JP2009023741A - Assisting system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To suitably instruct a worker for performing replenishment of a commodity to be replenished even when the optimum replenishment order is changed on the midway of the replenishment work of the commodity while reducing burden on respective replenishment persons when the replenishment work is performed by a plurality of workers. <P>SOLUTION: In the assisting system 1 installed at a distribution center, a plurality of display devices 2 mounted to a container of the commodity to be replenished; a plurality of handy scanner 3 for obtaining progress situation of the replenishment work of the plurality of workers; and a server 4 for determining the replenishment order of the commodity by operation are provided and connected by in-ground LAN 8. The server 4 monitors the progress situation of the replenishment work according to progress information inputted from the handy scanner 3 and determines the replenishment order so as to advance the replenishment order of the other commodity every when one commodity is replenished. A plurality of display devices 2 receives and displays the replenishment order transmitted from the server 4 every time when the server 4 newly determines the replenishment order. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technology for supporting product sorting work. More specifically, the present invention relates to a technique for appropriately determining the replenishment order of the products and appropriately instructing an operator who performs the product replenishment work so that the products to be sorted are not missing in the sorting operation.

  At a shipping source that ships a relatively large number of products of relatively different varieties, such as a distribution center, wholesaler, or manufacturer, according to an order or the like, a sorting operation for sorting the products to be shipped for each shipping destination is performed by an operator. Sorting work involves storing a plurality of products in a sorting shelf (picking shelf) in advance, picking the products stored in the picking shelf according to orders, etc., and putting them into containers prepared for each shipping destination. This is done by introducing picked goods. Then, after all the commodities are put into the container, the container is shipped to the shipping destination. Conventionally, a system for supporting an operator who performs such sorting work has been proposed, and is described in, for example, Patent Document 1.

  When sorting required items by picking necessary products from the picking shelf, if there is a shortage in the products stored in the picking shelf during the sorting operation, the operator interrupts the sorting operation until the products are replenished Therefore, it is necessary to add the missing products after waiting for them, or after taking out the missing items such as memos. Such a situation causes a delay in sorting work and an increase in the burden on the worker. Therefore, in order to prevent shortage of the goods stored in the picking shelf, there is an operation of appropriately selecting a product that may cause shortage and replenishing the picking shelf (hereinafter simply referred to as “replenishment work”). It becomes important. However, since the replenishment work is also performed sequentially for each product by the operator, even if the selection of products is appropriate, if the replenishment order of these products (priority of replenishment) is not appropriate, eventually In the case of products that are delayed in replenishment, there will be a shortage during the sorting operation. Therefore, a system has also been proposed in which a replenishment order is given in advance to products to be replenished to instruct an appropriate replenishment order to a worker who performs the replenishment work.

  However, since there are a large number of products to be replenished, the replenishment is generally performed in parallel by a plurality of workers. For this reason, simply giving a replenishment order to each product may confuse which product the operator may replenish in the course of the replenishment operation. More specifically, even though a certain worker has already replenished the “100th” product, the next worker tries to replenish the “100th” product and searches for the corresponding product. It will happen. In other words, the products to be replenished are, for example, hundreds to thousands of items, so even if the order (priority) at the time of starting work is given to each product, it is replenished next in the middle of replenishment work. The product (the highest priority product at that time) to be lost is lost.

  As a technique for solving this problem, for example, Patent Document 2 describes a technique for assembling (arranging) products in advance in the order in which replenishment requests are made (replenishment order). According to this technique, the operator only needs to replenish the first product in the replenishment order, so that it is possible to prevent the top priority product from being lost during the replenishment operation.

Japanese Patent No. 3516070 Japanese Patent Publication No. 06-026968

  However, in the sorting work, the work order may be changed in the middle of the work, and the replenishment order of the obtained products may not be an appropriate order. For example, the shipping destination to be preferentially shipped may be changed due to sudden reasons such as weather or an accident. In such a case, if the replenishment operation is not performed according to the changed order of the sorting operation, there is a possibility that a product shortage may occur. That is, in the technique described in Patent Document 2, since the products to be replenished are arranged in the replenishment order obtained at the start of the work, the replenishment order of the products is changed at an arbitrary time (the goods are aligned). There was a problem that it was difficult to rearrange the products.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and when a replenishment operation is performed by a plurality of workers, the optimal replenishment order during the product replenishment operation is reduced while reducing the burden on each replenisher. The purpose is to appropriately instruct the worker who is replenishing the goods to be replenished even if the item is changed.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention of claim 1 is a support system for supporting the replenishment work of goods by an operator, wherein the first accepting means for accepting the progress status of the replenishment work by the worker, and the first In accordance with the progress received by the accepting means, the order determining means for determining the replenishment order of each product in a plurality of products, and a plurality of display means to which any one of the plurality of products is assigned, The display means displays the replenishment order determined by the order determination means for the assigned goods every time the order determination means determines the replenishment order of each commodity.

  The invention of claim 2 is the support system according to the invention of claim 1, wherein the plurality of display means are attached to products assigned to each.

  The invention according to claim 3 is the support system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the plurality of display means are assigned identifiers for individually identifying each of the plurality of display means, and the first reception The means receives the progress by reading the identifier of the display means assigned to the product for which the replenishment work has been completed.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the order determination unit is configured to select the plurality of products according to the number of stocks of each of the plurality of products. The replenishment order of each product in the product is determined.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising third accepting means for accepting the number of orders received for each product of the plurality of products, wherein the order The determining means determines the replenishment order of each product in the plurality of products according to the number of orders received by the third receiving means.

  Further, the invention of claim 6 is the support system according to the invention of claim 5, wherein the third receiving means receives the number of orders received for each supplier, and the supplier of the supplier who performs the sorting work by an operator. The work order in the sorting work is received, and the order determination means determines the order of the plurality of products according to the number of orders received for each sorting destination and the work order each time the third receiving means receives the work order. Determining the replenishment order of each product in.

  According to the first to sixth aspects of the present invention, the first receiving means for receiving the progress status of the replenishment work by the worker, and the replenishment order of each product in the plurality of products according to the progress status received by the first receiving means. An order determining means for determining, and a plurality of display means to which any one of the plurality of products is assigned. The display means is assigned each time the order of determining the replenishment order of each product is determined by the order determining means. By displaying the replenishment order determined by the order determining means for the merchandise, the display content of the display means is updated according to the progress status of the replenishment work, so that the next merchandise to be worked on can be easily specified. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately replenish products, and it is possible to prevent a shortage in sorting operations.

  In the invention according to claim 2, since the display means moves together with the product by attaching the plurality of display means to the products assigned to them, the operator can easily confirm information on the products.

  In the invention according to claim 3, the plurality of display means are given identifiers for individually identifying each of the display means, and the first reception means is a display means assigned to the product for which the replenishment work has been completed. The progress is accepted by reading the identifier. Thereby, the progress status of the replenishment work can be easily accepted.

  In the invention according to claim 4, the order determination means determines the replenishment order of each product in the plurality of products according to the number of stocks for each product of the plurality of products, so that the replenishment order of each product appropriately. Can be determined.

  The invention according to claim 5 further includes third receiving means for receiving the number of orders received for each of a plurality of products, wherein the order determining means has a plurality of products according to the number of orders received by the third receiving means. By determining the replenishment order of each product in, it is possible to appropriately determine the replenishment order of each product.

  In the invention described in claim 6, the third receiving means receives the number of orders for each sorting destination, receives the work order in the sorting work of the sorting work performed by the worker, and the order determining means includes the third ordering means. Each time the acceptance means accepts the work order, the replenishment order of each product is appropriately determined by determining the replenishment order of each product in a plurality of products according to the number of orders received for each supplier and the work order. can do. In addition, when the work order is changed, the display content of the display means is updated, so that it is possible to more flexibly cope with a change in the situation.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

<1. Embodiment>
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a support system 1 according to the present invention.

  A support system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes a plurality of display devices 2 to which any one of a plurality of products to be replenished is assigned, a plurality of handy scanners 3 carried by a plurality of workers, And a server 4 having a function as a general personal computer. The support system 1 includes a transceiver 5 and a wireless access point 6, which are connected to the server 4 via a local LAN 8 as a network.

  In FIG. 1, three display devices 2, two handy scanners 3, one server 4, one transceiver 5, and one wireless access point 6 are illustrated. The number of is not limited to the number shown here. Further, in FIG. 1, the local area LAN 8 is illustrated as a network, but the network may be a public network, the Internet, or the like, and any network may be used as long as data communication is possible between each device.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an environment (distribution center 7) in which the support system 1 is installed.

