit (e.g., a keyboard, a mouse, etc.) that accepts various operations from an administrator who manages the management device 100, and a display unit (e.g., an LCD display, etc.) that displays various information.

The communication unit 110 is realized, for example, by a network interface controller. The communication unit 110 is connected to a network N (e.g., the Internet or a mobile phone network) via a wired or wireless connection, and transmits and receives information to and from the trustee terminal 200, the entrustor terminal 300, etc. via the network N. For example, the communication unit 110 may transmit and receive information using communication standards or technologies such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark), SIM (Subscriber Identity Module), or LPWA (Low Power Wide Area).

The storage unit 120 is realized, for example, by a semiconductor memory element such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or optical disk. The storage unit 120 has an entrustment information storage unit 121, a consignment information storage unit 122, and a management data storage unit 123.

The trustee information storage unit 121 stores trustee information obtained from the trustee 20. For example, the trustee information storage unit 121 stores information contained in the trustee table 51 shown in Figure 2.

The consignment information storage unit 122 stores the consignment information obtained from the consignor 30. For example, the consignment information storage unit 122 stores information contained in the consignor table 52 shown in Figure 3.

The management data storage unit 123 stores various information used for generating entrusted groups, etc. Figure 10 shows a trustee information table 123A, which is an example of information stored in the management data storage unit 123. Figure 10 shows an example of a trustee information table 123A according to an embodiment.

In the example shown in Figure 10, the trustee information table 123A has fields such as "trustee ID," "company name," "evaluation value," and "owned agricultural machinery."

"Consignee ID" indicates identification information that identifies the contractor 20. "Company Name" indicates the company name of the contractor 20. "Evaluation Value" indicates the evaluation value of the contractor 20. The evaluation value is calculated based on, for example, the results of the management device 100's evaluation of whether agricultural work previously contracted was carried out smoothly, feedback from contractors 30 who have previously contracted agricultural work, and past order costs. "Owned Agricultural Machinery" indicates the type and number of agricultural machinery owned by the contractor 20.

In addition to the information shown in FIG. 10, the contractor information table 123A may also include information such as the types of agricultural work orders received in the past, the types of work, and the costs involved. When extracting contractors 20 who will accept agricultural work orders, the management device 100 may refer to the information stored in the contractor information table 123A as appropriate.

Returning to Figure 9, we will continue the explanation. The control unit 130 is realized by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., executing programs stored within the management device 100 using RAM (Random Access Memory) or the like as a working area. The control unit 130 is also a controller, and is realized by, for example, an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

As shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 130 includes an acquisition unit 131, a generation unit 132, an extraction unit 133, and a transmission/reception unit 134.

The acquisition unit 131 acquires various types of information. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires outsourcing information, which is information about the agricultural work that the entrustor 30 requests to be outsourced, and contract information, which is information about the agricultural work that the contractor 20 wishes to undertake. The acquisition unit 131 stores the acquired information in the memory unit 120.

The generation unit 132 generates, as a consignment group, multiple pieces of consignment information that include information common to the base consignment information from the consignment information acquired by the acquisition unit 131.

For example, the generation unit 132 generates a consignment group by combining base consignment information with other consignment information whose work location or response deadline is the same or similar as the base consignment information. Specifically, the generation unit 132 compiles consignment information whose addresses are close to the address of the farmland in the base consignment information, and generates this as a consignment group. Note that proximity of addresses does not simply refer to linear or spatial distance, but may also take into account the distance (time) to reach the address, including road information, etc. Furthermore, the generation unit 132 may compile multiple consignment information whose work locations are relatively close to the address of the consignee, rather than just the addresses of the consignors. Furthermore, the generation unit 132 compiles consignment information whose response deadlines in the base consignment information are close (for example, consignment information whose response deadlines are within a few days of the response deadline in the base consignment information), and generates this as a consignment group.

