JP7744442B2 - Cargo tracking system, cargo tracking method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a cargo tracking system, a cargo tracking method, and a program.

Traditionally, in the logistics industry, after a shipper has shipped a package, they have no way of knowing the whereabouts of the package until the consignee receives it. As a result, even if the consignee inquires with the shipper to find out when the package will arrive, the shipper is unable to respond to the request. In particular, in international logistics, where multiple carriers and customs authorities are involved, it is difficult to confirm the location of a package.

Patent document 1 discloses a tracking multi-service system for cargo transported via multimodal transport, which includes a server that continuously collects and accumulates cargo transportation, storage, and customs clearance information from the systems of those involved in logistics, a tracking information update means that continuously detects the transportation progress status and updates the transportation progress status at each location, and a tracking information provision means that provides the information so that it can be viewed from the user's communication terminal.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-72951

However, the input of information into the systems of logistics personnel depends on the quality of their work and the level of technological adoption, and information is not always input. As a result, the system disclosed in Patent Document 1 sometimes fails to collect cargo transportation, storage, and customs clearance information from the systems of logistics personnel, posing the problem of not always being able to present sufficient tracking information to users.

The present invention therefore provides a cargo tracking system, cargo tracking method, and program that manages cargo tracking information and evaluates the work quality of those involved in logistics based on the cargo tracking information.

The present invention provides a cargo tracking system that manages tracking information including at least the transportation status of cargo, and includes a management unit that associates the tracking information with cargo identification information of the cargo and receives input of the tracking information from a terminal of a transportation company or an institution involved in the transportation of the cargo , and a calculation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each transportation company or institution involved in the transportation of the cargo based on the input status of the tracking information.

The present invention also provides a cargo tracking system in which the tracking information includes a plurality of pieces of correction information that are input when the cargo is delayed, and the calculation unit calculates an evaluation value for each of the transport companies or each of the organizations involved in transporting the cargo based on the input status of the tracking information including the plurality of pieces of correction information when one of the pieces of correction information is input.

The present invention also provides a cargo tracking system in which the correction information is correction information for the scheduled departure date and scheduled arrival date of the transport aircraft carrying the cargo.

The present invention also provides a cargo tracking system in which the calculation unit calculates the input rate of the tracking information as the evaluation value.

The present invention also provides a cargo tracking system in which the calculation unit calculates the input rate by dividing the number of times the tracking information is input by the total number of pieces of tracking information for each transport company or each organization involved in the transport of cargo.

The present invention also provides a cargo tracking system in which the tracking information includes the scheduled departure date and/or scheduled arrival date of the transport aircraft carrying the cargo and the actual arrival date of the cargo, and which includes a prediction unit that predicts the scheduled arrival date of the cargo before arrival based on tracking information in which the scheduled departure date and/or scheduled arrival date have been input for the cargo before arrival, and tracking information for cargo that has completed arrival.

The present invention also provides a cargo tracking system having a presentation unit that presents the tracking information and/or the evaluation value to the shipper of the cargo.

The present invention also provides a cargo tracking method executed by a computer that manages tracking information including at least the transportation status of cargo, the cargo tracking method including the steps of: associating the tracking information with cargo identification information of the cargo, and receiving input of the tracking information from a terminal of a transportation company or an institution involved in the transportation of the cargo ; and calculating an evaluation value for each transportation company or each institution involved in the transportation of the cargo based on the input status of the tracking information.

The present invention also provides a computer-readable program for causing a computer that manages tracking information of cargo to execute the steps of: associating the tracking information with cargo identification information of the cargo; and receiving input of the tracking information from a terminal of a transport company or an institution involved in the transport of the cargo ; and calculating an evaluation value for each transport company or institution involved in the transport of the cargo based on the input status of the tracking information.

According to the present invention, cargo tracking information can be managed and the work quality of logistics personnel can be evaluated based on the cargo tracking information.

1 is a diagram illustrating an overview of a cargo tracking system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing a functional configuration of a cargo tracking management device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating a cargo tracking database 421 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically illustrating an evaluation value database 422 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a diagram showing an example of display of an input rate on a terminal 50 of a cargo tracking system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a process for creating cargo tracking information executed by the cargo tracking management device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a diagram showing an evaluation value calculation process executed by a calculation unit 43 of a cargo tracking management device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a process for predicting a scheduled arrival date executed by a prediction unit 45 of a cargo tracking management device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a detailed description of the form for implementing the present invention (hereinafter, "embodiment") will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following figures, the same elements are designated by the same numbers or symbols throughout the description of the embodiment.