  The distribution center 7 is provided with a three-dimensional warehouse 70, a replenishment waiting space 71, and a picking shelf 72.

  Although not shown in FIG. 2, a transceiver 5 is installed on the ceiling of the distribution center 7, and the data communication between the display device 2 and the transceiver 5 can be performed wirelessly in the distribution center 7. It has become. In addition, a wireless access point 6 is appropriately provided in the distribution center 7, and wireless data communication is possible between the handy scanner 3 and the wireless access point 6 in the distribution center 7.

  In the following description, the operation of carrying out the goods from the three-dimensional warehouse 70 to the replenishment waiting space 71 is “replenishment preparation work”, and the worker who performs the replenishment preparation work is “replenishment preparation person”. Is referred to as “supplementary product”. In addition, the operation of replenishing the picking shelf 72 with the replenished product is referred to as “supplement operation”, and the worker who performs the replenishment operation is referred to as “supplement worker”. Further, an operation for taking out a product from the picking shelf 72 and putting it into a shipping container is referred to as a “sorting operation”, and an operator who performs the sorting operation is referred to as a “sorting worker”.

  The three-dimensional warehouse 70 is provided with a plurality of so-called pallet racks (storage shelves), and is usually a large warehouse that stores several days worth of goods. Goods arriving at the distribution center 7 by truck or the like are carried into a three-dimensional warehouse 70 and stored in a state of being placed on a pallet after a predetermined inspection work.

  The replenishment waiting space 71 is a place for temporarily waiting for replenished products. In the replenishment waiting space 71, the replenishment preparation work is performed, so that the products carried out from the three-dimensional warehouse 70 are arranged as replenishment products by the replenishment preparation staff in a state of being put into the container 90. The replenishment preparation work is a work generally performed using a forklift or the like, but of course is not limited to this.

  In FIG. 2, only four containers 90 are illustrated in the replenishment waiting space 71, but a larger number of containers 90 are waiting in the replenishment waiting space 71. In the replenishment waiting space 71, generally, a replenishment product of an amount that does not cause a shortage in a daily sorting operation is arranged, and the replenishment product is normally replenished to the picking shelf 72 by a replenishment operation for a day.

  The picking shelf 72 is provided with a shelf for each product, and the products put in the container 90 are stored in the assigned shelves. When a sorting worker performs a sorting operation for a certain shipping destination, the sorting worker takes out (picks) the ordered products of the shipping destination from the picking rack 72 and puts them into a shipping container. When picking is completed for all orders received from one shipping destination, the sorting operation for the shipping destination is completed.

  Generally, the picking shelf 72 can store only a small amount of products. Therefore, if the replenishment operation of the product to the picking shelf 72 is delayed, a situation (out of stock) in which the product cannot be picked in the sorting operation occurs. In the following description, the maximum number that can be stored in the picking shelf 72 for each product is referred to as “maximum storage number”. The maximum storage number is set in advance based on the picking shelf 72 and the size of each product.

  The container 90 is a box-like container for temporarily storing products. In the present embodiment, one display device 2 is assigned to one container 90. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, one display device 2 is attached to each container 90. The operation of attaching the display device 2 to the container 90 is performed by a replenishment preparation member in the present embodiment, but of course is not limited to this.

  A wide variety of products are shipped from the distribution center 7 to shipping destinations. However, only one of the various types of products handled in the distribution center 7 is put into one container 90 by the replenishment preparation staff. For example, the replenishment preparation member inputs the product into the container 90 so that the product “shampoo” and the product “rinse” are not mixed in the same container 90. However, when “shampoo” and “rinse” as articles are included in the product “hair washing set”, “shampoo” and “rinse” may be mixed in one container 90 as a result. obtain.

  As described above, the display device 2 and the container 90 are associated with each other on a one-to-one basis. Therefore, when a certain product is put into the container 90, the display device 2 (the display device 2 attached to the container 90) is arranged in the vicinity of the put product. As a result, the product and the display device 2 are indirectly and physically associated with each other via the container 90, and any one of the products to be replenished is one display device. Assigned to 2. Note that a method of logically associating the display device 2 with the product will be described later.

  Thus, since the product and the display device 2 are physically associated in the replenishment preparation work, the replenisher who performs the subsequent replenishment work easily finds the product associated with the display device 2. be able to. It should be noted that the display device 2 may be attached to the container 90 after the product is put into the container 90. That is, the physical association between the display device 2 and the supplement product may be performed in any way.

  Further, when the containers 90 are arranged in the replenishment waiting space 71, the number of commodities put into one container 90 (hereinafter referred to as “replenishment unit number”) is determined in advance for each commodity. ing. That is, 100 products with a replenishment unit number of “100” are put into one container 90 when they are arranged in the replenishment waiting space 71. On the other hand, 50 products with a replenishment unit number of “50” are put into one container 90 when they are arranged in the replenishment waiting space 71.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, each commodity is carried out from the three-dimensional warehouse 70 and put into the container 90 by the replenishment preparation staff when arranged in the replenishment waiting space 71. However, for example, when merchandise arrives at the distribution center 7, the merchandise may be put into one container 90 for each replenishment unit, and the merchandise may be stored in the three-dimensional warehouse 70 while being put into the container 90.

  Further, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, each replenished product is replenished to the picking shelf 72 by the replenisher together with the container 90 while being put in the container 90. Thereby, since the correspondence relationship with the display device 2 is also maintained for the products in the picking shelf 72, the sorting worker can check various contents related to the products in the picking shelf 72 only by confirming the contents displayed on the display device 2. Information (manufacturing date, etc.) can be easily confirmed. However, when the replenishment product is replenished to the picking shelf 72, the replenishment product may be taken out from the container 90 and replenished.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of the display device 2.

  The display device 2 includes a control unit 20, a display unit 21, and a communication unit 22, and one unit is attached to each container 90 as described above. In the present embodiment, a so-called “electronic paper” device is adopted as the display device 2, but the display device 2 is not limited to such a device.

  The control unit 20 has a function as a microcomputer, and includes a CPU that executes various calculations and a memory that stores various data, although details are not shown.

  The display unit 21 is a full-dot liquid crystal display, and displays various data on the screen according to a control signal from the control unit 20.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 21 of the display device 2.

  As shown in FIG. 4, a product name display field 23, a product information display field 24, a supplement location display field 25, an identifier display field 26 and a supplement order display field 27 are appropriately provided on the screen displayed on the display unit 21. .

  The product name display field 23 is an area for displaying the name of the product assigned to the display device 2. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the product assigned to the display device 2 is “moist shampoo”.

  The merchandise information display column 24 is an area for displaying various information related to merchandise assigned to the display device 2. In the example illustrated in FIG. 4, a product number for individually identifying the corresponding product, a manufacturer of the product, and a date of manufacture of the product are displayed. However, the information displayed in the product information display column 24 is not limited to these information. For example, the number of replenishment units and the expiration date of the product may be displayed.

  In this way, the display unit 21 displays the product name display field 23 and the product information display field 24, so that a worker (including a replenisher) can directly check the contents of the container 90 without checking the contents of the container 90. You can get information about the products that are put in.

  The replenishment location display field 25 is an area for displaying the replenishment location of the product assigned to the display device 2, and in this embodiment, information indicating a specific location of the picking shelf 72 is displayed.

  In this way, the display unit 21 indicates the location of the picking shelf 72 by the replenishment location display field 25, so that the replenisher simply confirms the screen of the display device 2 and replenishment assigned to the display device 2. It is possible to easily confirm which position on the picking shelf 72 should be replenished with the merchandise (the merchandise put in the container 90 to which the display device 2 is attached). Therefore, it is possible to reduce the work load of the replenisher.

  The identifier display field 26 is an area where an identifier (identification code) for individually identifying each display device 2 is displayed as a barcode. Each display device 2 is given a unique identification code for distinguishing it from other display devices 2, and each display device 2 displays a bar code representing its own identification code in the identifier display field 26. . In the present embodiment, the bar code displayed in the identifier display field 26 is appropriately read by the replenishment preparation worker and the handy scanner 3 carried by the replenishment member.