The generation unit 132 also generates a consignment group by combining the base consignment information with other consignment information that matches or is similar to the base consignment information in at least one of the following: farmland area, desired date for agricultural work, type of agricultural produce, and type of agricultural work.

For example, the generation unit 132 compiles consignment information with similar crop types and farm work types. Specifically, the generation unit 132 compiles consignment information with matching crop types and farm work types (such as soil plowing and harvesting). In this way, the generation unit 132 can centralize work by compiling consignment information by item and work type, thereby improving the efficiency of farm work. Furthermore, the generation unit 132 can further improve the efficiency of work by further compiling consignment information with similar desired implementation dates and farmland area.

The extraction unit 133 references the information contained in the entrustment group generated by the generation unit 132 and the trustee information, and extracts trustors 30 and trustees 20 whose entrustment and trusteeing conditions match.

For example, the extraction unit 133 extracts contractors 20 who can undertake the total work area in the consignment group as contractors 20 who meet the consignment conditions for that consignment group. In this case, the extraction unit 133 may extract only contractors 20 whose desired items and farm work exactly match those desired by the contractors 20, or may also extract contractors 20 who desire similar items. Furthermore, if the total work area in the consignment group does not match the area of farmland that the contractors 20 can work on, the extraction unit 133 may sort some of the consignment information contained in the consignment group lower in the consignment group (or delete it from the consignment group), reduce the total area of farmland in the consignment group, and then extract contractors 20 who can accept the order again.

Furthermore, the extraction unit 133 further extracts one trustee 20 that meets the entrustment conditions of the entrusted group from among the multiple trustees 20 (candidate trustees 20) extracted as trustees 20 that meet the entrustment conditions of the entrusted group based on the entrustment costs incurred by each of the multiple trustees 20 when they accept the entrusted group. For example, when there are multiple trustees 20 that can accept orders for the total area of the entrusted group, the extraction unit 133 may extract the trustee 20 with the lowest cost.

The extraction unit 133 may use the cost per unit area presented by the candidate contractor 20 as the cost for the contract for the candidate contractor 20, or may calculate the cost based on various information. Generally, the order amount per unit area varies depending on the area of the order (the cost per unit area decreases when a large area is ordered), so the extraction unit 133 calculates the cost for each contractor 20 in accordance with the total area of the consignment group. The extraction unit 133 then extracts the contractor 20 that offers the lowest order amount. At this time, the extraction unit 133 may obtain the distance between the registered address of the contractor 20 and the farmland based on map data, etc., and add a cost according to the distance, or calculate the cost for the contract based on the number of days and number of workers involved in the farm work, etc.

The extraction unit 133 may further extract one trustee 20 that meets the entrustment conditions in the entrustment group based on the evaluation value assigned to each of the multiple trustees 20 extracted as trustees 20 that meet the entrustment conditions in the entrustment group. In other words, the extraction unit 133 may preferentially extract the trustee 20 with the highest evaluation value.

The transmitting/receiving unit 134 receives or transmits various information. For example, when the extraction unit 133 extracts a contractor 20 who can accept an order for the consignment group, the transmitting/receiving unit 134 transmits information about the extracted contractor 20 to all of the consignors 30 included in the consignment group. Specifically, the transmitting/receiving unit 134 transmits the cost offered by the extracted contractor 20, the contractor's past evaluation value, the dates on which the contractor 20 is available to perform farm work, and the amount of work (work area, etc.) that the contractor 20 will complete per day. Note that the transmitting/receiving unit 134 may transmit the cost of accepting an order to the extracted contractor 20 before transmitting the information to the consignor 30. In this case, the transmitting/receiving unit 134 transmits information about the extracted contractor 20 to the consignor 30 after the contractor 20 has confirmed the cost.

The transmitting/receiving unit 134 also receives the results of the determination made by the entrustors 30 included in the entrustment group as to whether or not to entrust the work to the extracted contractor 20. If some of the entrustors 30 included in the entrustment group reject the extracted contractor 20, the transmitting/receiving unit 134 sends this information to the generating unit 132. In this case, the generating unit 132 generates a new entrustment group excluding the entrustors who rejected the contractor 20. The extracting unit 133 also extracts contractors 20 that match the newly generated entrustment group.