[Basic concept/basic configuration]
A cargo tracking system is a system that manages tracking information (hereinafter referred to as cargo tracking information) for cargo shipped from a warehouse, transported by a transport company, and delivered to a consignee's warehouse, etc. Here, the cargo refers to cargo transported domestically or internationally. The cargo transport vehicle may be any of ships, airplanes, trains, trucks, or other vehicles.

Specifically, the cargo tracking system associates cargo shipped from a warehouse with cargo tracking information that includes at least the cargo's transportation status, and manages the cargo tracking information entered from the terminals of transport companies, etc. The cargo tracking system also calculates an evaluation value for each transport company based on the input status of the managed cargo tracking information. Here, transport companies, etc. refer to businesses involved in the transportation of cargo, including transport companies that actually transport the cargo (forwarders, carriers, brokers, customs brokers, etc.), and organizations involved in the transportation of cargo, such as customs and organizations that manage cargo transport vehicles. The evaluation value of a transport company is a value that evaluates the quality of the transport company's work.

Figure 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of a cargo tracking system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment of the present invention, a cargo tracking system 1 is described that targets cargo transported internationally, but the cargo tracking system 1 can also target cargo transported domestically. In Figure 1, dotted lines indicate the flow of cargo, and solid lines indicate the flow of data.

The cargo tracking system 1 includes an order management system 10 that receives and manages product orders from consignees, a warehouse management system 20 that manages products stored in a warehouse, a transport company system 30 used by transport companies and the like involved in transporting cargo, a cargo tracking management device 40 that manages cargo tracking information, and a terminal 50 operated by the shipper/consignee/transport company.

In this embodiment, the order management system 10, warehouse management system 20, shipping company system 30, and cargo tracking management device 40 in the cargo tracking system 1 are described as separate systems and devices, but some or all of the functions of these systems and devices may run on one or more platforms. Furthermore, the cargo tracking system 1 may include other terminals, devices, etc. in addition to the above-mentioned systems and devices.

The order management system 10 is a system used by shippers to manage orders from consignees. In this embodiment, when the order management system 10 receives an order from an overseas consignee, it sends shipping instructions for the ordered products to the warehouse management system 20 (S1).

Shipping instructions include the shipping information required to ship goods from the warehouse and, in the case of international shipments, the export information required to export the goods to the consignee's country. Shipping information includes, for example, the product name ordered, the names of the shipper and consignee, the shipping date/time, and the shipping company's name. Export information also includes export documents required for export procedures, such as the invoice, which is the shipping bill for international shipments, the packing list (also called a packing list), and the shipping instruction (SI, an abbreviation for Shipping Instruction, also called a shipping request), as well as the information contained in those export documents. The invoice, packing list, and SI are created based on the purchase order (PO), a purchase order or purchase instruction that details the product name and shipping terms, obtained from the consignee at the time of order placement.

Here, an invoice is a detailed list of cargo prepared by a shipper (exporter) for a consignee (importer) when shipping cargo overseas. It includes the product name, quantity, price, contract terms, contract unit price, etc., and not only shows the details of the cargo that has been shipped, but also serves as the basis for processes such as payment settlement and import/export declarations. A packing list is one of the essential documents for exports, along with an invoice, and lists the cargo's packing details, such as how the cargo is packed, the number of packages, weight, size, and marks on the exterior. A SI is a document used by a shipper (exporter) to entrust customs clearance and shipping procedures to a transport company when exporting cargo.

The warehouse management system 20 is a system for a warehouse operator that owns a warehouse, and manages the goods that are received from one or more shippers, stored in the warehouse, and shipped. When the warehouse management system 20 receives a shipping instruction for the stored goods from the shipper's order management system 10, it ships the goods as cargo to a transport company based on the shipping instruction. The cargo shipped to the transport company is transported to a logistics base.

