JP2002183251A - Product management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To manage a product from the production through the disposal and also to easily and quickly deal with a claim. SOLUTION: This product management system 10 is provided with a product database 12 in which at least a record prepared in each product to be shipped is stored, a retrieving part 110 for retrieving the database, an inputting and outputting part 111 for inputting and outputting information to/from the database, a communicating part 112 connected to a computer provided at a base through a network and a storing part 113 for storing information received through the network. The record constituting the database 12 has at least a product number attached individually to each product and distribution information representing the existence position of a product from the shipment of the product to its disposal as data items. The system 10 individually manages product distribution on the basis of contents inputted by the computer provided at the base and recorded in the field of the distribution information through the communicating part 112 and the inputting and outputting part 111.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a system for managing the lifetime of products, construction works, maintenance contracts, and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, products manufactured in a factory of a manufacturer are distributed to customers through distribution bases, sales bases, and even distributors. If a product breaks down or malfunctions, it is reported to the dealer or manufacturer as a complaint, and a customer representative of the dealer or manufacturer goes to the customer for repairs or the product is transported to the manufacturer. Or repair at the manufacturer. Further, if repair is impossible due to a life or the like, it may be discarded.

[0003]

However, after the product is shipped from the factory, the manufacturer cannot manage the product in a lump, so that it is not possible to know in which stage the product is in distribution. Therefore, even if a defect occurs in a product, there is a problem that a manufacturer cannot quickly recognize the problem and take measures.

[0004] In addition, since the customer cannot know the life of the product, trouble may occur because the product is not used and discarded at an appropriate timing after the life has expired. Further, in the case of industrial waste, the customer cannot freely dispose of the waste, and the manufacturer must take responsibility for disposal.

[0005] On the other hand, even before the end of the service life, when a complaint is received from another customer, a complaint similar to the complaint received in the past is received because the complaint is individually dealt with. In many cases, another person is in charge from the beginning, and it is not a system that can promptly respond.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to manage products from production to disposal consistently and to respond to complaints easily and promptly.

[0007]

According to the present invention, as a specific means for achieving the above object, at least a product database in which records created for each product to be shipped are stored and a database is searched. A product comprising: a search unit; an input / output unit that inputs and outputs information to and from a database; a communication unit that connects to a computer provided at a base via a network; and a storage unit that stores information received via the network. Records constituting the database have at least a product number individually assigned to each product and logistics information indicating the location of the product from shipment to disposal of the product as data items. On the basis of the contents input in the computer provided in the computer and recorded in the logistics information field via the communication unit and the input / output unit. To provide a product management system for managing the logistics individually.

[0008] At the base, a production and disposal plant,
Logistics / sales bases, distributors, or customers are included, the product database has a data item of a disposal request indicating whether there is a disposal request, and the product database is
It has a data item of the discard flag indicating whether or not the product has been discarded, and when the discard flag field indicates that the product has been discarded, it is necessary to delete the record related to the product, and it is created for each claim that occurred in the past. The claim database has at least a claim content and a corresponding content as data items, and a new claim is generated at any site and the content of the claim is input to the computer at the site. When the content is received via the network and stored in the storage unit, the search unit searches the claim database, and if the same claim exists in the claim database, the same claim is recorded. The input / output unit reads the field corresponding to the record, The contents of the issued field are transferred to the computer at the base where the claim occurred, and the claims database has a publishability flag indicating whether the content of the claim is publishable as a data item. Based on the content of the flag field, it is determined whether or not to transmit the content of the corresponding field to the computer at the base where the complaint has occurred. A number database as a data item, and an item database storing at least a record having at least a data item of a person in charge in which information on an employee in charge of the item is recorded, and further, a telephone number or a contact number of a person in charge of the person in charge It has an employee database with data items for e-mail addresses. Search the item database and employee database to find the person in charge of the item. If the same complaint as the newly generated complaint does not exist in the complaint database, a record with the contents of the complaint as a data item is handled. Create a database and record the content of newly generated claims in the field of claim content, and record the complaint response database, at least, start response, scheduled action, cause of occurrence, solution, resolution policy, effect It is an additional requirement to have data items of

According to the product management system configured as described above, since the location of the product is always recorded in the database, it is possible to grasp the movement of the product at the distribution stage and to dispose of the product in response to the application for disposal. Products to be collected.