  The replenishment order display field 27 is an area for displaying the replenishment order determined by the server 4 in numbers for the replenishment products assigned to the display device 2. Although details will be described later, each time the replenishment order of each product is determined and transmitted by the server 4 under the control of the control unit 20, the display unit 21 displays the newly determined replenishment order numerically in the replenishment order display field. 27. The replenisher can check the replenishment order of the replenished products at any time by confirming the numbers displayed in the replenishment order display field 27 in this way. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the replenishment order is “2”.

  Returning to FIG. 3, the communication unit 22 has a function of performing wireless data communication with the transceiver 5. Thus, each display device 2 can perform data communication with the server 4 via the transceiver 5 and the local LAN 8. The communication unit 22 mainly receives the replenishment order determined by the server 4 from the server 4 and transfers it to the control unit 20.

  Returning to FIG. 1, the handy scanner 3 is a terminal device possessed by an operator as described above. The handy scanner 3 has a function of reading a barcode and transmitting a code (number) represented by the barcode to the server 4.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of the server 4. The server 4 includes a CPU 40, a ROM 41, a RAM 42, a hard disk 43, an operation unit 44, a display unit 45, and a communication unit 46, and has a function as a general computer. The server 4 is installed in an operator room (not shown) in the distribution center 7 and connected to the local LAN 8.

  The CPU 40 operates according to the program 47 stored in the ROM 41 to perform various data calculations and generate various control signals to control each component included in the server 4. The ROM 41, which is a read-only storage device, is mainly used for storing the program 47. The RAM 42 is used as a temporary working area for the CPU 40.

  The hard disk 43 is a storage device for storing a relatively large amount of data for a long period of time. In the present embodiment, the hard disk 43 is used particularly for storing the inventory management information 48 and the order information 49.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of the inventory management information 48.

  The inventory management information 48 stored in the hard disk 43 is a database created and updated by the operator operating the operation unit 44 and is information for managing the inventory of each product in the distribution center 7. Note that the contents of the inventory management information 48 are also updated by the CPU 40 of the server 4.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the inventory management information 48 includes one record for each product. Each record of the inventory management information 48 includes a product number, the number of inventory in the three-dimensional warehouse 70 (hereinafter referred to as “storage number”), and the number carried out from the three-dimensional warehouse 70 to the replenishment waiting space 71 (hereinafter, “number of waiting” ”), The stock quantity in the picking shelf 72 (hereinafter simply referred to as“ stock quantity ”), and the identifier of the display device 2 associated in the replenishment waiting space 71 are stored.

  The “stored number” for each product is input so as to add the number of new arrivals by the operator when each product arrives at the distribution center 7. In addition, at the timing when the replenishment preparation work for each product is completed, the storage number of the product is subtracted by the standby number on that day. A method for detecting the timing by the support system 1 will be described later.

  The “standby number” for each product is automatically calculated by the CPU 40 after the number of orders for each product on the current day is determined (after the current day order information 49 is created). The CPU 40 calculates the number of standbys for each product based on the number of replenishment units, the maximum number of storages, the number of stocks, and the number of orders received on the day, but details will be described later.

  The “inventory quantity” for each product in the inventory management information 48 is updated as needed based on the progress of the replenishment work by the replenisher and the progress of the sorting work by the sorting worker. That is, when a product is replenished to the picking shelf 72 by a replenisher, the number of stocks of the product is updated by the CPU 40 by the number of replenishment units. On the other hand, when the sorting worker starts sorting work for a shipping destination that orders a certain product, the CPU 40 subtracts and updates the stock quantity of the product by the number of orders received for the product at the shipping destination. .

  The “display device identifier” for each product in the inventory management information 48 is an item for storing the identifier of the display device 2 assigned to each product. That is, each record of the inventory management information 48 stores the product number of each product and the identifier of the display device 2, so that the product is logically associated with the display device 2 assigned to the product. .

  Although details will be described later, in this embodiment, the replenishment preparation person places the container 90 into which the product has been placed in the replenishment waiting space 71 and then the identifier (identifier display field) of the display device 2 attached to the container 90. 26) is read by the handy scanner 3 in possession. At this time, the identifier of the display device 2 read by the handy scanner 3 is transmitted to the server 4 and stored in the “display device identifier” of the inventory management information 48.

  With this configuration, in the present embodiment, the fact that the identifier of the display device 2 is transmitted from the handy scanner 3 possessed by the replenishment preparation member means that the product assigned to the display device 2 is ready for replenishment. It means that the work is completed. That is, the identifier of the display device 2 transmitted from the handy scanner 3 functions as information for notifying that the replenishment work has been completed for the product (hereinafter referred to as “replenishment preparation work completion notification”).

  Note that the method of acquiring information stored in the “display device identifier” by the server 4 is not limited to the method shown here. For example, when the replenishment preparation person does not have the handy scanner 3, the product number and the identifier of the display device 2 may be reported to the operator of the server 4. In that case, the operator may operate the operation unit 44 to input the information to the server 4.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the data structure of the order information 49. Note that “i” shown in FIG. 7 is the number of shipping destinations from the distribution center 7 (where i is a natural number).

  The order information 49 is provided with one record for each shipping destination, and has a database structure composed of i records. Each record has items such as “sorting order”, “ship-to party (order owner)”, “ordered product and quantity”, and “progress”, and these items are mainly based on order slips. Is stored.

  The item “sorting order” in the order information 49 is an item for storing the priority order (sorting order) of sorting work in all shipping destinations. In the distribution center 7, sorting work is also performed in order from the shipping destination to which the products should be shipped preferentially. For example, the sorting order is initially set in accordance with the distance from the distribution center 7 to each shipping destination, whereby the sorting operation can be completed in order from the shipping destination that requires long-distance transportation.

  In the example shown in FIG. 7, the sorting order is initially set so that the sorting work (picking) for the shipping destination “Wakayama” is started earliest. However, the sorting order is based on any operational conditions. It may be initialized.

  The item “progress” in the order information 49 is an item indicating the progress status of the sorting work for each shipping destination. Since the order information 49 shown in FIG. 7 is still in a state before the sorting work is started, the progress is “uncompleted” for all shipping destinations.

  As described above, the server 4 receives, from the handy scanner 3 of the sorting worker who has started the sorting operation, the shipping destination code of the shipping destination where the sorting operation has started. The server 4 identifies the shipping destination where the sorting operation has been started in accordance with the shipping destination code received from the handy scanner 3 in this way, and the “progress” item corresponding to the shipping destination in the order information 49 indicates “ Store "start".

  Although the details will be described later, in the support system 1 according to the present embodiment, the sorting order that has already been set can be changed at any time. That is, the operator of the server 4 is configured so that the set sorting order can be reconfigured by operating the operation unit 44. However, if the sorting order is changed for a shipping destination for which sorting work has already been started, the work will be confused. Accordingly, the sorting order can be changed only for a shipping destination (a shipping destination whose progress is “not progressed”) at which the sorting operation is not started.

  Returning to FIG. 5, the operation unit 44 includes various buttons, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. The operation unit 44 is operated when an operator gives an instruction to the server 4 (support system 1).

  The display unit 45 is a liquid crystal display, for example, and displays various data according to a control signal from the CPU 40. The operator can operate the operation unit 44 while confirming data (for example, an operation guide message) displayed on the display unit 45.

  The communication unit 46 is configured to provide a communication interface function for connecting the server 4 to the local LAN 8. By providing the communication unit 46, the server 4 can perform data communication with the display device 2 and the handy scanner 3.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating functional blocks included in the server 4 together with a data flow. The order determination unit 400 shown in FIG. 8 is a functional block realized by the CPU 40 operating mainly according to the program 47.

  The order determination unit 400 determines the replenishment order of the supplement products based on the inventory management information 48 and the order information 49 at a necessary timing, and generates the order information 420. Further, when the replenishment order is sequentially advanced, the order determination unit 400 generates new order information 420 based on the already generated order information 420.

  Each time the order information 420 is newly generated, the replenishment order is transmitted to each display device 2 by the communication unit 46 based on the generated order information 420. The principle and timing for generating the order information 420 will be described later.

  Progress information 421 shown in FIG. 8 is information received by the communication unit 46 from the handy scanner 3 possessed by the replenisher, and is information indicating the identifier of the display device 2 read by the handy scanner 3.

  The above is the description of the configuration and functions of the support system 1 in the present embodiment. Next, an operation procedure in the distribution center 7 using the support system 1 will be described.

  FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 are flowcharts showing work procedures in the distribution center 7.