The warehouse management system 20 ships the cargo to the transport company and transmits the shipping instruction received from the order management system 10 to the transport company system 30 (S2).

When the warehouse management system 20 ships the instructed goods as cargo to the transport company, it transmits cargo identification information that identifies the cargo and the shipping information included in the shipping instruction to the cargo tracking management device 40 (hereinafter referred to as the management device 40 in this specification) (S3). The cargo identification information is a shipping invoice identification number that identifies the shipping invoice, and in this embodiment, this is the Invoice_No, which is information that identifies the invoice. The management device 40 associates the cargo identification information and shipping information received from the warehouse management system 20 to generate cargo tracking information (S4). The management device 40 will be described later.

The transport company system 30 is a system used by transport companies when transporting cargo, and performs processing and information management related to the transport of cargo, and in this embodiment includes a customs clearance management system 31, a port entry/departure management system 32, and a transport management system 33, which are interconnected. Note that the customs clearance management system 31 is not necessary in the case of domestic transport.

The customs clearance management system 31 is a system that processes customs clearance procedures for imported and exported cargo and manages information on customs clearance procedures, such as NACCS. The customs clearance management system 31 transmits an export declaration created based on the export information received from the warehouse management system 20 to customs, and receives an export permit from customs. Note that customs is an external system that can communicate with the customs clearance management system 31. Note that, upon receiving the export permit, the transport company loads the cargo in the bonded area onto a transport vehicle such as a ship or airplane and exports it.

The customs clearance management system 31 also manages information related to customs clearance procedures, such as export declarations, the date of sending the export declarations, export permits, the date of customs clearance for export permission, and the date of receipt of the export permit. Furthermore, upon instruction from the transport business, the customs clearance management system 31 associates customs tracking information, which can identify the transport status of the cargo, among the information related to customs clearance procedures, with cargo identification information and transmits this information to the management device 40 (S5).

The port arrival/departure management system 32 is a system that manages port arrival/departure information and operation information for ships or aircraft carrying cargo, such as VSS (Vessel Schedule Service) or DESCARTES. The port arrival/departure management system 32 also manages station departure/arrival information and operation information for trains carrying cargo, and terminal station departure/arrival information and operation information for trucks carrying cargo. In detail, the port arrival/departure management system 32 manages the departure dates, arrival dates, and operation information for transport aircraft carrying cargo. In response to instructions from the transport company, the port arrival/departure management system 32 associates port arrival/departure tracking information from the port arrival/departure information, which can identify the cargo's transportation status, with cargo identification information and transmits this information to the management device 40 (S6).

The transportation management system 33 is a system that processes transportation company operations related to the transportation of cargo shipped from a warehouse and manages information on transportation company operations. For example, the transportation management system 33 creates and manages B/Ls (abbreviation for Bill of Lading, also known as bills of lading), which are one of the shipping documents used in trade and are evidence that a transportation contract has been concluded between the shipper and the carrier.

The transportation management system 33 also manages transportation information related to the transportation of cargo, such as the transportation mode indicating whether it is air, sea, or land transportation, the name of the aircraft carrying the cargo (e.g., flight number, ship name, vehicle name, etc.), the departure and arrival points of the aircraft, the scheduled departure and arrival dates of the aircraft, the B/L No. that identifies the B/L, the date the B/L is issued, and the actual arrival date of the cargo at the consignee's warehouse, etc.

In the case of domestic transport, since a B/L is not issued, the B/L No. and B/L issue date are not managed, but in the case of air transport, when an AWB (abbreviation for Air Way Bill) is used instead of a B/L, the AWB No. and AWB issue date are managed. Furthermore, upon instruction from the transport company, the transport management system 33 associates transport tracking information from the transport information, which can identify the transport status of the cargo, with the cargo identification information and transmits it to the management device 40 (S7).

As described above, when the management device 40 receives cargo identification information and shipping information from the warehouse management system 20, it associates the shipping information with the cargo identification information to generate cargo tracking information (S4). The management device 40 inputs the customs clearance tracking information (S5) from the customs clearance management system 31, the port entry/departure tracking information (S6) from the port entry/departure management system 32, and the transportation tracking information (S7) from the transportation management system 33 into the generated cargo tracking information each time it receives the information (S8). The figure shows an example of the cargo tracking information generated in S4 and input in S8. Details will be described later. Note that if the transportation company system 30 does not have a customs clearance management system 31 (i.e., in the case of domestic transportation), the management device 40 does not receive the customs clearance tracking information and does not input the customs clearance tracking information into the cargo tracking information.