[1-3. Procedure for agricultural work outsourcing processing according to the embodiment]
Next, the procedure of the process according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the agricultural work outsourcing process according to the embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 11, the management device 100 acquires the entrusted information and the entrusted information (step S101). Then, the management device 100 determines whether it is time to generate an entrusted group (step S102). If it is not time to generate an entrusted group (step S102; No), the management device 100 continues the process of acquiring the entrusted information and the entrusted information.

On the other hand, when it is time to generate a consignment group (Step S102; Yes), the management device 100 determines the base consignment information (Step S103). For example, the management device 100 determines one of the consignment information with the nearest response deadline date as the base consignment information.

Next, the management device 100 tallyes requests that have the same response deadline date as the base consignment information (step S104). Furthermore, the management device 100 sorts these requests in ascending order of address proximity (step S105). During this process, the management device 100 may exclude from the consignment group requests whose addresses are farther than a predetermined distance away or whose items or farm work significantly differ from the base consignment information.

The management device 100 then compiles the multiple pieces of consignment information to generate a consignment group (step S106). Next, the management device 100 extracts candidate consignees 20 that meet the conditions of the consignment group (step S107). For example, the management device 100 extracts multiple consignees 20 that can accept orders for the total farmland area of the consignment group. The management device 100 then calculates the consignment fees for each candidate consignee 20 and extracts the consignee 20 with the lowest fees (step S108).

The management device 100 notifies all entrustors 30 included in the entrustment group of information about the extracted entrustee 20 (step S109). The management device 100 then determines whether all entrustors 30 who generate the entrustment group have agreed to the order from the extracted entrustee 20 (step S110). If all have not agreed (step S110; No), the management device 100 performs processing such as excluding the unaccepting entrustors 30 from the entrustment group, and generates a new entrustment group.

On the other hand, if all parties agree (Step S110; Yes), the management device 100 notifies the trustee 20 and the trustor 30 that the contract has been concluded (Step S111). The management device 100 then determines whether any other entrustment information remains for which to generate an entrustment group (Step S112). If any entrustment information remains (for example, entrustment information that was omitted from the initial entrustment group generation process in Step S105, etc.) (Step S112; Yes), the management device 100 determines new base entrustment information and repeats the process of generating an entrustment group. On the other hand, if no entrustment information remains (Step S112; No), the management device 100 terminates the process.

(2. Modifications of the embodiment)
[2-1. Generating a Delegated Group]
In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which consignment information with the same or close response deadlines was grouped together as a consignment group. However, it may be more efficient for the consignee 20 to receive orders for consignment information for which agricultural work is to be performed on similar dates in a single order. For this reason, the management device 100 may group together consignment information with close desired dates for agricultural work, rather than with close response deadlines, as a consignment group.

Furthermore, the management device 100 may prioritize consignment information that uses the same agricultural machinery or that involves the same type of farm work as a consignment group. In other words, the management device 100 can flexibly generate consignment groups according to the efficiency of the farm work.

[2-2. Calculation of costs]
The management device 100 may store in advance in the management data storage unit 123 information such as the location of the contractor 20, the number of workers, whether the work will be done manually or mechanically, and the work costs per unit time or unit area for each item or type of work, and calculate the contract fee based on this information. For example, the management device 100 may calculate the distance to the farmland to be contracted based on the location of the contractor 20, and calculate the contract fee taking the calculated distance into account.

The management device 100 may also extract candidate contractors 20 based on the total area of the consignment group, and then automatically calculate the cost of the consignment for each item or type of work based on the past costs of similar agricultural work, and present the calculated cost to the candidate. In this case, if the candidate accepts the proposed amount, the management device 100 extracts the candidate as a contractor 20 and notifies the client 30. This process saves the contractor 20 the trouble of investigating the farmland to be contracted and calculating the costs of the agricultural work themselves.