  Prior to all operations, first, the server 4 is activated, and the inventory management information 48 stored in the hard disk 43 is read onto the RAM 42 (step S1).

  No information is yet stored in the items “standby number” and “display device identifier” of the inventory management information 48 read in step S1. On the other hand, the respective items of information are already stored in the items of “number of stocks” and “number of stocks”.

  Next, the operator operates the operation unit 44 of the server 4 to input the order product and the number of orders of the order product for each shipping destination based on the order slip or the like. Based on this input operation, the server 4 generates order information 49 (step S2).

  At this time, since the sorting work has not yet started, “not yet” is stored in the “progress” item of the order information 49 generated in step S2. On the other hand, in the “sorting order” item, the order in the initial setting is stored according to the shipping destination as described above.

  When the order information 49 is generated, the CPU 40 of the server 4 obtains the number of standbys (the number of products to be carried from the three-dimensional warehouse 70 to the replenishment waiting space 71) for each product (step S3). Store in the item of “Number”.

  In the present embodiment, the principle that the CPU 40 automatically calculates the standby number of each product is as follows: the replenishment unit number is “100”, the maximum storage number in the picking shelf 72 is “200”, the inventory number is “196”, A description will be given by taking as an example a product A whose number of orders on the day is “215”.

  First, not only the product A, but in the present embodiment, each product is carried out from the three-dimensional warehouse 70 to the replenishment waiting space 71 by the number of replenishment units. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the waiting number is required to be “integer multiple of the number of supplement units”.

  In addition, as described above, the waiting number of the commodity A is the number of the commodity A that is carried out from the three-dimensional warehouse 70 to the replenishment waiting space 71 and replenished to the picking shelf 72. "Means that the product A is not replenished to the picking shelf 72. In the example shown here, if the standby number of the product A is “0”, the number of orders received on that day (the number taken out from the picking shelf 72 by the sorting operation on that day) is the inventory number of the picking shelf 72 (at this time, the sorting Therefore, a stockout will always occur in the picking shelf 72 during the sorting operation on that day. Therefore, in this case, it is not appropriate to set the waiting number to “0”. Considering this, the condition is that the standby number is a value equal to or larger than “the number of orders—the number of stocks”.

  On the other hand, if the standby number of the product A is determined as “100”, “200”, “300”,..., The stock quantity of the product A after the operation is “81”, “181”, “281”. .. In these cases, if the replenishment timing to the picking shelf 72 is appropriate, the shortage of the product A in the picking shelf 72 is prevented. However, since the maximum storage number of the product A in the picking shelf 72 is “200”, if the standby number is determined to be “300” or more, the product A that cannot be replenished to the picking shelf 72 even after the sorting operation is completed is waiting for replenishment. It remains in the space 71 and is not preferable. Therefore, it is preferable to determine the waiting number so that the number of stocks of the commodity A at the time when the sorting operation is completed is “81” or “181”. That is, the condition is that the standby number does not exceed “maximum storage number + order number−inventory number”.

  Furthermore, the support system 1 according to the present embodiment determines the number of waiting so that the most products A remain on the picking rack 72 when the work on the day is completed. In the example shown here, the standby number of the product A is determined to be “200” so that the stock number of the product A at the time when the sorting operation is finished is “181”.

  From the above, in this embodiment, the standby number for each product is “an integral multiple of the number of replenishment units” and the maximum value that does not exceed “maximum storage quantity + order quantity−inventory quantity”. Is calculated by the CPU 40.

  In this way, when the sorting operation on the current day is completed, a relatively large number of products are stored in the picking shelf 72, so that the product is out of stock after the next day's sorting operation is started. Time can be secured, and the replenishment work time of the next day can be earned. Therefore, when the sorting operation and the replenishment operation are started almost simultaneously, it is possible to prevent the replenishment operation from being in time and suddenly becoming a shortage.

  Note that the number of standbys may be calculated under different conditions for each product, or may be determined in any manner according to various conditions for system operation. For example, there may be a product that is preferably stored in the three-dimensional warehouse 70 as much as possible for reasons of storage of the product, etc., rather than securing the working time of the next day. For such products, it is preferable to calculate the number of standbys so as to reduce the number of products stored in the picking shelf 72 (the number of stocks at the time when the sorting operation is completed) as much as possible. Therefore, in such a case, the standby number may be calculated as a minimum value equal to or larger than “integer multiple of the number of replenishment units” and “order number-stock number”.

  When the waiting number is obtained for all the products, the server 4 displays a message on the display unit 45 indicating that preparation for starting the replenishment preparation work is completed. The operator who has confirmed this message notifies the replenishment preparation staff by broadcasting or lamps so as to start the replenishment preparation work. In this way, the replenishment preparation member who knows that the preparation for starting the replenishment preparation work is completed starts the replenishment preparation work for the day (step S4).

  Before starting the replenishment preparation work, the replenisher is notified of the number of “standby” and “number of replenishment units” for each product. Such a notification can be realized by printing out and distributing an instruction sheet. However, when the handy scanner 3 includes a display unit for displaying data, the handy scanner 3 possessed by the replenishment preparation staff holds the notification. It may be displayed.

  First, the replenishment preparation worker moves to a predetermined location in the three-dimensional warehouse 70 (a place where the product to be replenished preparation work is stored) with a forklift or the like, and is displayed on the pallet or shelf of the product. The product number is read by the handy scanner 3. The read product number is transmitted to the server 4 as a replenishment preparation work start notification together with an identifier for identifying the handy scanner 3.

  The server 4 that has received the replenishment preparation work start notification transmitted from the handy scanner 3 stores the replenishment preparation work start notification. At this time, another replenishment preparation member may be notified that replenishment preparation work for the product has started. As a result, it is possible to prevent other replenishment preparation staff from duplicating and starting replenishment preparation work for the product.

  Next, the replenishment preparation member determines how many products are put in one container 90 and how many containers 90 need to be prepared while confirming the number of units to be replenished and the number of waiting units. To do. Then, the standby number of the products are carried out from the three-dimensional warehouse 70, and the replenishment unit number of products is put into the prepared containers 90, respectively. Further, the display devices 2 are attached to the containers 90 into which the products are put in one by one, and the containers 90 to which the display devices 2 are attached are moved to the replenishment waiting space 71.

  Thereby, the product in the container 90 is prepared in the replenishment waiting space 71 as a supplement product. In the present embodiment, the position of the replenishment product in the replenishment waiting space 71 does not indicate the replenishment order as in the conventional technique, and therefore the replenishment preparation staff need not consider the position where the containers 90 are arranged.

  The replenishment preparation worker who has completed the movement of the container 90 causes the handy scanner 3 to read the identifier (identifier display field 26) of the display device 2 attached to the moved container 90. At this time, when a plurality of containers 90 are moved, the identifiers of all the display devices 2 are read. Thereby, a replenishment preparation work completion notification is transmitted to the server 4.

  Based on the identifier of the handy scanner 3 included in the received replenishment preparation work completion notification, the server 4 searches for a plurality of replenishment preparation work start notifications that have already been received and stored, and from the corresponding replenishment preparation work start notifications. Get the product number. Thereby, the server 4 determines that the replenishment preparation work has been completed for the product having the acquired product number.

  Therefore, the server 4 searches the inventory management information 48 based on the acquired product number, and displays all the display devices included in the received replenishment preparation work completion notification in the item “display device identifier” of the corresponding product. 2 identifiers are stored. Thereby, the logical allocation (association) between the supplement product and the display device 2 is completed. Further, the server 4 stores a value obtained by subtracting the standby number in the “number of stored items” of the product in the inventory management information 48 and updates the stored number.

  In this way, the replenishment preparation work for each product is sequentially performed by the replenishment preparation staff, and the server 4 updates the inventory management information 48 as necessary.

  While the replenishment preparation work is being performed, the server 4 monitors whether or not the replenishment preparation work for all products has been completed by determining whether or not a replenishment work completion notification has been received for all products. (Step S5).

  When the replenishment preparation work is completed for all products (Yes in step S5), the order determination unit 400 executes the replenishment order determination process (step S6) while referring to the inventory management information 48 and the order information 49, and the order information 420 is generated.

  FIGS. 11 and 12 are flowcharts showing the replenishment order determination process mainly executed by the server 4. A method for determining the replenishment order and generating the order information 420 will be described with reference to these drawings.