The order in which information is sent from the customs clearance management system 31, the port entry/departure management system 32, and the transportation management system 33 to the management device 40 is random, as it is the order in which the transport company inputs and transmits information into each system. Furthermore, transmission to these management devices 40 occurs each time the transport company inputs and transmits information.

The management device 40 calculates an evaluation value for each transport company by referencing the cargo tracking information. As described above, the transport company's evaluation value is a value that evaluates the transport company's business quality and is calculated from the input rate and input delay rate of the cargo tracking information. Here, the input rate is a value that indicates the extent to which the transport company inputs cargo tracking information. Furthermore, the input delay rate is a value that indicates the extent to which the transport company delays inputting cargo tracking information. In other words, the input rate and input delay rate of the cargo tracking information indicate the appropriateness of operations such as cargo waybills, and from these, an evaluation value that evaluates the transport company's business quality can be calculated.

The management device 40 displays the evaluation value for each transport company on the terminal 50. The management device 40 may display the evaluation value for each transport company on the terminal 50 as a bar graph, with 100 being the perfect score, as shown in FIG. 1, or may display a table showing the evaluation value as numerical values (S9).

The cargo tracking system 1 of this embodiment allows for centralized management of cargo tracking information from the time the cargo is shipped from the warehouse until the transportation to the consignee's warehouse or other location is completed. Additionally, by calculating an evaluation value for each transport company and presenting it to the shipper or other party, the quality of the transport company's work can be communicated to the shipper or other party.

This will encourage transport companies to properly input cargo tracking information and perform other tasks related to cargo transport status, while allowing shippers to select transport companies with high evaluation scores (i.e., high operational quality). As a result, transport companies with low operational quality will be eliminated, leading to improvements in management operations related to cargo transport status, such as providing sufficient cargo tracking information, across the entire transport industry, making it easier for shippers to respond to delays.

[Functional configuration]
The functional configuration of the management device 40 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The management device 40 includes a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, a management unit 43, a calculation unit 44, a prediction unit 45, and a display processing unit 46. Note that although the management device 40 is realized by a single computer in this embodiment, it may also be realized by multiple computers, such as a cloud computer.

The communication unit 41 communicates with each of the order management system 10, warehouse management system 20, and shipping company system 30 shown in Fig. 1 via a network (not shown). The communication unit 41 also communicates with a terminal 50 via a network (not shown). The terminal 50 is configured, for example, by a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a personal computer, or the like.

The storage unit 42 includes a cargo tracking database (DB) 421 that stores cargo tracking information, and an evaluation value database (DB) 422 that stores evaluation values for each transport company, and is configured, for example, with a hard disk, semiconductor memory, storage medium, memory card, etc. Cloud storage or a distributed ledger may also be used for the storage unit 42.

The management unit 43 associates the shipping information received from the warehouse management system 20, the customs tracking information received from the customs management system 31, the port entry/departure tracking information received from the port entry/departure management system 32, and the transport tracking information received from the transport management system 33 with the cargo identification information and stores them in the cargo tracking DB 421. As mentioned above, in the case of domestic transport, the management device 40 does not receive customs tracking information and therefore does not store the customs tracking information in the cargo tracking DB 421.

In detail, when the management unit 43 receives cargo identification information and shipping information from the warehouse management system 20, it associates the received cargo identification information with the shipping information and generates a new cargo tracking information record (hereinafter simply referred to as a record) in the cargo tracking DB 421. Then, when the management unit 43 receives cargo identification information and customs tracking information from the customs management system 31, cargo identification information and port entry/departure tracking information from the port entry/departure management system 32, or cargo identification information and transport tracking information from the transport management system 33, it enters the received information into the record in the cargo tracking DB 421.

The customs clearance management system 31 transmits cargo identification information and customs tracking information to the management device 40 each time it receives an instruction to send the information from the transport company, and the management device 40 inputs the information into a record in the cargo tracking DB 421 each time it receives information from the customs clearance management system 31. The same is true for the port entry/departure management system 32 and the transport management system 33, and the management device 40 inputs the information into a record in the cargo tracking DB 421 each time it receives information.