(3. Other Embodiments)
The processing according to the above-described embodiment may be implemented in various different forms other than the above embodiment.

For example, among the processes described in the above 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 known methods. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the information shown.

Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are functional concepts and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and variations can be combined as appropriate to the extent that the processing content is not contradictory.

Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely examples and are not limiting, and other effects may also be present.

(4. Effects of the agricultural work outsourcing device according to the present disclosure)
As described above, the agricultural work outsourcing device (management device 100 in the embodiment) according to the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit (acquisition unit 131 in the embodiment), a generation unit (generation unit 132 in the embodiment), and an extraction unit (extraction unit 133 in the embodiment). The acquisition unit acquires outsourcing information, which is information about the agricultural work that the outsourcer requests to be outsourced, and outsourcing information, which is information about the agricultural work that the outsourcee wishes to undertake. The generation unit generates, as an outsourcing group, multiple pieces of second outsourcing information from the outsourcing information acquired by the acquisition unit, which include information common to the base first outsourcing information (base outsourcing information in the embodiment). The extraction unit references the information included in the outsourcing group generated by the generation unit and the outsourcing information, and extracts outsourcees whose outsourcing and outsourcing conditions are compatible.

In this way, the agricultural work outsourcing device disclosed herein compiles outsourcing information containing common information into outsourcing groups when outsourcing agricultural work, and matches outsourcees to these outsourcing groups. In other words, the agricultural work outsourcing device enables outsourcing on a relatively large scale, thereby realizing efficient outsourcing of agricultural work, and connecting farmers facing labor shortages with those who provide labor, thereby realizing sustainable agriculture.

The generation unit also generates a consignment group consisting of the first consignment information and second consignment information whose work location or response deadline is the same as or similar to that of the first consignment information.

In this way, the agricultural work outsourcing device can improve work efficiency when accepting an outsourcing request by consolidating requests for nearby farmland or requests with close response deadlines.

The generation unit also generates a consignment group consisting of the first consignment information and second consignment information that matches or is similar to the first consignment information in at least one of the following: farmland area, desired date for farm work, type of crop, and type of farm work.

In this way, the agricultural work outsourcing device can improve work efficiency when accepting an order by consolidating requests with similar items, work types, and desired completion dates.

The extraction unit also extracts contractors who can undertake the total work area in the outsourcing group as contractors who meet the outsourcing conditions in the outsourcing group.

In this way, the agricultural work outsourcing device can efficiently outsource work by extracting contractors who can accept multiple requests as a group of requests.

The extraction unit also extracts one trustee who meets the entrustment conditions of the entrusted group from among the multiple trustees extracted as trustees who meet the entrustment conditions of the entrusted group, based on the entrustment fees incurred when each of the multiple trustees accepts the entrusted group.

In this way, the agricultural work outsourcing device can select contractors based on the cost of the work, allowing it to prioritize contractors with excellent cost performance. Furthermore, by automatically selecting contractors based on the cost, the agricultural work outsourcing device can realize outsourcing without the need for contractors to create estimates themselves.

The extraction unit also extracts one trustee from the outsourcing group who meets the outsourcing conditions based on the evaluation value assigned to each of the multiple trustees extracted as trustees who meet the outsourcing conditions in the outsourcing group.

In this way, the agricultural work outsourcing device selects contractors based on evaluation values from past performance, eliminating contractors who offer low fees but perform low-quality work, and preferentially selecting contractors that the client desires.

(5. Hardware Configuration)
Information devices such as the management device 100 and the trustee terminal 200 according to the above-described embodiments are realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration such as that shown in FIG. 12 . The following description will be given using the management device 100 according to the embodiment as an example. FIG. 12 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of the computer 1000 that realizes the functions of the management device 100. The computer 1000 has a CPU 1100, a RAM 1200, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 1300, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 1400, a communication interface 1500, and an input/output interface 1600. The components of the computer 1000 are connected by a bus 1050.