  In the replenishment order determination process, the order determination unit 400 determines whether the number of items (inventory number) stored in the picking shelf 72 changes when the sorting operation is performed in “sorting order”. This is a process of preferentially assigning the replenishment order sequentially from the product (supplementary product) that is expected to become a shortage (the virtual inventory number is “0”) by simulating as a number.

  In the following description, the sorting order counter is “k”, the product number counter is “j”, and the replenishment order counter is “m” (where k, j, and m are natural numbers) ).

  First, the order determination unit 400 initializes both the value of the sorting order counter k and the value of the replenishment order counter m to “1” (step S20), and inventory management information at the time when the replenishment order determination process is started. The virtual inventory quantity of each product is initialized with the inventory quantity of each product of 48 (step S21).

  When the initialization process ends, the order determining unit 400 searches the “sorting order” item of the order information 49 using the sorting order counter “k” and extracts the corresponding record (step S22).

  Thereafter, by repeating step S22 while incrementing the value of k, among the shipping destinations registered in the order information 49, the record of the shipping destination where the sorting operation is performed first (first) is performed in order. All records of the order information 49 are extracted.

  Next, the order determining unit 400 determines whether “not yet” is stored in the “progress” item of the extracted record (step S23).

  Although details will be described later, with respect to records other than the progress “not yet” (records of shipping destinations where sorting work has already started), the result of sorting work is reflected in the number of stocks in the inventory management information 48, and the effect Need not be simulated as a virtual inventory quantity. Therefore, when it determines with No in step S23, the order determination part 400 skips step S24, S30 thru | or S35, and performs the process of step S36 mentioned later.

  On the other hand, when the progress is not yet made (Yes in Step S23), the order determination unit 400 first initializes the value of the product number counter j to “1” (Step S24). Furthermore, the number of orders received for the product with the product number “j” that matches the value of the product number counter j is acquired from the information stored in the “order received product and number of orders” field of the record extracted in step S22. The virtual inventory quantity of the product “j” is subtracted by the acquired order quantity (step S30).

  As a result, after the sorting operation for the shipping destination (the shipping destination of the record extracted in step S22) is executed, the stock quantity of the product with the product number “j” in the picking shelf 72 is simulated as the virtual stock quantity. The

  Next, the order determining unit 400 determines whether or not the virtual stock quantity of the product (the product with the product number “j”) for which the virtual stock quantity has been obtained is “0” or less (step S31). The determination in step S31 corresponds to predicting whether or not a shortage will occur in the product in the picking shelf 72 when the sorting operation for the shipping destination of the record is executed.

  If the virtual inventory quantity is “0” or less (Yes in step S31), the value of the replenishment order counter m is assigned to the product as a replenishment order (step S32), and the value of the replenishment order counter m is incremented (step S32). S33).

  Step S32 is a process of determining the replenishment order for the replenishment product with the product number “j”, and is a process of generating the order information 420.

  The process of step S32 will be described more specifically. The order determination unit 400 generates the value of the replenishment order counter m given to the product and the product number “j” of the product as one record constituting the order information 420. Next, the inventory management information 48 is searched with the product number “j”, the identifier of the display device 2 associated with the product identified with the product number “j” is acquired, and stored in the record.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of the order information 420 created in the replenishment order determination process. As illustrated in FIG. 13, each record of the order information 420 includes a replenishment order assigned to the product, a product number of the product, and an identifier of the display device 2 assigned to the product.

  Further, in step S32, the order determining unit 400 adds the number of replenishment units of the product to the number of virtual inventory that has become “0” or less to obtain a new number of virtual inventory. As a result, it is possible to perform a highly accurate simulation assuming that the replenishment operation is appropriately performed, and it is possible to determine a more appropriate replenishment order.

  However, with this configuration, in the simulation by the order determination unit 400, the number of times that a missing item state occurs for a specific product is not limited to one, and may occur multiple times. That is, when the virtual inventory quantity becomes “0” or less at the first time, the replenishment order is given, and the simulation is continued by adding the replenishment unit number to the virtual inventory quantity as described above. If the remaining record (shipping destination) for a product has an order that is greater than the number of replenishment units, the number of virtual stocks becomes “0” or less again. Also in this case, a second replenishment order is given to the product.

  In the example shown in FIG. 13, “27” is assigned as the second replenishment order for the product to which “2” is assigned as the first replenishment order (the product with the product number “0000956”). That is, in this embodiment, in the order information 420, a plurality of records having the same product number and the same identifier of the display device 2 are generated.

  Returning to FIG. 12, when the number of virtual stock is larger than “0” (No in step S31), the order determination unit 400 skips steps S32 and S33 because it is not necessary to give the product a replenishment order. .

  Next, the order determining unit 400 determines whether or not the simulation of the sorting work for the shipping destination has been completed for all products (step S34). Whether or not the process has been completed for all the products can be determined by determining whether or not the value of the product number counter j is equal to the number of products, for example.

  If the process for obtaining the virtual inventory number of all the products has not been completed for the record extracted in step S22 (No in step S34), the order determining unit 400 increments the value of the product number counter j (step S35). ), Returning to step S30, the process is repeated for the product of the next product number. On the other hand, when the process for obtaining the virtual inventory quantity of all the products has been completed (Yes in step S34), the process of step S36 described later is executed.

  FIG. 6 shows how the virtual inventory quantity is simulated for all products by one record of the order information 49 in this way, based on the record of the shipping destination “Wakayama” of the order information 49 shown in FIG. An example of subtracting the inventory quantity of the inventory management information 48 as a virtual inventory quantity will be described.

  The orders received from the shipping destination “Wakayama” and the number of orders are “10” for product A, “5” for product B, “5” for product C,. Accordingly, when subtraction is performed, the virtual inventory number of the product A is “186”, the virtual inventory number of the product B is “257”, the virtual inventory number of the product C is “158”,. In the products A, B, and C shown here, since there is no product whose virtual inventory number is “0” or less, the replenishment order is not given to these products (there is no product for which Step S32 is executed).

  Returning to FIG. 12, in step S <b> 36, it is determined whether or not the simulation has been completed for all records of the order information 49. The number of all records registered in the order information 49 is equal to the number of shipping destinations “i” and equal to the maximum value of the sorting order counter k. Therefore, whether or not the processing has been completed for all the records can be determined by determining whether or not the value of the sorting order counter k that is sequentially incremented by executing step S37 is equal to i.

  If all the records registered in the order information 49 have not been completed (No in step S36), the value of the sorting order counter k is incremented to extract the next record (step S37), and the process proceeds to step S22. Return and repeat the process. Thereby, as described above, each record of the order information 49 is sequentially extracted and processed.

  In the present embodiment, there is a large number of orders received at each ship-to party, and as a result of the sorting operation, it is always necessary to perform a step for products that may eventually have a stock quantity of “0” or less (resulting in a shortage). S32 is executed. Therefore, a replenishment product that may cause a shortage is always given a replenishment order in the replenishment order determination process (a replenishment order is determined).

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the supplementary products include products that do not necessarily cause a shortage. Therefore, there is a possibility that a supplement product that does not have a supplement order is generated. For example, if there is a product whose stock quantity at the start of work is “196” and the total number of orders received by all ship-to destinations is “100”, the picking shelf will be used even if the sorting work for all ship-to destinations is completed. No shortage will occur in 72. For such products, since the virtual inventory quantity cannot be less than “0”, step S32 is not executed even if the replenishment order determination process is executed.

  However, in the present embodiment, in order to maintain (secure) the number of stocks in the picking shelf 72, the waiting number is not set to “0” for such products. For a product whose waiting number is not “0”, a replenishment preparation work is performed by a replenishment preparation worker, so that the product is carried to the replenishment waiting space 71 as a replenishment product. However, since such a product does not cause a shortage in the first place, even if the replenishment order is not given and it is postponed in the replenishment operation, it does not become a serious problem.

  In the present embodiment, after the replenishment work for the replenishment products to which the replenishment order is given is completed, the replenisher continues to replenish the replenishment products still remaining in the replenishment waiting space 71. .

  On the other hand, when all the records registered in the order information 49 have been completed (Yes in step S36), the communication unit 46 of the server 4 determines each of the records based on the order information 420 created by the order determination unit 400. The replenishment order is transmitted to the display device 2 (step S38).

  In step S <b> 38, the communication unit 46 performs the following process for each record while sequentially referencing each record of the order information 420 from the first according to the replenishment order.

  First, the communication unit 46 acquires the product number stored in the record to be processed, and determines whether there is a record in which the same product number is stored in the already processed record.

  When there is no record in which the same product number is stored, the communication unit 46 acquires all identifiers of the display device 2 stored in the record to be processed, and all the identifiers identified by the acquired identifiers. The replenishment order stored in the record is transmitted to the display device 2. Thereby, when a plurality of identifiers are stored in one record, the same replenishment order is transmitted to the plurality of display devices 2.

  Since a large quantity of products cannot be replenished to the picking shelf 72, even if there are a plurality of containers 90 for a certain replenishing product, the replenisher does not replenish the plurality of containers 90 to the picking shelf 72 at the same time. . That is, since the plurality of containers 90 are replenished to the picking shelf 72 at intervals sequentially, as a result, the plurality of containers 90 are replenished in different replenishment orders (different replenishment orders exist).

  However, in order not to cause a shortage in the picking shelf 72, there is usually no problem even if any of the plurality of containers 90 is replenished (no superiority or inferiority). Therefore, even if the display device 2 on which the same replenishment order is displayed is attached to a plurality of containers 90 in which the same replenishment product has been inserted, the replenisher is one of those containers 90. Can be replenished to the picking shelf 72.

  Regardless of the number of standbys, the replenished goods are carried out at a time in a single replenishment preparation operation, so even if they are divided into a plurality of containers 90, they are placed in a relatively narrow range of the replenishment waiting space 71. Can be assumed. Therefore, even if the display device 2 in which the same replenishment order is displayed is attached to the plurality of containers 90, it is unlikely that a plurality of replenishers mistakenly start replenishment operations for these containers 90 at the same time. Yes (no confusion).

  On the other hand, if the display device 2 displaying different replenishment orders is attached to a plurality of containers 90 in which the same replenishment product is inserted, the replenishment preparation staff can easily take out the container 90 with a high priority. For example, when the plurality of containers 90 are put on standby in a stacked state, the burden increases. In other words, if there is no superiority or inferiority for the same replenishment product that is put into a plurality of containers 90, displaying the same replenishment order as in this embodiment reduces the burden on the worker. Is done.

  If there is a record in which the same product number is stored in step S <b> 38, the communication unit 46 ends the process for the record without transmitting the replenishment order to the display device 2.

  As described above, the support system 1 according to the present embodiment may give a plurality of replenishment orders to one supplementary product, and a plurality of records are created for the same product in the order information 420. There is. In this case, the identifiers of the display devices 2 stored in the plurality of records are also the same. Therefore, after the replenishment order is transmitted to the display device 2 in which the identifier is stored in the previous record, the replenishment order is transmitted to the display device 2 in which the identifier is stored in the later record, A plurality of replenishment orders are transmitted to the same display device 2. When such a situation occurs, it is necessary to determine which replenishment order is displayed on the display device 2, and the display device 2 having a relatively simple configuration requires complicated processing.

  However, as described above, the communication unit 46 according to the present embodiment transmits the replenishment order only for the records whose replenishment order is earlier with respect to a plurality of records in which the same product number is stored. Therefore, when a plurality of replenishment orders are given to the same replenishment product, only the replenishment order having the highest priority (the youngest number) among the given replenishment orders is displayed on the display device 2. Sent.

  With this configuration, any one replenishment order is transmitted from the communication unit 46 to all the display devices 2 stored in the order information 420 without duplication. Further, the replenishment order transmitted in this way is the replenishment order determined according to the timing at which the shortage is predicted to occur earliest for the replenishment products assigned to the display device 2.

  When the processing for one record in the order information 420 ends, the communication unit 46 starts processing for the next record in the replenishment order. When the process for the last record is finished, the process of step S38 is finished.

  When the communication unit 46 ends the process of step S38, the server 4 ends the replenishment order determination process.

  Returning to FIG. 9, when the replenishment order determination process in step S <b> 6 ends, the display device 2 that has received the transmitted replenishment order displays the received replenishment order in the replenishment order display field 27 of the display unit 21. (Step S7).

  In the example shown in FIG. 13, the replenishment order “2” is transmitted from the server 4 in step S6 to the display device 2 associated with the replenishment merchandise in the replenishment order “2” (the product with the product number “0000956”). As shown in FIG. 4, “2” is displayed in the replenishment order display field 27.

  As described above, the support system 1 according to the present embodiment displays the replenishment order indicating the priority of work in the replenishment work on the display device 2 associated with the replenishment product. Even if it is done, it can suppress the confusion of the replenisher and reduce the burden.

  In addition, when the communication unit 46 has finished sending the replenishment order to all the necessary display devices 2, the server 4 is configured to notify the operator and the worker so as to start the sorting operation and the replenishment operation. May be. For example, an instruction may be transmitted via the communication unit 46 to display a message prompting the start of the replenishment operation on the handy scanner 3 possessed by the replenisher.

  When step S7 is executed and the replenishment order is displayed on the display device 2, the worker starts sorting work and replenishment work (step S8).

  When the sorting operation and the replenishing operation are started, the support system 1 monitors whether the sorting operation and the replenishing operation are both completed (step S9), and the sorting operation and the replenishing operation are both completed. The inventory management information 48 is stored in the hard disk 43 (step S10), and the process is terminated.

  In this embodiment, when the sorting operation is started for the shipping destination, a shipping destination code indicating the shipping destination is transmitted to the server 4 from the handy scanner 3 possessed by the sorting worker. Therefore, when the shipping destination codes have been received for all shipping destinations, the server 4 can determine that the sorting operation has been completed. However, the fact that the sorting operation has been completed may be input to the server 4 by the operator. Completion of the replenishment operation can be detected by reading the identifiers of all the display devices 2 associated with the replenishment products with the handy scanner 3 and transmitting them to the server 4.

  In a state where at least one of the sorting operation and the replenishing operation is not completed (No in Step S9), the support system 1 monitors whether the sorting operation and the replenishing operation are continued (Steps S11 and S17).

  If the replenishment work has already been completed, there is no need to instruct the replenisher in the order of replenishment even if the sorting work has not been completed. Therefore, when the replenishment work has been completed (Yes in step S11), the support system 1 skips the processes in steps S12 to S16.

  On the other hand, when the replenishment work is continued (No in step S11), the server 4 of the support system 1 monitors the reception of the progress information 421 and the order change instruction (steps S12 and S14).

  In the present embodiment, in the replenishment work, when the replenisher refills the picking shelf 72 with the replenished product, the bar code displayed in the identifier display field 26 of the display device 2 associated with the replenished product is displayed. Is read by the handy scanner 3 possessed. By this operation, the read identifier is transmitted as the progress information 421 from the handy scanner 3 to the server 4.

  Therefore, when the server 4 receives the progress information 421 and acquires the identifier included in the progress information 421, the replenishment product for the replenishment unit assigned to the display device 2 identified by the acquired identifier is replenished. It means that the work is completed. In other words, the progress information 421 is information indicating the progress status of the replenishment work in almost real time. In the present embodiment, since the replenisher replenishes the picking shelf 72 with the containers 90 one by one, the identifier of the display device 2 included in the progress information 421 is always one.

  When the communication unit 46 of the server 4 receives the progress information 421 transmitted from the handy scanner 3 while the server 4 is monitoring the reception of the progress information 421, the CPU 40 of the server 4 determines Yes in step S12. The display device 2 moves up the replenishment order and displays it (step S13).

  The process of step S13 will be described in further detail. First, the order determination unit 400 acquires the identifier of the display device 2 included in the progress information 421 received by the communication unit 46, and searches the order information 420 in the order of supplementation using the acquired identifier.

  As a result, one record storing the acquired identifier is extracted from the order information 420. In the present embodiment, the identifier of the same display device 2 may be stored in a plurality of records of the order information 420. However, since the order determination unit 400 searches the order information 420 in the order of replenishment, the youngest replenishment order record is extracted from the plurality of records.

  Next, the order determination unit 400 deletes the record extracted from the order information 420 from the order information 420. This corresponds to a process of reflecting in the order information 420 that the supplementary product has been supplemented.

  Further, the order determination unit moves up the replenishment order of the records after the deleted record one by one. This is equivalent to the fact that a supplementary product is supplemented, and the supplementary order of other supplementary products in order after the supplementary product is advanced.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the identifier of the same display device 2 may be stored in a plurality of records of the order information 420. However, since the display device 2 identified by the acquired identifier has been moved to the picking shelf 72 by the replenishment operation, it is necessary to determine the replenishment order for the products assigned to the display device 2 thereafter. There is no. Therefore, the order determination unit 400 deletes the acquired identifier from all the records of the order information 420.

  The processing so far will be described using a specific example.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating order information 420 generated when progress information 421 including “0146877” is received as the identifier of the display device 2 in a state where the order information 420 shown in FIG. 13 is stored. It is.

  In the example shown in FIG. 13, both the record in the replenishment order “2” and the record in the replenishment order “27” store the acquired identifier “0146877”. However, since the order determination unit 400 searches the order information 420 in the order of replenishment, the record of the replenishment order “2” storing the young replenishment order is extracted from these two records. That is, the record extracted from the order information 420 and deleted is a record in the replenishment order “2”.

  Then, the replenishment order is incremented by one for the records after the replenishment order “3”. For example, the replenishment order of the record in the replenishment order “3” is rewritten to “2”. In this way, in the example shown in FIG. 13, the replenishment order of the replenishment products after the replenishment product of the product number “0000051” that was the replenishment order “3” is sequentially advanced one by one as shown in FIG. .

  In FIG. 13, the identifier “0146877” is also stored in the record in the replenishment order “27”. However, from the record (the record in which the replenishment order has already been advanced and becomes the replenishment order “26” in FIG. 14), The identifier “0146877” is deleted.

  In this way, each time one container 90 is replenished to the picking shelf 72, the order determining unit 400 rewrites the order information 420, and the replenishment order is newly determined so that the replenishment order of each supplementary product is advanced. . In this way, the support system 1 determines the replenishment order of the supplement products according to the progress of the supplement work.

  Further, the order determination unit 400 searches the inventory management information 48 using the identifier (acquired identifier) of the display device 2 included in the progress information 421, and the identifier is stored in the item “display device identifier”. Existing records are extracted from the inventory management information 48.

  Then, the replenishment unit number is added to the stock number of the extracted record and stored as a new stock number, and the replenishment unit number is subtracted from the standby number and stored as a new standby number. Further, the identifier (identifier included in the progress information 421) is deleted from the “display device identifier” of the record. By this processing, the progress status of the replenishment work is reflected in the inventory management information 48.

  The above is the description of the process in which the replenishment order is newly determined and the order information 420 is created in step S13. When the order information 420 is generated in this way, the newly determined replenishment order is transmitted to each display device 2 by the communication unit 46 as in step S38. And the replenishment order newly determined by each display apparatus 2 is displayed similarly to step S7.

  In this way, in the support system 1, by executing step S13, the replenishment order is displayed in advance according to the progress of the replenishment work. Therefore, regardless of the progress status of the replenishment work, the replenisher only needs to find the display device 2 displayed as “1” in the replenishment order display column 27 at any time, and the display device 2 is attached. What is necessary is just to replenish the picking shelf 72 with the container 90 (supplementary goods).

  Therefore, even when a plurality of replenishers work in parallel as in the past, the replenishers are replenished in an appropriate order even if each replenisher does not know the progress of replenishment work by others. It becomes possible. Further, unlike the prior art, it is not necessary to arrange the replenishment products in the replenishment waiting space 71 in advance according to the replenishment order (priority order).

  Here, an example has been described in which the replenishment product in the replenishment order “2” is replenished first, but in general, the replenishment product in the replenishment order “1” should be replenished first. Work is done. However, the support system 1 according to the present embodiment is configured so as to be able to cope even if the replenishment order is slightly changed.

  When the operation unit 44 is operated by the operator and the order change instruction is input while the server 4 is monitoring the order change instruction, the support system 1 executes a replenishment order determination process (step S15).

  The replenishment order determination process executed in step S15 is the same as the replenishment order determination process in step S6 except that the order information 49 is rewritten by the order change instruction.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a state where the order information 49 shown in FIG. 7 is rewritten by the operator. FIG. 15 shows a state in which an order change instruction has been given to change the shipping destination “Kyoto” to the shipping destination with the highest priority in the state where the sorting operation is started for the shipping destination “Wakayama”.

  The record of the shipping destination “Wakayama” has already been updated to the progress “start”, and the sorting order is changed only for the shipping destination other than the shipping destination “Wakayama”. Therefore, the shipping destination “Kyoto” to be given priority is the sorting order “2” having the highest priority among the changeable sorting orders, and the sorting orders of other shipping destinations are sequentially lowered. Note that the sorting order may be changed in any way for shipping destinations other than the shipping destination whose progress is “start”.

  When the order information 49 shown in FIG. 7 is changed as shown in FIG. 15, the record extraction order for each shipping destination is changed in step S22 of the replenishment order determination process. As a result, the order determination unit 400 simulates the number of virtual stocks while faithfully reproducing the change in the order of the sorting work, and therefore can give (determine) an appropriate replenishment order according to the changed sort work. . Note that the order determination unit 400 newly generates the order information 420 based on the newly determined replenishment order. Also in step S15, when the order information 420 is generated, the communication unit 46 transmits the replenishment order as in step S38.

  When step S15 is executed, as in step S8, each display device 2 (display unit 21) that has received the transmitted replenishment order displays the replenishment order in the replenishment order display column 27 (step S16).

  As described above, in the support system 1, when the work order (sorting order) of the sorting work is changed, the server 4 newly determines the replenishment order, and each display device 2 displays the newly determined replenishment order. To do. Therefore, even if the work order of the sorting work is changed in the middle of the sorting work, it is possible to instruct the replenishment worker (supplement worker) the appropriate replenishment order of the replenished products.

  That is, by using the support system 1, it is not necessary to rearrange the supplementary products even if the work order is changed, as in the case where the supplementary products are arranged in the priority order of the supplementary products. Further, it is not necessary to notify the replenisher that the work order of the sorting work has been changed. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the shortage of the picking shelf 72 without increasing the burden on the worker.

  If at least one of the sorting operation and the replenishment operation is not completed and the support system 1 is monitoring the continuation of the sorting operation and the replenishment operation, and if the sorting operation is completed, the support system 1 performs the step It determines with Yes in S17, and skips the process of step S18, S19.

  On the other hand, if the sorting operation has not been completed (No in step S17), the server 4 of the support system 1 further determines whether or not a shipping destination code has been received (step S18), and receives the shipping destination code. If so, the inventory management information 48 and the order information 49 are updated (step S19).

  In the present embodiment, when the sorting worker starts sorting work for the shipping destination, the handy scanner 3 possessed by the sorting worker causes the server 4 to transmit a shipping destination code indicating the shipping destination. Therefore, receiving the shipping destination code by the server 4 corresponds to notifying the server 4 that the sorting operation for the shipping destination identified by the shipping destination code is started.

  Therefore, when the communication unit 46 receives this shipping destination code, the CPU 40 of the server 4 extracts the shipping destination record from the order information 49 using the received shipping destination code, and sets the “progress” item of the extracted record. Update from “not yet” to “started”. Thereby, the progress status of the sorting work is reflected in the order information 49, and the sorting order cannot be changed thereafter for the shipping destination.

  Furthermore, according to the information stored in the item “Ordered Goods and Number of Orders” of the record, the stock quantity of each product in the inventory management information 48 is subtracted by the number of orders and updated. Thereby, the progress status of the sorting work is reflected in the inventory management information 48.

  On the other hand, if the shipping destination code has not been received in step S18, there is no change in the progress status of the sorting work, so there is no need to reflect it in the inventory management information 48 and the order information 49, and the processing in step S19 is skipped. .

  As described above, in the support system 1 according to the present embodiment, the processes of steps S9, S11 to S19 are repeated until both the sorting work and the replenishing work are completed (Yes in step S9).

  On the other hand, when both the sorting operation and the replenishment operation are completed, as described above, the support system 1 stores the current inventory management information 48 in the hard disk 43 for the next operation (tomorrow) and ends the process. (Step S10).

  As described above, the support system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system that supports the replenishment work of goods by an operator, and is accepted by the handy scanner 3 that accepts the progress of the replenishment work by the replenisher, and the handy scanner 3. The order determination unit 400 that determines the replenishment order of each product in a plurality of products according to the progress, and the plurality of display devices 2 (display units 21) to which any one of the plurality of products is assigned. The display device 2 displays the replenishment order determined by the order determination unit 400 for the assigned products every time the order determination unit 400 determines the replenishment order of each product. Therefore, the display content of the display device 2 (the content displayed in the replenishment order display column 27) is updated according to the progress status, so that the next product to be worked on can be easily specified. Therefore, it is possible to appropriately replenish products, and it is possible to prevent a shortage in sorting operations.

  Moreover, since each display apparatus 2 moves with goods by attaching a plurality of display apparatuses 2 to the goods allocated to each via the container 90, an operator can confirm the information regarding the goods easily. it can.

  The handy scanner 3 generates the progress information 421 by reading the identifier of the display device 2 assigned to the product for which the replenishment work has been completed, and the server 4 accepts the progress situation, whereby the progress situation of the replenishment work. Can be easily accepted.

  In addition, since the order determination unit 400 can accurately simulate by determining the replenishment order of each product in the plurality of products according to the number of stocks for each product of the plurality of products, more appropriately for each product The replenishment order can be determined.

  In addition, the operation unit 44 receives the number of orders received for each product of the plurality of products, and the order determination unit 400 determines the replenishment order of each product in the plurality of products according to the number of orders received by the operation unit 44. Thus, since the simulation can be performed accurately, the replenishment order of each product can be determined more appropriately.

  In addition to accepting the number of orders for goods for each supplier, the work order in the work of sorting by the worker who performs the sorting work by the worker is accepted, and the accepted work every time the order determination unit 400 accepts a new work order. By determining the replenishment order of each product in a plurality of products according to the order and the number of orders received for each supplier, the replenishment order of each product can be determined more appropriately. Further, when the work order of the sorting work is changed, the display content of the display device 2 is updated, so that it is possible to more flexibly cope with a change in the situation.

<2. Modification>
Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made.

  In the above embodiment, the display device 2 and the product are physically associated with each other via the container 90. However, the present invention is not limited to such a method. For example, when the product of the replenishment unit number is packed in one, the display device 2 may be directly attached to the package of the product.

  In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that each commodity is replenished from the three-dimensional warehouse 70 to the picking shelf 72 via the replenishment waiting space 71. However, the picking shelf 72 may be directly replenished from the three-dimensional warehouse 70. That is, the three-dimensional warehouse 70 may also be used as the replenishment waiting space 71.

  Further, the identification code of each display device 2 does not necessarily have to be displayed in the identifier display field 26 as a barcode. For example, it may be displayed as a QR code. When the display unit 21 does not have a resolution for displaying a two-dimensional code, the identification code of each display device 2 is printed on a sticker, a label, or the like, and the outer surface of the housing of the display device 2 is displayed. It may be affixed to.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, in the state which the same replenishment goods are divided into several containers 90 and are waiting, the display apparatus 2 attached to each container 90 is displaying the same replenishment order, and the same As long as it is a commodity, it is configured so that superiority or inferiority does not occur in the order of supplementation. However, for example, superiority or inferiority may be given in the order of replenishment between the same products based on information such as date of manufacture and expiration date. That is, the display device 2 associated with the nearer expiration date transmits and displays the replenishment order having a higher priority (the younger one among the replenishment orders assigned to the order information 420), and displays the other display devices. 2 may be sent and displayed in a replenishment order having a lower priority.

  In addition, for the replenishment order with a particularly high priority, the display format may be changed such as flash display. For example, when the replenishment order is about “1” to “5”, the display device 2 may display the replenishment order display column 27 while reversing red and white. In the present embodiment, the replenisher always searches for the display device 2 on which the young replenishment order is displayed. Therefore, the display device 2 that displays a relatively young replenishment order employs a display mode that facilitates the replenisher's attention, so that the replenisher can quickly find the replenishment product to be replenished.

  The progress information 421 is not limited to the form acquired by the handy scanner 3. For example, the operator of the server 4 may input from the operation unit 44, or an operation button is provided on the display device 2, and the replenisher operates the operation button so that the display device 2 can identify its own identifier. The progress information 421 may be transmitted to the server 4. Alternatively, when the picking shelf 72 is replenished, the replenisher removes the display device 2 from the container 90, returns it to the collection place, and returns and resets the display device 2, whereby the progress information 421 may be generated. .

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, the display apparatus 2 was attached to goods via the container 90, and was comprised so that it might move with goods. However, if the physical association between the display device 2 and the supplement product is clear, the display device 2 may not move with the product. For example, the replenishment order of the supplement products and the location in the replenishment waiting space 71 of the supplement products may be displayed on the display unit of the device carried by the supplement person. In such a case, according to the position of the device (the position of the replenisher), the display may be performed only on the device closest to the replenished product. Alternatively, a large display (a display device installed at an arrival gate of an aircraft) may be installed at a position that can be seen from anywhere in the replenishment waiting space 71, and the location may be displayed together with the replenishment order. In such a case, only a relatively young product in the replenishment order may be displayed.

  In addition, each step shown in the above embodiment is merely an example, and is not limited to the contents and order shown here, and may be appropriately changed as long as the same effect can be obtained. Good.

  In the above-described embodiment, the product number is transmitted from the handy scanner 3 to the server 4 as a supplementary preparation work start notification, and when the supplementary preparation work is completed, the identifier of the display device 2 is used as the supplementary preparation work completion notification. Explained to send to. However, the display device 2 and the container 90 (product) are associated with each other by reading the barcode attached to the product and the barcode (identifier display field 26) of the display device 2 with the handy scanner 3, After the association, the association information may be transmitted to the server 4 through the wireless access point 6. In this way, after one product is assigned to a specific display device 2 and the association information is registered in the server 4, for example, the product information is transmitted from the server 4 to the display device 2 via the transceiver 5. The product information received by the display device 2 may be displayed as the product name display field 23 or the product information display field 24.

It is a block diagram of the support system which concerns on this invention. It is a figure which illustrates the environment (distribution center) where the support system 1 is installed. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a display apparatus. It is a figure which shows the example of the screen displayed on the display part of a display apparatus. It is a figure which shows the structure of a server. It is a figure which illustrates the data structure of inventory management information. It is a figure which illustrates the data structure of order information. It is a figure which shows the functional block with which a server is provided with the flow of data. It is a flowchart which shows the work procedure in a distribution center. It is a flowchart which shows the work procedure in a distribution center. It is a flowchart which shows the replenishment order determination process mainly performed by the server. It is a flowchart which shows the replenishment order determination process mainly performed by the server. It is a figure which illustrates the data structure of the order information produced in a supplement order determination process. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating order information generated when progress information including an identifier “0146877” is received in a state where the order information illustrated in FIG. 13 is stored. It is a figure which illustrates the state where the order information shown in FIG. 7 was rewritten by the operator.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Support system 2 Display apparatus 21 Display part 22 Communication part 23 Product name display column 24 Product information display column 25 Replenishment place display column 26 Identifier display column 27 Replenishment order display column 3 Handy scanner 4 Server 40 CPU
400 Order determining section 420 Order information 421 Progress information 44 Operation section 46 Communication section 48 Inventory management information 49 Order information 90 Container 8 Local LAN

Claims (6)

A support system for supporting the replenishment work of goods by an operator,
First accepting means for accepting the progress of supplementary work by the worker;
Order determining means for determining the replenishment order of each product in a plurality of products according to the progress received by the first receiving means;
A plurality of display means to which any one of the plurality of products is assigned;
With
The display unit displays the replenishment order determined by the order determination unit for the assigned product every time the replenishment order of each product is determined by the order determination unit. The support system according to claim 1,
The support system, wherein the plurality of display means are attached to a product assigned to each of the display means. The support system according to claim 1 or 2,
The plurality of display means are provided with identifiers for individually identifying each of the display means,
The support system according to claim 1, wherein the first receiving unit receives the progress status by reading an identifier of a display unit assigned to a product for which a replenishment operation has been completed. The support system according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The support system according to claim 1, wherein the order determination unit determines a replenishment order of each product in the plurality of products according to a stock quantity of each of the plurality of products. The support system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
A third receiving means for receiving the number of orders for each of the plurality of products;
The support system according to claim 1, wherein the order determination unit determines a replenishment order of each product in the plurality of products according to the number of orders received by the third reception unit. The support system according to claim 5,
The third accepting unit accepts the number of orders received for each supplier, and accepts a work order in the sorting operation of a supplier who performs a sorting operation by an operator,
The order determining means determines the replenishment order of each product in the plurality of products according to the number of orders received for each of the suppliers and the work order every time the third accepting means accepts the work order. Support system characterized by doing.

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