Specifically, when the management unit 43 acquires cargo identification information and customs tracking information from the customs management system 31, it associates the customs tracking information with the cargo identification information in the cargo tracking DB 421. Furthermore, when the management unit 43 acquires cargo identification information and entry/departure tracking information from the port entry/departure management system 32, it associates the entry/departure tracking information with the cargo identification information in the cargo tracking DB 421. Furthermore, when the management unit 43 acquires cargo identification information and transport tracking information from the transport management system 33, it associates the transport tracking information with the cargo identification information in the cargo tracking DB 421.

Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing a cargo tracking DB421 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cargo tracking information stored in the cargo tracking DB421 includes Invoice No. (transport invoice identification information) as cargo identification information, shipping location, shipping date, and carrier name as shipping information, customs clearance date as customs clearance tracking information, actual departure date and actual arrival date as port entry/departure tracking information, and transport mode, flight name, ship name, House B/L No., Master B/L No., B/L issue date, departure point, destination, scheduled departure date, scheduled departure date (revised), scheduled arrival date, scheduled arrival date (revised), scheduled arrival date, and actual arrival date as transport tracking information.

Here, MasterB/L_No is information identifying the MasterB/L issued by a shipping company or airline to a transport company, and HouseB/L_No is information identifying the HouseB/L issued by a transport company to a shipper. Furthermore, the scheduled departure date (revised) is the new scheduled departure date that is entered when the departure of the cargo transport aircraft is delayed for some reason. Furthermore, the scheduled arrival date (revised) is the new scheduled arrival date that is entered when the arrival of the cargo transport aircraft is delayed for some reason. The scheduled arrival date is the scheduled date on which the cargo is to arrive at the consignee's warehouse, etc., and the actual arrival date is the date on which the cargo arrived at the consignee's warehouse, etc.

Returning to Figure 2, the calculation unit 44 refers to the cargo tracking DB 421 (see Figure 3) at a specified time and calculates an evaluation value for each transport company based on records in which the actual arrival date has been entered for a specified period.

Cargo tracking is considered complete when the cargo arrives at the port/airport/station/terminal, and the calculation unit 44 calculates the evaluation value based on the record in which the actual arrival date has been entered.

The calculation unit 44 calculates the evaluation value for a predetermined period. The predetermined period may be a regular period or an irregular period requested by the shipper. The predetermined period may also be the entire period recorded in the cargo tracking DB 421. In particular, when the calculation unit 44 calculates the evaluation value periodically, it calculates the evaluation value for a predetermined period set in advance, such as every month, every six months, or every year. When the calculation unit 44 calculates the evaluation value irregularly, it may calculate the evaluation value for a period specified by the shipper. The calculation unit 44 may also calculate the evaluation value for the entire period.

First, we will explain the case where the calculation unit 44 calculates the input rate of cargo tracking information as an evaluation value. Specifically, the calculation unit 44 extracts records in which actual arrival dates for a specified period have been entered for each transport company at a specified time. Next, the calculation unit 44 references the extracted records and, for each transport company, calculates the input rate by dividing the actual number of pieces of information, which is the amount of information stored in the record, by the total number of pieces of information in the record, and multiplying the result by 100. Because information is stored in the record each time it is entered, the actual number of pieces of information indicates the input status, and the total number of pieces of information is the amount of information that should be entered, so the input rate can be calculated by dividing the actual number of pieces of information by the total number of pieces of information.

Note that the scheduled departure date (revised) and scheduled arrival date (revised) for a record are not necessarily entered, but are entered when a revision occurs. Therefore, if at least one of the scheduled departure date (revised) or scheduled arrival date (revised) is entered, the number of pieces of information for the scheduled departure date (revised) and scheduled arrival date (revised), 2, will be included in the total number of pieces of information. In addition, the entered scheduled departure date (revised) and/or entered scheduled arrival date (revised) will be included in the actual number of pieces of information.

Furthermore, in the record of this embodiment, the information to be entered when cargo is delayed for some reason is the scheduled departure date (revised) and scheduled arrival date (revised), but is not limited to these. Even if the record includes other information to be entered when cargo is delayed for some reason, if at least one of the scheduled departure date (revised), scheduled arrival date (revised), and other information is entered, as with the scheduled departure date (revised) and scheduled arrival date (revised), the number of these pieces of information is included in the total number of pieces of information, and the entered information is included in the actual number of pieces of information. Examples of other information include the scheduled customs clearance date.

The calculation unit 44 then stores the calculated input rate for each transportation company as an evaluation value in the evaluation value DB 422 as shown in Figure 4, correlating it with the transportation company name and the period for which the input rate was calculated.

The calculation unit 44 may also calculate an input rate that reflects input delays as an evaluation value. Specifically, for cargo tracking information for which a predetermined input deadline is set, the calculation unit 44 determines whether the date on which the information was input falls within the predetermined input deadline. If the calculation unit 44 determines that the input deadline is exceeded, the calculation unit 44 counts the information as the number of lately input information. The calculation unit 44 then subtracts the number of lately input information from the number of actual information, divides the result by the total number of information, and multiplies the result by 100 to calculate the input rate. In other words, the calculation unit 44 calculates the input rate by assuming that records input outside the deadline were not input. For example, if the scheduled departure date is often determined within a few days of the customs clearance date, the input deadline may be set to three days. Even if there are no particular circumstances, it is unnatural for the scheduled departure date to be input later than the actual departure date or the scheduled arrival date, so the input date of the actual departure date or the scheduled arrival date may be used as the deadline.
The input delay rate is expressed as (number of delayed input information items/total number of information items) x 100. In the above example, the input rate was calculated as {(number of actual information items - number of delayed input information items)/total number of information items} x 100 and used as the evaluation value, but the input delay rate can also be used as the evaluation value as is.

Returning to Figure 2, the prediction unit 45 refers to the cargo tracking DB 421 and predicts the expected arrival date for a record in which the expected departure date and expected arrival date have been entered, based on past records of the cargo's transport company.

In detail, first, the prediction unit 45 refers to the cargo tracking DB 421 and extracts one record in which at least one of the scheduled departure date and scheduled arrival date is entered. (Hereinafter, this record will be referred to as the prediction target record.) Next, the prediction unit 45 refers to the cargo tracking DB 421 and, based on the carrier name in the prediction target record, acquires one or more records in which at least one of the scheduled departure date and scheduled arrival date and the actual arrival date are entered. (Hereinafter, this record will be referred to as the past performance record group.)

The prediction unit 45 then predicts the expected arrival date of the cargo in the prediction target information record based on the prediction target record and the group of past performance records. For example, the prediction unit 45 calculates the average number of days from the scheduled departure date to the actual arrival date (hereinafter referred to as the average number of days from departure) and the average number of days from the scheduled arrival date to the actual arrival date (hereinafter referred to as the average number of days from arrival) from the group of past performance records. Next, the prediction unit 45 calculates the first expected arrival date by adding the average number of days from departure to the scheduled departure date in the prediction target record, and calculates the second expected arrival date by adding the average number of days from arrival to the scheduled arrival date in the prediction target record. The prediction unit 45 then calculates the midpoint between the first expected arrival date and the second expected arrival date as the expected arrival date. The prediction unit 45 associates the predicted expected arrival date with cargo identification information and inputs it into the cargo tracking DB 421.

If the extracted prediction target record contains a revised scheduled departure date and a revised scheduled arrival date, the prediction unit 45 replaces the revised scheduled departure date and scheduled arrival date with the revised scheduled arrival date, calculates the scheduled arrival date, and inputs this into the cargo tracking DB 421. If the extracted prediction target record contains a scheduled arrival date, the prediction unit 45 inputs the calculated scheduled arrival date into the cargo tracking DB 421 based on the cargo identification information.

In response to a request for cargo tracking information from terminal 50 specifying cargo identification information and shipping information, the display processing unit 46 retrieves cargo tracking information from the cargo tracking DB 421 based on the specified cargo identification information and shipping information, and displays it on terminal 50. Furthermore, at any time, or in response to a request from terminal 50 to display an evaluation value, the display processing unit 46 references the evaluation value DB 422 and displays the evaluation value for each transport company on terminal 50. The evaluation values can be displayed, for example, as a bar graph showing the evaluation value for each transport company, as shown in Figure 5(a), or as a table ranking transport companies in descending order of evaluation value, as shown in Figure 5(b). Another example is a diagram displaying the monthly evaluation values of transport companies using a combination of a bar graph and a line graph, as shown in Figure 5(c).

The functional configuration of the management device 40 described above is merely an example. A single functional block (database and functional processing unit) may be divided, or multiple functional blocks may be combined into a single functional block. Each functional processing unit is implemented by a central processing unit (CPU) built into the device or terminal that reads and executes a computer program (e.g., core software or an application that causes the CPU to execute the various processes described above) stored in a storage device (memory unit) such as read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, solid-state drive (SSD), or hard disk. That is, each functional processing unit is implemented by the computer program reading and writing necessary data, such as tables, from a database (DB) stored in the storage device or a storage area in memory, and, in some cases, controlling related hardware (e.g., an input/output device, a display device, a communication interface device). Furthermore, the database (DB) in the embodiments of this invention may be a commercial database, but it also refers to a simple collection of tables and files, regardless of the internal structure of the database itself.

[Processing flow]
Next, the process of creating cargo tracking information executed by the management unit 43 of the management device 40 according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 6. Note that steps S12 to S14 may be performed in any order, and each step may be repeated multiple times. Furthermore, in the case of domestic transport, the process of S12 is not performed.

The management unit 43 associates the cargo identification information and shipping information received from the warehouse management system 20 and generates a new record in the cargo tracking DB 421 (S11). Next, the management unit 43 inputs the cargo identification information and customs tracking information received from the customs management system 31 into the record generated in S1 (S12). The management unit 43 inputs the cargo identification information and port entry/departure management tracking information received from the port entry/departure management system 32 into the record generated in S1 (S13). The management unit 43 inputs the cargo identification information and transport tracking information received from the transport management system 33 into the record generated in S1 (S14).

Next, using Figure 7, we will explain the evaluation value calculation process executed by the calculation unit 44 of the management device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In this process, the input rate is calculated as the evaluation value. Furthermore, this process may be started periodically, or may be started irregularly in response to a request from a shipper, etc.

The calculation unit 44 refers to the cargo tracking DB 421 and extracts records for each transport company in which the actual arrival date has been entered (S21). Next, for one transport company, the calculation unit 44 counts the number of pieces of information actually stored in the records extracted in S21 and the total number of pieces of information (S22).

Next, the calculation unit 44 calculates the input rate by dividing the actual number of pieces of information counted in S22 by the total number of pieces of information counted in S22 and multiplying the result by 100 (S23). The calculated input rate is used as an evaluation value, and the evaluation value is associated with the name of the transport company and stored by the calculation unit 44 in the evaluation value DB 422 (step S24).

The calculation unit 44 then determines whether evaluation values have been calculated for all transport companies whose records were extracted in S21 (S25). If evaluation values have been calculated for all transport companies (YES), the processing ends. If evaluation values have not been calculated for all transport companies (NO), the processing returns to step S22, and evaluation values are calculated for transport companies for which evaluation values have not been calculated.

Next, using FIG. 8, we will explain the process of predicting the expected arrival date executed by the prediction unit 45 of the management device 40 according to an embodiment of the present invention. This process may be started periodically or irregularly in response to a request from a shipper, etc.

The prediction unit 45 refers to the cargo tracking DB 421 for each transport company to obtain a prediction target record (S31). Next, the prediction unit 45 refers to the cargo tracking DB 421 to obtain a group of past performance records for the transport company of the one prediction target record extracted in S31 (S32).

Next, the prediction unit 45 predicts the expected arrival date for the cargo in the prediction target record based on the prediction target record and the group of past performance records (S33). Next, the prediction unit 45 inputs the expected arrival date predicted in S33 into the cargo tracking DB 421 in association with the cargo identification information in the prediction target record (S34).

The prediction unit 45 then determines whether expected arrival dates have been predicted for all prediction records extracted in S31 (S35). If expected arrival dates have been calculated for all prediction target records (YES), the processing ends. If expected arrival dates have not been calculated for all prediction target records (NO), the processing returns to S32, and expected arrival dates are calculated for prediction target records for which they have not been calculated.

As described above, the cargo tracking system centrally manages cargo tracking information from the time the cargo is shipped from the warehouse to the end of transportation in cargo tracking DB421, and can provide cargo tracking information in response to requests from shippers and consignees.

The cargo tracking system also calculates an evaluation score for each transport company based on the cargo tracking database and presents the evaluation score to shippers, transport companies, and consignees, thereby informing them of the quality of the transport company's operations. This encourages transport companies to properly perform their operations, such as inputting cargo tracking information and checking the transport status of cargo, while allowing shippers to select transport companies with high evaluation scores, i.e., high operational quality. As a result, transport companies with low operational quality are eliminated, resulting in improved operational quality across the entire transport industry. Meanwhile, even if a delay does occur, it becomes easier for shippers to respond to the delay.

Furthermore, the cargo tracking system can calculate the expected arrival date of cargo to be transported from the expected departure date and expected arrival date, taking into account the transport company's tendency for delays/early arrivals based on past cargo tracking information stored in the cargo tracking database.

The present invention has been described above using embodiments, but it goes without saying that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It will be clear to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made to the above embodiments. Furthermore, it is clear from the claims that forms incorporating such modifications or improvements can also be included within the technical scope of the present invention. Note that in the above embodiments, the present invention has been described as an invention of a cargo tracking system, but it can also be considered as an invention of a method executed by the cargo tracking system in the present invention, or a program that causes the cargo tracking system to function as various means.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Cargo tracking system 10 Order management system 20 Warehouse management system 30 Transport company system 31 Customs clearance management system 32 Port entry/departure management system 33 Transportation management system 40 Management device 41 Communication unit 42 Storage unit 421 Cargo tracking DB
422 Evaluation value DB
43 Management unit 44 Calculation unit 45 Prediction unit 46 Display processing unit

Claims (9)

A cargo tracking system that manages tracking information including at least the transportation status of cargo,
a management unit that associates the tracking information with the cargo identification information of the cargo and receives input of the tracking information from a terminal of a transport company or an organization involved in transporting the cargo ;
a calculation unit that calculates an evaluation value for each of the transport companies or each of the organizations involved in the transport of the cargo based on the input status of the tracking information;
A cargo tracking system equipped with The tracking information includes a plurality of correction information items to be input if the cargo is delayed;
The cargo tracking system of claim 1, wherein the calculation unit calculates an evaluation value for each of the transport companies or each of the organizations involved in transporting the cargo based on the input status of the tracking information including the plurality of pieces of correction information when input is made to one of the plurality of pieces of correction information. The cargo tracking system of claim 2, wherein the correction information is correction information for the scheduled departure date and scheduled arrival date of the transport aircraft carrying the cargo. A cargo tracking system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the calculation unit calculates the input rate of the tracking information as the evaluation value. The cargo tracking system of claim 4, wherein the calculation unit calculates the input rate by dividing the number of times the tracking information is input by the total number of tracking information for each transportation company or each organization involved in the transportation of the cargo . The tracking information includes a scheduled departure date and/or a scheduled arrival date of the transport aircraft carrying the cargo, and an actual arrival date of the cargo,
6. The cargo tracking system according to claim 1, further comprising a prediction unit that predicts the expected arrival date of cargo that has not yet arrived based on tracking information into which the expected departure date and/or the expected arrival date has been input and cargo tracking information for cargo that has completed arrival. The cargo tracking system of any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a presentation unit that presents the tracking information and/or the evaluation value to the shipper of the cargo. A cargo tracking method executed by a computer that manages tracking information including at least the transportation status of cargo,
Associating the tracking information with cargo identification information of the cargo and receiving an input of the tracking information from a terminal of a transport company or an organization involved in transporting the cargo ;
calculating an evaluation value for each of the transport companies or each of the organizations involved in transporting the cargo based on the input status of the tracking information;
including shipment tracking methods. The computer that manages the tracking information of the shipment
Associating the tracking information with cargo identification information of the cargo and receiving an input of the tracking information from a terminal of a transport company or an organization involved in transporting the cargo ;
calculating an evaluation value for each of the transport companies or each of the organizations involved in transporting the cargo based on the input status of the tracking information;
A computer-readable program for executing the program.