The CPU 1100 operates based on programs stored in the ROM 1300 or HDD 1400 and controls each component. For example, the CPU 1100 loads programs stored in the ROM 1300 or HDD 1400 into the RAM 1200 and executes processing corresponding to the various programs.

ROM 1300 stores boot programs such as the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) executed by the CPU 1100 when the computer 1000 starts up, as well as programs that depend on the computer 1000's hardware.

HDD 1400 is a computer-readable recording medium that non-temporarily records programs executed by CPU 1100 and data used by such programs. Specifically, HDD 1400 is a recording medium that records a program that executes the agricultural work outsourcing process related to the present disclosure, which is an example of program data 1450.

The communication interface 1500 is an interface that allows the computer 1000 to connect to an external network 1550 (e.g., the Internet). For example, the CPU 1100 receives data from other devices and transmits data generated by the CPU 1100 to other devices via the communication interface 1500.

The input/output interface 1600 is an interface for connecting the input/output device 1650 and the computer 1000. For example, the CPU 1100 receives data from input devices such as a keyboard or mouse via the input/output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 also transmits data to output devices such as a display, speaker, or printer via the input/output interface 1600. The input/output interface 1600 may also function as a media interface that reads programs and the like recorded on a specified recording medium. Examples of media include optical recording media such as DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs) and PDs (Phase Change Rewritable Disks), magneto-optical recording media such as MOs (Magneto-Optical Disks), tape media, magnetic recording media, and semiconductor memories.

For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the management device 100 according to the embodiment, the CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 executes the agricultural work outsourcing processing program loaded onto the RAM 1200, thereby realizing the functions of the control unit 130, etc. In addition, the HDD 1400 stores the program that executes the agricultural work outsourcing processing according to the present disclosure and data in the memory unit 120. The CPU 1100 reads and executes program data 1450 from the HDD 1400, but as another example, it may also obtain these programs from another device via the external network 1550.

The above describes in detail the embodiments of the present application based on the drawings, but these are merely examples, and the present invention can be implemented in other forms that incorporate various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, including the aspects described in the Disclosure of the Invention section.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Agricultural work outsourcing system 100 Management device 110 Communication unit 120 Storage unit 121 Outsourcing information storage unit 122 Outsourcing information storage unit 123 Management data storage unit 130 Control unit 131 Acquisition unit 132 Generation unit 133 Extraction unit 134 Transmission/reception unit 200 Outsourcee terminal 300 Outsourcee terminal

Claims (10)