When a complaint occurs, it is first searched whether or not the same complaint has occurred in the past, and if the same complaint has occurred, it is possible to promptly resolve the complaint by referring to the contents of the response at that time. it can. Further, by displaying the corresponding contents on the screen of the personal computer at the base, the solution can be solved only by the customer.

Further, even if there is no same claim in the past, the person in charge of each item is promptly contacted in accordance with the content of the claim, and the department relating to the item investigates the cause and examines a solution. Can be.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As an example of an embodiment of the present invention, a product management system 10 shown in FIG. 1 which can collectively manage from production to disposal of a product will be described. This product management system 10 includes a maker 100
Server 11 and
Product DB12, customer DB13, complaint correspondence DB14, complaint DB1 accessed from this server 11.
5, an item DB 16, an employee DB 17, and a related agent DB 18.

The server 11 includes a search unit 110 for searching each DB, an input / output unit 111 for inputting / outputting information to / from each database, and communication for connecting to computers provided at each site via a network such as the Internet. And a storage unit 113 for storing information received via the network.

On the other hand, the products to be managed are produced in a production / disposal processing plant 21 and are distributed to a distribution / sales base 22.
And the seller 23, and then provided to the customer 24. The computers 21a, 22a, 23a and 24a provided at the production and disposal plant 21, the distribution and sales base 22, the distributor 23 and the customer 24 are connected to the server 1 via the Internet 25 which is a kind of network.
1 can be connected.

The server 11 has a home page accessed via the Internet 25. From the computers 21a, 21b, 21c, and 21d, the contents of this home page can be viewed via the communication unit 112, and the maker 100 Or information such as claims and claims. Then, the written information can be reflected in each DB as the latest information.

Next, the contents of each DB will be described with reference to FIG. The product DB 12 is a database in which a record is created for each product, and the data items of each record are a product number 12a, which is a unique number assigned to each product, and an item for each item of the product. Item number 12b, a lot number 12c assigned to each lot at the time of manufacturing the product, production information 12d indicating a production date, a production base, and a production line of the product, and a shipping / shipping company name of the product Distribution information 12e indicating the location of the product, a disposal request 12f indicating the presence or absence of a disposal request for the product,
And a discard flag 12g indicating whether the product has been discarded.

The customer DB 13 is a database in which a record is created for each customer. The data items of each record include a customer number 13a, which is a unique number assigned to each customer who purchased the product, and a name of the customer. And a customer name 13b indicating the name of the customer, a purchased product 13c indicating the product number of the product purchased by the customer, and a person 13d indicating the employee number of a sales representative of the customer.

The complaint correspondence DB 14 is a database in which complaints received from customers regarding products purchased by the customers are recorded, and a record is created for each complaint in order to manage the progress of complaint correspondence. , A response start 14a indicating whether or not a response to a claim has been started, and an action schedule 1 indicating an action schedule of a person in charge.
4b, a cause 14c indicating the cause of the occurrence of the complaint determined in each section, a solution 14d indicating the solution examined in each section, a solution policy 14e indicating the finally determined solution policy, and an actual And an effect 14f indicating an effect obtained by implementing the solution.

The claim DB 15 is a database in which the contents of past claims are stored as records for each claim. The data items of each record include a claim number 15a, which is a number assigned to each claim, and A customer number 15b indicating a customer number and a product number 15c indicating a number of a product in which the complaint has occurred.
And claim content 15 indicating the specific content of the claim
d, the responder 15e indicating the employee number of the person in charge corresponding to the claim, and the corresponding content 1 indicating the specific content of the response.
5f, a disclosure flag 15g indicating whether the contents of the claim can be disclosed externally, and a resolved flag 15h indicating whether the claim has been resolved.

The item DB 16 is a database in which a record is created for each item of a product. The data items of each record include an item number 16a, which is a unique number assigned to each item, and a part constituting the item. 16b indicating the supplier number of the supplier or processor of the product, the person 16c indicating the employee number of the employee who designed and manufactured the product, purchased the parts, and inspected the product, It is composed of a quality status 16d indicating a notice.

The employee DB 17 is a database in which a record is created for each employee of a company that provides a product. The data items of the record to be opened include an employee number 17a indicating an employee number and an employee name indicating the name of the employee. 17b and the telephone number 17c indicating the telephone number of the employee at the time of emergency contact
And an e-mail address 17d indicating the e-mail address of the employee at the time of emergency contact.

The related trader DB 18 is a database in which a record is created for each trader involved in the manufacture of a product. The data items of each record include a trader number 18a, which is a unique number assigned to each trader, and A trader name 18b, which is the name of the trader, a transaction state 18c indicating the transaction start time and the amount of the trade with the trader, and a quality state indicating the defective product occurrence rate, stockout rate, and customer evaluation in the acceptance inspection from the trader 18d.

Next, the distribution of products and the accompanying processes will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.
First, the product 20 of the manufacturer 100 produced in the production / disposal factory 21 is shipped to the distribution / sales base 22. Then, in the distribution / sales base 22, the products are shipped to the seller 23, and the customer 24 can obtain the products purchased through the seller 23.

When a product is produced in the production / disposal factory 21, first, a unique number is assigned to each product. This unique number is attached to the product as a barcode, for example, and the server 21
When the user accesses the home page of No. 1 and inputs the number, the input / output unit 111 registers the product in the field of the product number 12 a of the product DB 12. At this time,
The item number 12b, lot number 12c, production date, production base, and production information 12d for the production line of the product are also recorded in the product DB 12 (S1).

The product with the product number is shipped from the production / disposal plant 21 to the distribution / sales base 22. At the time of shipment, the fact that the product has been shipped from the production and disposal factory 21 and the shipping company are recorded in the distribution information 12e of the product DB 12 by the input / output unit 111 (S2).

At the logistics / sales base 22, the computer 22a accesses the homepage of the server 11 at the stage of receiving the product arrival from the production / disposal processing plant 21, thereby obtaining the distribution information 12e of the product DB12.
Next, the fact that the product has arrived at the distribution / business base 22 and the acceptance has been completed, and the name and storage location of the distribution / business base 22 are recorded by the input / output unit 111 (S3).

Next, when a product is shipped from the distribution / sales base 22 to the seller 23 in response to a shipment request from the seller 23, the product number assigned to the product at the distribution / sales base 22 at the time of shipment is displayed in a bar. The data is read using a code reader or the like, the homepage of the server 11 is accessed via the communication unit 112, and the fact that the product has been shipped from the distribution / sales base 22 is recorded in the distribution information 12e of the product DB 12 by the input / output unit 111 (S4). This applies to the case where an order is directly received from the customer 24 and shipped.

On the other hand, the seller 23 reads the product number using a bar code reader or the like at the stage of receiving the product arrival from the distribution / sales base 22, accesses the home page of the server 11 from the computer 23a, In the distribution information 12e of the product DB 12, the fact that the product has arrived at the distributor 23 and the inspection has been completed and the name of the distributor 23 are recorded by the input / output unit 111 (S
5).

The seller 23 reads the product number with a bar code reader or the like at the stage of shipping the product according to the order from the customer, accesses the home page of the server 11 from the computer 23a, and accesses the distribution information 12e of the product DB 12 Next, the fact that the product has been shipped to the customer 24, the customer name and the like are recorded by the input / output unit 111 (S6).

On the other hand, upon completion of the inspection, the customer 24 who has received the product accesses the homepage of the server 11 from the computer 24a and accesses the distribution information 12e of the product DB.
Record the receipt of the product and the name and address of the purchaser. Also, the name and name of the buyer,
Customer registration is performed by inputting the product number of the purchased product and a sales representative. After customer registration, customer D
A record constituting B13 is created, a unique number is assigned to each customer and stored in the customer number 13a, and the input contents are the customer name 13a, the purchased product 13c, the person in charge 1
It is stored in 3d (S7).

As described above, during the period from shipment at the production / disposal processing plant 21 to delivery of the product to the customer 24,
Because the location of the product is always recorded in the database,
The manufacturer 100 can grasp the movement of the product at the product distribution stage.

When the product is no longer needed and is to be discarded, the user accesses the homepage of the server 11 from the computer 24a of the customer 24 via the communication unit 112 and inputs a request to discard the product. That fact is recorded in the field of the disposal request 12f of the record constituting the product DB 12.

On the other hand, the maker 100 which recognizes this instructs the distributor 23 or the distribution / sales base 22 to collect the product, and collects the product at the production / disposal factory 21 (S10, S11). When the disposal is completed in the production / disposal processing plant 21 and the disposal is completed, the homepage of the server 11 is accessed from the computer 21a, and the input / output unit 111 indicates to the disposal flag 12g of the product DB 12 that the product has been disposed. set. When the discard flag 12g is set, the lifetime management of the product ends (S12).

Thus, in response to the application for disposal from the customer,
Since products to be discarded can be collected, lifetime management from product shipment to disposal can be performed easily and smoothly.

Next, the claim process will be described with reference to FIG. When a failure or the like occurs in a product of the customer 24, the homepage of the server 11 is accessed from the computer 24a, and when the product number, the customer number, and the specific contents of the claim are written on the homepage, the storage unit 113 is configured. The contents of the claim are stored in a memory or a hard disk (S20). Also,
Take a picture of the product failure with a digital camera, input the digital image and write it on the website. When each piece of information is entered on the website, a claim number is assigned.

Then, the server 11 creates a record for each claim number in the claim DB 15. In this record, a claim number 15a is assigned to each claim, and a customer number 15b, a product number 15c, and a claim content 15d are recorded corresponding to the content written on the homepage.

Thus, a complaint is generated and the storage unit 113
In the maker 100, the search unit 110 of the server 11 searches the claims DB 15 to see if there is the same claim created in the past (S2).
1). If there is a corresponding claim, the disclosure permission flag of the claim is read, and the search unit 110 determines whether or not the claim can be disclosed from the value (S22).

If the disclosure permission flag 15g of the claim DB 15 indicates that disclosure is possible, the field of the corresponding content 15f of the record is input / output unit 1
11 reads it out and transfers it to the personal computer of the customer 24 for display (S23). Then, if the customer has responded and solved the problem, the fact that the solution has been resolved is set in the solution completed flag 15h (S24).

On the other hand, if there is a claim corresponding to the previously created claims DB but it cannot be disclosed, or if there is no corresponding claim in the previously created claims DB, it is registered in the customer DB 13. Person in charge 13d
The input / output unit 111 reads out the employee number of the person in charge, and based on this, the search unit 110 searches the employee DB 17 for the employee name 17a, telephone number 17c, and mail address 17 of the person in charge.
Search for d. Then, the responder who is contacted by the customer calls the person in charge who searched by the search,
Alternatively, the person in charge is contacted by sending an e-mail (S25).

The contacted person confirms the contents of the claim by visiting the customer 24 or making a telephone call. Then, the person in charge searches the complaint DB 15 again and examines a solution (S26). If it is determined that the solution can be made, the person in charge tries to solve the problem (S27).

On the other hand, if a solution cannot be found, the item number 12b registered in the product DB 12 of the product is entered into the input / output unit 11 in order to achieve a solution in accordance with the item of the product.
1 is read out and based on this, the item D prepared in advance
The search unit 110 searches B16, and obtains, from the field of the person in charge 16c, the employee number of the person in charge of each department who has designed, manufactured, purchased and inspected the item. Then, based on the employee number, the employee DB 17 is searched to find the employee name 17b and telephone number 17c of each person in charge, and the telephone number is contacted to contact the person in charge.

When each of the persons in charge of the notification individually starts the response, a flag indicating that the response has been started is set in the field of the response start 14a of the claim response DB 14 (S2).
8). Then, the cause of the complaint is investigated by utilizing the expertise of the person in charge of each section regarding the item. In investigating the cause, it is possible to refer to the content of the occurrence of a defect and handling precautions related to the item, which are recorded in the field of the quality status 16d of the item DB 16.

Further, based on the trader number of the processor recorded in the field of the trader 16b of the item DB 16, the trader D
B18 is searched, and the trader name 18b, the transaction status 18c, and the quality status 18d can be referred to. The progress management is performed by inputting the action schedule of each person in charge in the field of the action schedule 14b of the complaint correspondence DB 14.

When each person in charge investigates the cause, the cause is entered in the field of the cause 14c of the complaint correspondence DB 14 (S29). In this way, the cause given by each section is ranked by importance in the manufacturer 100, and each section is examined for a solution.

Each department sets a solution to the claims correspondence DB 14
Of the solution 14d, the manufacturer 100 judges the overall validity of the solution and determines the policy of the solution. Then, the determined policy is written in the field of the solution policy 14e of the complaint correspondence DB 14, and the customer 24 is notified of the cause of the complaint and the policy of the solution (S30).

Next, the solution is implemented, the effect is evaluated, and the result is recorded in the field of the effect 14f of the claim correspondence DB 14 (S31). Further, the evaluation result and future measures are reported to the customer 24 to obtain consent. Claims arising at this point are complete.

As described above, when a complaint occurs, it is first searched for the same complaint in the past, and if there is the same complaint, the corresponding contents at that time are displayed on the customer's personal computer on a screen. Therefore, the person in charge can take a quick and accurate response without going to the customer.

Further, even if there is no same claim in the past, the person in charge of each section is promptly notified according to the content of the claim, and the cause can be investigated and the solution can be examined in each section. In this case, a quick and accurate response is possible.

In this embodiment, the case of managing from production to disposal of a product has been described. However, the management target is not limited to the product. For example, the same applies to a construction work and a maintenance contract. Can be managed. For example, when managing construction works, by connecting the property DB 30 shown in FIG. 5 to the server 11 in addition to the database shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to manage and deal with complaints about construction works. .

In this case, as shown in FIG. 5, for example, a record having fields of a property number 30a, a property name 30b, a used product 30c, a related company 30d, and a person in charge 30e is created for each property. Then, based on the contents of the field of the article number 30a, the claim is solved while contacting the contractor recorded in the field of the related contractor 30d and the construction clerk recorded in the field of the person in charge 30e. If there is a problem with the product used in the property, the product DB 12 in FIGS. 1 and 2 is searched for a solution based on the product number recorded in the field of the product used 30c. Similar management is possible for maintenance contract properties.

When the database is a relational database, the record described in the above example is a line,
Fields are columns.

[0052]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Because the location of the product is always recorded in the database,
In addition to being able to grasp the movement of products in the logistics stage and collecting products to be disposed of in response to an application for disposal, it is possible to easily and smoothly manage the life of products from production and shipment to disposal. it can.

When a complaint occurs, it is first searched for the same complaint in the past, and if there is the same complaint, it is possible to promptly resolve the complaint by referring to the corresponding contents at that time. it can. In addition, since the details of the response can be displayed on the personal computer at the base, the person in charge can take quick and accurate response without going to the base.

Further, even if there is no same claim in the past, the person in charge for each item is promptly contacted according to the content of the claim, and the departments relating to the item investigate the cause and consider a solution. Can be
Also in this case, quick and accurate response is possible.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a configuration of a product management system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing contents of a database constituting the product management system.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of product lifetime management in the product management system.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a complaint process in the product management system.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the contents of a property database when the object of management in the product management system is a property.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Product management system 100 ... Manufacturer 11 ... Server 110 ... Search unit 111 ... Input / output unit 112 ... Communication unit 113 ... Storage unit 12 ... Product DB 13 ... Customer DB 14 ... Claim handling DB 15 ... Claim DB 16 ... Item DB 17 ... Employee DB 18 ... Related company DB 20 ... Product 21 ... Production and disposal plant 22 ... Distribution / sales base 23 ... Distributor 24 ... Customer 21a, 21b, 21c, 21d ... Computer 25 ... Internet 30 ... Property DB

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) // G06F 17/30 170 G06F 17/30 170Z (72) Inventor Hirotoshi Megumi 5-17 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo -2 Yamato Pro Tech Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Waki 5-17-2 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo Yamato Pro Tech Co., Ltd. (72) Isao Takamatsu 5-17-2, Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo Yamato Pro Inside Tech Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Masayuki Hirasawa 5-17-2 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo Yamato Pro Tech Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yutaka Okada 5-17-2 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo Yamato Pro Tech Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yoshiaki Minami 5-17-2 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo Yamato Pro Tech Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Yutaka Tanimoto Shirokane, Minato-ku, Tokyo 5-17-2 Yamato pro-Tech Co., Ltd. in the F-term (reference) 5B075 KK03 KK07 KK13 KK33 KK37 ND03 ND20 PQ02 UU40

Claims (10)

[Claims] At least a product database storing records created for each product to be shipped, a search unit for searching the database, an input / output unit for inputting / outputting information to / from the database, and a network And a storage unit for storing information received via the network, wherein the records constituting the product database include at least a product individually attached to each product. Number, and logistics information indicating the location of the product from the time it is shipped until it is discarded as data items. The data item is input to a computer provided at the base and passed through the communication unit and the input / output unit. A product management system for individually managing the distribution of the product based on the contents recorded in the distribution information field. 2. The base includes a production and disposal plant, a logistics and
Claim 1 which includes any of sales offices, distributors, and customers
Product management system as described in. 3. The product database according to claim 1, wherein the product database has a data item of a disposal request indicating whether or not there is a disposal request.
Product management system as described in. 4. The product database has a data item of a discard flag indicating whether or not the product has been discarded. When the discard flag field indicates that the product has been discarded, a request for deleting a record relating to the product is made. Item 4. The product management system according to items 1 to 3. 5. A claim database comprising records created for each claim generated in the past, wherein the claim database has at least claim contents and corresponding contents as data items. When a claim is generated and the content of the claim is input to the computer at the base, the content is received via the network and stored in the storage unit, the search unit searches the claim database, and the 2. The input / output unit according to claim 1, wherein when the same claim exists in the claim database, a field corresponding to a record in which the same claim is recorded is read out by the input / output unit.
5. The product management system according to any one of items 1 to 4. 6. The product management system according to claim 5, wherein the contents of the field read by the input / output unit are transferred to a computer at the base where the complaint has occurred. 7. The claim database has, as a data item, a publishability flag indicating whether or not the content of the claim is publishable. In the search unit, a claim is generated based on the content of the field of the publishability flag. 7. The product management system according to claim 5, wherein it is determined whether or not to transmit the content of the corresponding content field to the computer at the base. 8. The claim database has, as a data item, an item number indicating an item of a product subjected to a claim, and a record having at least a data item of a person in charge in which information on an employee in charge of the item is recorded. And an employee database having a telephone number or a mail address data item indicating the contact information of the person in charge. The item database and the employee database are searched based on the item number. 8. The product management system according to claim 5, wherein a person in charge of the item is requested. 9. If a claim identical to the newly generated claim does not exist in the claims database, a record having the contents of the claim as a data item is created in the claims correspondence database, and the field of the claim content is added to the field of the new claim. 9. The product management system according to claim 5, wherein the contents of the generated claims are recorded. 10. The product management system according to claim 9, wherein records composing the complaint correspondence database have at least data items of response start, action plan, cause of occurrence, solution, solution policy, and effect.