An acquisition unit that acquires outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustor requests to be outsourced, and outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustee wishes to undertake;
A generation unit that generates a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base among the entrusted information acquired by the acquisition unit as an entrusted group;
an extraction unit that refers to information included in the entrustment group generated by the generation unit and the entrustment information, and extracts an entrustee whose entrustment and entrustment conditions are met;
Equipped with
The generation unit
The first entrustment information and second entrustment information whose work location or response deadline is the same or similar to that of the first entrustment information are generated as the entrustment group.
An agricultural work outsourcing device characterized by the above. An acquisition unit that acquires outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustor requests to be outsourced, and outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustee wishes to undertake;
A generation unit that generates a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base among the entrusted information acquired by the acquisition unit as an entrusted group;
an extraction unit that refers to information included in the entrustment group generated by the generation unit and the entrustment information, and extracts an entrustee whose entrustment and entrustment conditions are met;
Equipped with
The generation unit
The first consignment information and second consignment information that is identical or similar to at least one of the area of the farmland, the desired date for carrying out the farm work, the type of the farm crop, and the type of the farm work in the first consignment information are generated as the consignment group.
An agricultural work outsourcing device characterized by the above. An acquisition unit that acquires outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustor requests to be outsourced, and outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustee wishes to undertake;
A generation unit that generates a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base among the entrusted information acquired by the acquisition unit as an entrusted group;
an extraction unit that refers to information included in the entrustment group generated by the generation unit and the entrustment information, and extracts an entrustee whose entrustment and entrustment conditions are met;
Equipped with
The extraction unit
Extracting contractors who can undertake the total work area in the entrusted group as contractors who meet the entrustment conditions in the entrusted group;
An agricultural work outsourcing device characterized by the above. The extraction unit
Among the plurality of trustees extracted as trustees whose entrustment conditions are compatible with the entrustment group, further extracting trustees whose entrustment conditions are compatible with the entrustment group based on the entrustment fees when each of the plurality of trustees accepts the entrustment group;
4. The agricultural work outsourcing device according to claim 3 . The computer
Obtaining consignment information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the consignor requests to be consigned, and consignment information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the consignor wishes to undertake;
Among the acquired entrusted information, a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base is generated as an entrusted group;
extracting a trustee whose conditions for entrustment and acceptance are met by referring to the information contained in the created trust group and the trust information;
and
The first entrustment information and second entrustment information whose work location or response deadline is the same or similar to that of the first entrustment information are generated as the entrustment group.
A method for accepting and entrusting agricultural work. The computer
Obtaining consignment information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the consignor requests to be consigned, and consignment information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the consignor wishes to undertake;
Among the acquired entrusted information, a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base is generated as an entrusted group;
extracting a trustee whose conditions for entrustment and acceptance are met by referring to the information contained in the created trust group and the trust information;
and
The first consignment information and second consignment information that is identical or similar to at least one of the area of the farmland, the desired date for carrying out the farm work, the type of the farm crop, and the type of the farm work in the first consignment information are generated as the consignment group.
A method for accepting and entrusting agricultural work. The computer
Obtaining consignment information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the consignor requests to be consigned, and consignment information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the consignor wishes to undertake;
Among the acquired entrusted information, a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base is generated as an entrusted group;
extracting a trustee whose conditions for entrustment and acceptance are met by referring to the information contained in the created trust group and the trust information;
and
Extracting contractors who can undertake the total work area in the entrusted group as contractors who meet the entrustment conditions in the entrusted group;
A method for accepting and entrusting agricultural work. Computer,
An acquisition unit that acquires outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustor requests to be outsourced, and outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustee wishes to undertake;
A generation unit that generates a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base among the entrusted information acquired by the acquisition unit as an entrusted group;
an extraction unit that refers to information included in the entrustment group generated by the generation unit and the entrustment information, and extracts an entrustee whose entrustment and entrustment conditions are met;
and furthermore,
The generation unit
The first entrustment information and second entrustment information whose work location or response deadline is the same or similar to that of the first entrustment information are generated as the entrustment group.
A farm work outsourcing program characterized by: Computer,
An acquisition unit that acquires outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustor requests to be outsourced, and outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustee wishes to undertake;
A generation unit that generates a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base among the entrusted information acquired by the acquisition unit as an entrusted group;
an extraction unit that refers to information included in the entrustment group generated by the generation unit and the entrustment information, and extracts an entrustee whose entrustment and entrustment conditions are met;
and furthermore,
The generation unit
The first consignment information and second consignment information that is identical or similar to at least one of the area of the farmland, the desired date for carrying out the farm work, the type of the farm crop, and the type of the farm work in the first consignment information are generated as the consignment group.
A farm work outsourcing program characterized by: Computer,
An acquisition unit that acquires outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustor requests to be outsourced, and outsourcing information, which is information regarding the agricultural work that the entrustee wishes to undertake;
A generation unit that generates a plurality of second entrusted information including information common to the first entrusted information serving as a base among the entrusted information acquired by the acquisition unit as an entrusted group;
an extraction unit that refers to information included in the entrustment group generated by the generation unit and the entrustment information, and extracts an entrustee whose entrustment and entrustment conditions are met;
and furthermore,
The extraction unit
Extracting contractors who can undertake the total work area in the entrusted group as contractors who meet the entrustment conditions in the entrusted group;
A farm work outsourcing program characterized by: