WO2025182069A1 - Delivery support device, delivery support method, and recording medium - Google Patents

Abstract

This delivery support device comprises: an order content acquisition means for acquiring order content of a requester requesting cooperative delivery by a customer; an acceptance condition acquisition means for acquiring information pertaining to acceptors who are customers able to accept a cooperative delivery request, and acceptance conditions under which each acceptor is able to accept a cooperative delivery request; a determination means for determining whether ordered merchandise included in the order content matches a merchandise condition indicating whether ordered merchandise is merchandise which can be safely delivered by an acceptor; a selection means for selecting an acceptor for whom the acceptance condition matches the order content when it has been determined that the ordered merchandise matches the merchandise condition; and an instruction means for providing the selected acceptor with instructions for the cooperative delivery of the ordered merchandise from a pickup location to a delivery destination.

Description

Delivery support device, delivery support method, and recording medium

This disclosure relates to a delivery assistance device, a delivery assistance method, and a recording medium.

Delivery personnel deliver products ordered by customers to their destinations, but there may be a shortage of delivery personnel. In such cases, it may be desirable to improve delivery efficiency. For example, it may be desirable to reduce the time it takes for delivery personnel to deliver to each customer's residence, or to increase the number of deliveries that each delivery personnel is responsible for.

Patent Document 1 describes an information system that uses the location information of registered candidates to narrow down the candidates to whom product delivery offers can be made, and then offers product delivery to the narrowed down candidates, thereby enabling ordinary people to become product delivery personnel.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-017050

If the customer delivers the product, there is a chance that the customer will damage the product. Also, if the customer delivers the product, there is a chance that the customer will cause an accident.

One of the purposes of this disclosure is to provide a delivery support device that enables safe delivery of goods by customers.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the delivery assistance device comprises: an order content acquisition means for acquiring the order content of a client requesting a customer-assisted delivery; an acceptance condition acquisition means for acquiring information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake the customer-assisted delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each undertaker can undertake the customer-assisted delivery; a determination means for determining whether the ordered items included in the order content meet product conditions indicating whether the ordered items can be safely delivered by the undertakers; a selection means for selecting an undertaker whose acceptance conditions meet the order content if it is determined that the ordered items meet the product conditions; and an instruction means for instructing the selected undertaker to carry out a customer-assisted delivery from the pick-up location to the delivery destination.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the delivery assistance method acquires the order details of a client requesting a customer-assisted delivery, acquires information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake the customer-assisted delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each undertaker can undertake the customer-assisted delivery, determines whether the ordered items included in the order details meet the product conditions indicating whether the ordered items can be safely delivered by the undertakers, and if it is determined that the ordered items meet the product conditions, selects an undertaker whose acceptance conditions meet the order details and instructs the selected undertaker to carry out a customer-assisted delivery of the ordered items from the pick-up location to the delivery destination.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, the delivery assistance program acquires the order details of a client requesting a customer-assisted delivery, acquires information about undertakers who are customers who can undertake the customer-assisted delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each undertaker can undertake the customer-assisted delivery, determines whether the ordered items included in the order details meet the product conditions indicating whether the items can be safely delivered by the undertakers, and if it is determined that the ordered items meet the product conditions, selects an undertaker whose acceptance conditions meet the order details and causes a computer to execute processing to instruct the selected undertaker to carry out customer-assisted delivery of the ordered items from the pickup location to the delivery destination.

Each program may be stored on a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium.

One example of the benefits of this disclosure is that it enables safe delivery of goods by customers.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of mutual aid delivery. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of mutual aid delivery. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a flow of a delivery person delivering an ordered product to a delivery destination. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery support system. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery support device. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery support device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery support device. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery support device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery support device. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery support device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a delivery support device.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[First embodiment]
An application example of the delivery support device 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an application example of the delivery support device 10. FIGS. 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of the flow of a mutually-assisted delivery system, which will be described later. FIG. 1C is a diagram illustrating an example of the flow of a delivery person delivering an ordered item to a delivery destination. When a customer orders an item, the delivery person may deliver the ordered item to the customer's residence. In FIG. 1C, the flow of the delivery person delivering the ordered item to the customer's residence is indicated by solid arrows. Here, the customer may return the storage container used to deliver the ordered item to the delivery person. The storage container is a container capable of storing and transporting the ordered item during delivery. The storage container is, for example, a box, a container, or a basket. The storage container is not limited to these. In FIG. 1C, the flow of the customer returning the box, which is the storage container used to deliver the ordered item, to the delivery person is indicated by dotted arrows.

A delivery person may deliver ordered items to the destinations of multiple customers. When there is a shortage of delivery people, it may be desirable, for example, to reduce the time it takes for delivery people to deliver to each customer's destination, or to increase the number of deliveries that each delivery person is responsible for. Therefore, the delivery support device 10 enables delivery assistance.

Mutual delivery is when an underwriter, who is also a customer, delivers items ordered by a client, who is also a requester, to the delivery destination. Here, the underwriter and the requester are different people. An example of an underwriter and a requester is a member of an organization such as a union. When an underwriter performs mutual delivery, the underwriter receives the client's ordered items at a pickup location. The underwriter then delivers the ordered items from the pickup location to the delivery destination. In other words, in mutual delivery, the underwriter delivers the ordered items from the pickup location to the delivery destination. The pickup location is the location where the underwriter receives the client's ordered items. An example of a pickup location is the underwriter's residence. Another example of a pickup location is a facility that serves as a delivery base. The delivery person delivers the items to each customer's delivery destination from the delivery base facility. An example of a facility that serves as a delivery base is a delivery center. In the following explanation, the facility that serves as a delivery base is described as a delivery center. An example of a delivery destination is the client's residence.

Figures 1A and 1B each show an example of the flow of mutual delivery. In Figure 1A, the receiving location is the recipient's residence. As indicated by the solid arrow in Figure 1A, the delivery person transports the ordered items to the recipient's residence. The recipient then delivers the ordered items to the delivery destination. At this point, the sender may return the storage container used to deliver the ordered items to the delivery person. In that case, the recipient may receive the storage container and return it to the delivery person. In Figure 1A, the dotted arrow indicates the flow of returning a box, which is an example of a storage container.

In Figure 1B, the receiving location is a distribution center. As shown by the solid arrow in Figure 1B, the recipient receives the ordered items at the distribution center. The recipient then delivers the ordered items from the distribution center to the delivery destination. The recipients shown in Figure 1B are the same person. In Figure 1B, the process of returning a box, which is an example of a storage item, is also shown by the dotted arrow.

With reference to Figure 2, a delivery support system including the delivery support device 10 will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a delivery support system. With reference to Figure 2, the delivery support device 10 is connected to an underwriter terminal 91, a sender terminal 92, a delivery person terminal 93, and a database 94 via a wired or wireless network.

The underwriter terminal 91 and the requester terminal 92 are both terminals used by customers. The terminal used by the customer who is the underwriter is the underwriter terminal 91. The terminal used by the requester is the requester terminal 92. Examples of the underwriter terminal 91 are a smartphone, a personal computer, or a tablet terminal. Examples of the requester terminal 92 are a smartphone, a personal computer, or a tablet terminal. The underwriter terminal 91 and the requester terminal 92 are not limited to these. The number of underwriter terminals 91 connected to the delivery support device 10 is not limited to one. There may be multiple underwriter terminals 91. In other words, the delivery support device 10 can be connected to underwriter terminals 91 used by multiple people. The delivery support device 10 may also be connected to multiple underwriter terminals 91 used by the same underwriter. The number of requester terminals 92 connected to the delivery support device 10 is not limited to one. There may be multiple requester terminals 92 connected to the delivery support device 10. The delivery support device 10 may be connectable to multiple sender terminals 92 used by multiple people, or may be connectable to multiple sender terminals 92 used by the same recipient.

The delivery person terminal 93 is a terminal used by the delivery person who delivers the ordered items. The delivery person uses the delivery person terminal 93, for example, when delivering the ordered items. The delivery person can use the delivery person terminal 93 to check the delivery destination and the ordered items to be delivered to the delivery destination. The delivery person terminal 93 may be a terminal carried by the delivery person while delivering the ordered items. The delivery person terminal 93 may also be a terminal installed in a delivery vehicle and operated by the delivery person. The delivery person terminal 93 is, for example, a smartphone or tablet terminal. The delivery person terminal 93 is not limited to these. The number of delivery person terminals 93 is also not limited to one. The delivery support device 10 may be connected to multiple delivery person terminals 93. For example, the delivery support device 10 may be connected to delivery person terminals 93 used by multiple delivery people. The delivery support device 10 may also be connected to multiple delivery person terminals 93 used by one delivery person.

Database 94 stores customer information and information related to order details. Customer information includes the customer's name and address. Customer information may also include information that identifies the customer. Order details include information related to the ordered products and the delivery address.

If a customer has registered that they are able to carry out mutual delivery, that is, if the customer is an underwriter, the customer information may be, for example, the number of deliveries the underwriter has made and their evaluation. Furthermore, the database 94 stores the underwriter's acceptance conditions linked to the underwriter's customer information. The underwriter's acceptance conditions may also be included in the underwriter's customer information.

The information stored in database 94 is not limited to this. For example, calculation results of utilization rates and conversion rates, which will be described later, may also be stored. Database 94 may also store information associating delivery areas with delivery personnel responsible for those delivery areas.

The configuration of the delivery support device 10 will be described with reference to Figure 3. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the delivery support device 10. The delivery support device 10 includes an order content acquisition unit 101, an acceptance condition acquisition unit 102, a determination unit 103, a selection unit 104, and an instruction unit 105. The delivery support device 10 may further include a reception unit 106.

The order detail acquisition unit 101 is one aspect of the order detail acquisition means that acquires the order details of a requester requesting mutual delivery assistance. A customer orders a product to be delivered to a delivery destination. A customer who desires mutual delivery assistance can request mutual delivery assistance, for example, when ordering the product. A customer who desires mutual delivery assistance may request mutual delivery assistance between the time of ordering the product and the time of delivery of the ordered product. In other words, a customer who desires mutual delivery assistance can request mutual delivery assistance up until the time of delivery of the ordered product. It may also be assumed that all customers who have ordered products desire mutual delivery assistance. In other words, ordering a product may be regarded as a request for mutual delivery.

The order detail acquisition unit 101 acquires the order details of the client, who has requested mutual aid delivery. In other words, the order detail acquisition unit 101 acquires information related to the order details. The information related to the order details includes information related to the ordered products and information related to the delivery destination.

Information about ordered items includes information identifying the ordered items and the order quantity of each ordered item. Examples of information identifying ordered items are the product name and product number. Information about ordered items may also include the weight, size, or price of each ordered item. Information about ordered items may also include the total weight, size, or total price of all ordered items. Information about ordered items is not limited to these. Information about ordered items may be any information used in the delivery of ordered items.

Information about the delivery destination includes the address of the delivery destination. For example, when ordering a product, a customer can specify the delivery destination for the ordered product. Therefore, information about the delivery destination may include the address of the delivery destination specified by the customer. One example of a delivery destination is the customer's residence. A customer's residence is specifically the customer's own home. A customer's residence may also be the home of a family member of the customer. Delivery destinations are not limited to these. Information about the delivery destination may also include the customer's name or information that identifies the customer. For example, if the customer is a registered member, information that identifies the customer is the customer's membership number. Information that identifies the customer is not limited to this. Information about the delivery destination is not limited to the above, and may be any information necessary for delivery.

The order detail acquisition unit 101 can acquire order details from, for example, database 94. When a customer orders a product, the order details are saved in database 94. In addition, customers may request assisted delivery between the time they order the product and the time it is delivered. Therefore, the order detail acquisition unit 101 can acquire the order details of the requester, who is a customer who has requested assisted delivery, from database 94.

The acceptance conditions acquisition unit 102 is one aspect of an acceptance conditions acquisition means that acquires information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake mutual aid delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each undertaker can undertake mutual aid delivery. Customers who can undertake mutual aid delivery register that they can undertake mutual aid delivery. In other words, an undertaker is a customer who has registered that they can undertake mutual aid delivery.

The underwriting conditions acquisition unit 102 acquires the underwriter's customer information as information about the underwriter. The underwriter's customer information includes the name and address of the underwriter's customer. The underwriter's customer information may also include the delivery method. The delivery method is the method by which the underwriter delivers the ordered items to the delivery destination when performing mutual delivery. Delivery methods are, for example, by car, bicycle, cart, or on foot. Delivery methods are not limited to these. Other delivery methods include motorcycles, etc. The underwriter can register the delivery method. The delivery method registered by the underwriter is stored as customer information in database 94, for example.

The underwriter's customer information may include the number of times the underwriter has performed a mutual help delivery or an evaluation of the mutual help delivery. Each time the underwriter performs a mutual help delivery, that fact may be recorded in the underwriter's customer information. In other words, the number of mutual help deliveries performed is recorded in the underwriter's customer information. The date and time the underwriter performed a mutual help delivery or the order details may also be recorded in the underwriter's customer information. Furthermore, an evaluation of a mutual help delivery is information on the evaluation made by the client of the mutual help delivery performed by the underwriter. The evaluation of a mutual help delivery may be a numerical evaluation or a word-of-mouth evaluation. If the client registers an evaluation after the underwriter has performed a mutual help delivery, that evaluation may be registered as the underwriter's customer information.

The acceptance conditions acquisition unit 102 acquires the acceptance conditions under which each underwriter can undertake cooperative delivery. The acceptance conditions include conditions regarding the ordered products or delivery under which each underwriter can safely carry out cooperative delivery. In other words, the acceptance conditions are the conditions for the order contents under which each underwriter can carry out cooperative delivery.

The acceptance conditions include conditions related to the ordered items. One example of a condition related to the ordered items is an upper or lower limit on the weight of each ordered item. For example, when performing a shared delivery, the underwriter may not want to deliver heavy ordered items. In this case, the underwriter may register an upper limit on the weight of the ordered items as an acceptance condition. Another example of a condition related to the ordered items is an upper or lower limit on the size of each ordered item. A condition related to the ordered items may also be an upper or lower limit on the price. For example, if the order contains expensive ordered items, the underwriter may not want to perform a shared delivery of those ordered items. In this case, the underwriter may register an upper limit on the price of the ordered items as an acceptance condition.

The conditions regarding ordered items may be an upper or lower limit on the total number of ordered items included in the order details. If the number of ordered items included in the order details is too large, it may be difficult for the underwriter to carry out cooperative delivery. Therefore, the underwriter may register an upper limit on the total number of ordered items as an acceptance condition. The conditions regarding ordered items may also be an upper or lower limit on the total weight of the ordered items included in the order details. Furthermore, the conditions regarding ordered items may also be an upper or lower limit on the total price of the ordered items included in the order details.

The conditions for ordered items may specify ordered items that the underwriter cannot accept. There may be cases where the order contains ordered items that are difficult for the underwriter to deliver in a coordinated manner. One example of an ordered item that is difficult for the underwriter to deliver in a coordinated manner is an item that is related to allergies. There may also be cases where the order contains ordered items that the underwriter does not want to deliver in a coordinated manner. Therefore, the underwriter may specify ordered items that the underwriter cannot accept as acceptance conditions.

The acceptance conditions include conditions related to delivery. Here, the conditions related to delivery are conditions related to the cooperative delivery carried out by the acceptor. One example of a condition related to delivery is an upper or lower limit on the delivery distance. If the delivery destination is far away, it may be difficult for the acceptor to carry out cooperative delivery. Therefore, the acceptor may register an upper limit on the delivery distance as an acceptance condition. Another example of a condition related to delivery is the designation of a delivery area. If the acceptor lives within a certain delivery area, it may be possible for the acceptor to carry out cooperative delivery. Therefore, the acceptor may register a designation of the delivery area as an acceptance condition. A delivery area is, for example, an area covered by a single delivery center. Furthermore, areas other than the delivery area are areas covered by the same delivery person. A delivery area may also be a school district or a local town or village. Delivery areas are not limited to these.

The delivery conditions may be a specification of a delivery date and time. This may include at least one of a delivery date and time specification, a date specification, a day of the week specification, and a time period specification. The underwriter may register the dates on which they are available to undertake a shared delivery as an acceptance condition, according to their own convenience. The underwriter may also register the days of the week on which they are available to undertake a shared delivery as an acceptance condition, according to their own convenience. For example, the underwriter may register Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays as the days on which they are available to undertake a shared delivery. Furthermore, the underwriter may register the time periods on which they are available to undertake a shared delivery as an acceptance condition, according to their own convenience. For example, the underwriter may register mornings as the time periods on which they are available to undertake a shared delivery.

Here, the delivery conditions may include the delivery method described above. In other words, the delivery method may be included in the customer information or in the acceptance conditions.

If the container used to deliver the ordered items needs to be returned, the acceptance conditions may include the ability to collect the container used to deliver the ordered items from the delivery destination and return the collected container to the delivery person or delivery center. If the container used to deliver the ordered items needs to be returned, a recipient who is unable to collect and return the container is not suitable for mutual delivery. Therefore, the acceptance conditions include whether the recipient is able to collect and return the container.

The underwriter registers the terms under which they are able to undertake mutual aid delivery. The underwriter can register one or more of the terms of acceptance described above. The registered terms of acceptance are stored, for example, in database 94, in association with customer information.

The acceptance conditions acquisition unit 102 can acquire, from the database 94, information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake mutual aid delivery, and the acceptance conditions under which each undertaker can undertake mutual aid delivery.

The determination unit 103 is one aspect of the means for determining whether the ordered product included in the order details meets product conditions that indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the recipient.

One example of a product condition is that the ordered items are not difficult for the underwriter to deliver. If the ordered items are difficult for the underwriter to deliver, then the ordered items cannot be safely delivered by the underwriter. Examples of items that are difficult for the underwriter to deliver include ordered items that are too large or too heavy. In addition, if the total number of ordered items is too large, delivery by the underwriter may be difficult. Thus, an example of a product condition is an upper or lower limit on the size of the ordered items. Another example of a product condition is an upper or lower limit on the weight of the ordered items. Furthermore, a product condition may be an upper or lower limit on the total number of ordered items.

Another example of a product condition is the upper limit of the price of ordered items. If the order contains expensive ordered items, the ordered items may not be able to be safely delivered by the underwriter. Therefore, the determination unit 103 may determine whether the price of each ordered item exceeds the upper limit. Alternatively, a product condition may be the upper limit of the total price of ordered items. Ordered items with a high total price may not be suitable for collaborative delivery by underwriters. Therefore, the determination unit 103 may determine whether the total price of ordered items exceeds the upper limit.

Another example of a product condition is a condition regarding the fragility of the product. A condition regarding the fragility of the product means that the ordered product is not fragile. A fragile product may not be able to be safely delivered by the underwriter. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines whether the ordered product included in the order details is fragile or not. Whether the ordered product is fragile or not is set in advance. The condition regarding the fragility of the product may, for example, be a condition that expresses the degree of fragility of the product. For example, the degree of fragility of each product is ranked. The determination unit 103 may then determine that products that fall within a certain rank as conditions regarding the fragility of the product are not able to be safely delivered by the underwriter. The conditions regarding the fragility of the product are not limited to these.

Product conditions are not limited to these. Product conditions may be any conditions relating to products that can be safely delivered by the underwriter. Product conditions are set in advance, for example, at a distribution center. The pre-set product conditions are then stored in database 94. The determination unit 103 then compares the product conditions stored in database 94 with the order details. The determination unit 103 can then determine whether the product conditions, which indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the underwriter, are met.

One or more product conditions may be set. If multiple product conditions are set, and even one of the multiple conditions is not satisfied, the determination unit 103 can determine that the ordered product does not match the product conditions.

Here, the customer may be able to select the products to order from among those that can be safely delivered by the underwriter. In this case, the delivery support device 10 does not need to be equipped with the determination unit 103. For example, on the product order screen, products that can be safely delivered by the underwriter may be displayed to that effect. In this case, the requester will be able to order only products that can be safely delivered by the underwriter.

The selection unit 104 is one aspect of a selection means that, when it is determined that the ordered product matches the product conditions, selects an underwriter whose acceptance conditions match the order details. When the determination unit 103 determines that the ordered product matches the product conditions, the selection unit 104 selects an underwriter. The selection unit 104 selects an underwriter whose acceptance conditions match the order details of the client. In other words, the selection unit 104 matches the client with an underwriter.

In making the selection, the selection unit 104 uses the client's order details acquired by the order detail acquisition unit 101 and the acceptance conditions acquired by the acceptance conditions acquisition unit 102. Then, it selects an underwriter whose order details and acceptance conditions match. If multiple acceptance conditions have been registered by an underwriter, the selection unit 104 selects a client whose order details match all of the acceptance conditions.

The following describes the case where there are multiple undertakers whose acceptance conditions match the order details. When there are multiple undertakers whose acceptance conditions match the order details, the selection unit 104 may select one undertaker from the multiple undertakers. Here, the criteria for selecting one undertaker are called selection criteria. The selection unit 104 can select one undertaker based on the selection criteria. One example of a selection criterion is delivery distance. The selection unit 104 may, for example, select the undertaker with the shortest delivery distance. Another example of a selection criterion is delivery time. The selection unit 104 may, for example, select the undertaker with the shortest delivery time. The delivery time is calculated from the delivery distance and the delivery method. The selection criterion may be the number of times the undertaker has performed mutual aid deliveries. For example, the selection unit 104 may select the undertaker who has performed mutual aid deliveries the most. The selection criterion may be an evaluation of the undertaker's mutual aid deliveries. For example, the selection unit 104 may select the underwriter with the best evaluation when carrying out a mutually-helpful delivery. The selection criteria may also be criteria related to incentives, which will be described later. For example, the selection unit 104 may select the underwriter who is offered the smallest amount of incentive.

If there are multiple undertakers whose acceptance conditions match the order details, the selection unit 104 may select the multiple undertakers. The multiple undertakers may share the delivery of the ordered items included in the order details and cooperate to deliver the items together. The selection unit 104 can decide that the selected multiple undertakers will share the delivery of the ordered items and cooperate to deliver the ordered items together. The multiple undertakers may share the delivery of the ordered items according to the number of items ordered. For example, if the selection unit 104 selects two undertakers, the selection unit 104 may decide that the two undertakers will each share half of the delivery of the ordered items and cooperate to deliver the ordered items together.

If there is no undertaker whose acceptance conditions match the order details of the requester, the selection unit 104 cannot select an undertaker. In other words, the order items of the requester will not be delivered by mutual assistance. In this case, the order items of the requester will be delivered by a delivery person.

If there is no underwriter whose acceptance conditions match the order details of the client, the selection unit 104 may relax the acceptance conditions and select an underwriter again. By relaxing the acceptance conditions, the selection unit 104 may be able to select an underwriter. To relax the acceptance conditions, the selection unit 104 may, for example, not use some of the acceptance conditions in the selection. In other words, the selection unit 104 can remove some of the acceptance conditions. For example, if five acceptance conditions are set, the selection unit 104 can select an underwriter using four of the five acceptance conditions. The acceptance conditions not used in the selection may, for example, be set in advance by the underwriter. Furthermore, the acceptance conditions not used in the selection may, for example, be set by the distribution center.

The selection unit 104 can relax the acceptance conditions, for example, by relaxing the content of the acceptance conditions. For example, the selection unit 104 can relax the acceptance conditions by lengthening the delivery distance that was set as an acceptance condition. The underwriter or distribution center can set in advance which acceptance conditions to relax and to what extent.

The instruction unit 105 is one aspect of instruction means that instructs the selected recipient to assisted delivery of the ordered items from the pickup location to the delivery destination. Furthermore, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered items if it is determined that the ordered items do not meet the product conditions or if an underwriter who meets the acceptance conditions cannot be selected. In other words, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered items.

Therefore, the following explanation will be given separately for cases where the instruction unit 105 instructs mutually assisted delivery and cases where it instructs delivery by a delivery person.

First, we will explain the case where the instruction unit 105 instructs a collaborative delivery. When an underwriter is selected by the selection unit 104, the instruction unit 105 instructs the selected underwriter to perform a collaborative delivery from the pickup location of the ordered items to the delivery destination. In other words, the instruction unit 105 instructs the underwriter to deliver the ordered items from the pickup location of the ordered items to the delivery destination. Here, the pickup location includes the underwriter's residence or a delivery center. As mentioned above, a delivery center is an example of a facility that serves as a delivery base.

The following describes how to determine the location for receiving ordered items. The location for receiving ordered items may be predetermined by the distribution center. For example, if it is difficult for the distribution center to hand over the ordered items to the recipient, the distribution center may determine in advance that the location for receiving will be the recipient's residence. Alternatively, if it is difficult for the delivery person to transport the ordered items to the recipient's residence, the distribution center may determine in advance that the location for receiving will be the distribution center. The distribution center may also determine in advance the location for receiving depending on the recipient's delivery method. For example, if the delivery method is by car, the distribution center may determine the location for receiving will be the distribution center. Alternatively, if the delivery method is by walking or bicycle, the distribution center may determine the location for receiving will be the recipient's residence.

The location where the ordered items are to be received may be selected by the recipient. If the recipient selects the location, the delivery support device 10 may further include a reception unit 106.

The reception unit 106 is one aspect of the means for accepting the underwriter's selection of a receiving location. The underwriter can select the receiving location from the underwriter's residence or a distribution center. The underwriter may select a receiving location when receiving an instruction for mutual delivery. The instruction unit 105, for example, sends a request to select a receiving location to the underwriter terminal 91 of the selected underwriter, along with an instruction for mutual delivery. The underwriter then selects a receiving location using the underwriter terminal 91. The reception unit 106 accepts the underwriter's selection of a receiving location from the underwriter terminal 91. The underwriter can select a receiving location each time he or she is selected as an underwriter.

The location for receiving the ordered items may be determined based on a selection made in advance by the underwriter. The underwriter can select the desired receiving location in advance. The reception unit 106 receives the underwriter's selection of the receiving location. Information about the selected receiving location is, for example, included in the customer information as underwriter information and stored in database 94. The instruction unit 105 can reference the customer information stored in database 94 and obtain the information about the receiving location registered by the underwriter. The instruction unit 105 then sends instructions according to the underwriter's desired receiving location.

If the receiving location is the underwriter's residence, the instruction unit 105 instructs the underwriter selected by the selection unit 104 to carry out a cooperative delivery from the underwriter's residence to the delivery destination. The instruction unit 105 sends, for example, an instruction to the underwriter terminal 91 to carry out a cooperative delivery of the items ordered by the requester. The instruction for cooperative delivery includes information about the items ordered by the requester and information about the delivery destination. The underwriter terminal 9 that receives the delivery instruction can then display the instruction content on its screen. The underwriter can then confirm the instruction for cooperative delivery via the screen of the underwriter terminal 91. The underwriter can then carry out a cooperative delivery of the items ordered by the requester.

If the receiving location is the recipient's residence, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the items ordered by the requester to the recipient's residence. The instruction unit 105, for example, sends a delivery instruction for the items ordered by the requester to the delivery person terminal 93. The delivery instruction includes information about the items ordered by the requester and information about the recipient's residence. The delivery person terminal 93, which receives the delivery instruction, can then display the delivery details on its screen. The delivery person can then check the delivery instruction on the screen of the delivery person terminal 93. The delivery person can then deliver the items ordered by the requester to the recipient's residence.

The instruction unit 105 may, for example, send a delivery instruction for the items ordered by the sender to a delivery center server (not shown). The delivery center server is a server that manages the delivery and transportation of ordered items. The delivery center server, for example, manages the delivery destinations to which each delivery person is responsible for delivery. The instruction unit 105 sends a delivery instruction for the items ordered by the sender to the delivery center server. The delivery center server may then send a delivery instruction for the items ordered by the sender to the delivery person terminal 93. Here, if a delivery person is responsible for multiple deliveries, the delivery center server may determine the delivery order for the destinations. At this time, the delivery center server may send the delivery instruction and delivery order to the delivery person terminal 93.

If the pickup location is a distribution center, the instruction unit 105 instructs the underwriter selected by the selection unit 104 to carry out a cooperative delivery from the distribution center to the delivery destination. In other words, the instruction unit 105 instructs the underwriter to go to the distribution center to pick up the items ordered by the requester and to carry out a cooperative delivery from the distribution center to the delivery destination. The instruction unit 105 sends instructions for the cooperative delivery of the items ordered by the requester to, for example, the underwriter terminal 91. The instructions for cooperative delivery include information about the items ordered by the requester and information about the delivery destination. The instructions for cooperative delivery may also include information such as the time when the ordered items can be picked up at the distribution center. The underwriter confirms the instructions for cooperative delivery via the screen of the underwriter terminal 91.

The instruction unit 105 may, for example, send an instruction to the distribution center server to hand over the items ordered by the requester to the acceptor. The instruction to hand over the items ordered by the requester to the acceptor includes information about the items ordered by the requester and information about the acceptor. The distribution center server may then send an instruction to hand over the items ordered by the requester to the acceptor, for example, to a display device (not shown) installed in the distribution center. The distribution center server may also send an instruction to hand over the items ordered by the requester to a terminal (not shown) used by an employee working at the distribution center. The employee working at the distribution center can check the display device or terminal and hand over the items ordered by the requester to the acceptor. The display device and terminal are connected to the distribution center server via a wired or wireless network. The method of handing over the ordered items at the distribution center is not limited to these. It is sufficient that the acceptor can receive the items ordered by the requester at the distribution center.

The instruction unit 105 may send the underwriter a request for consent to carry out mutually assisting delivery. There may be cases where the underwriter selected by the selection unit 104 is unable to carry out mutually assisting delivery for some reason. In this case, the instruction unit 105 may send, for example, to the underwriter terminal 91 a request for consent to carry out mutually assisting delivery. The underwriter then uses the underwriter terminal 91 to transmit consent to carry out mutually assisting delivery. If the instruction unit 105 receives consent from the underwriter terminal 91, it may send instructions for mutually assisting delivery. If the underwriter does not consent to carry out mutually assisting delivery, the instruction unit 105 may instruct the delivery person to carry out delivery.

The instruction unit 105 may instruct the receiver to collect the storage materials used to deliver the ordered items from the delivery destination. The instruction unit 105 may then instruct the receiver to return the collected storage materials to the delivery person or the facility that serves as the delivery base.

The following describes the case where the instruction unit 105 instructs a delivery by a delivery person. If the determination unit 103 determines that the ordered item does not meet the product conditions, the delivery person is instructed to deliver the ordered item. If the ordered item does not meet the product conditions, this means that the ordered item is not suitable for collaborative delivery. Therefore, if the ordered item does not meet the product conditions, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered item. Furthermore, if the selection unit 104 cannot select an acceptor who meets the acceptance conditions, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered item. If there is no acceptor who can perform collaborative delivery, the instruction unit 105 requests the delivery person to deliver the ordered item.

The instruction unit 105, for example, sends delivery instructions for the items ordered by the sender to the delivery person terminal 93. The delivery instructions include information about the items ordered by the sender and information about the delivery destination. Upon receiving the delivery instructions, the delivery person terminal 93 can display the instructions on its screen. The delivery person can then confirm the delivery instructions via the screen of the delivery person terminal 93. The delivery person can then deliver the items ordered by the sender.

The instruction unit 105 may, for example, send delivery instructions for the items ordered by the sender to a delivery center server (not shown). The delivery center server is a server that manages the delivery of ordered items. The delivery center server, for example, manages the delivery destinations for which each delivery person is responsible. The delivery center server may send information about the delivery destinations for which the delivery person using the delivery person terminal 93 is responsible to the delivery person terminal 93, to the delivery person terminal 93. Therefore, the instruction unit 105 sends delivery instructions for the items ordered by the sender to the delivery center server. The delivery center server may then send delivery instructions for the items ordered by the sender to the delivery person terminal 93. Here, the delivery center server may determine the delivery order for the delivery destinations for which the delivery people are responsible. At this time, the delivery center server may send the delivery instructions and delivery order to the delivery person terminal 93.

With reference to Figure 4, the operation of the delivery support device 10, which includes an order content acquisition unit 101, an acceptance condition acquisition unit 102, a determination unit 103, a selection unit 104, and an instruction unit 105, will be described. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery support device 10.

In step S101, the order detail acquisition unit 101 acquires the order details of a client requesting mutual delivery by a customer. In step S102, the acceptance conditions acquisition unit 102 acquires information about undertakers who are customers who can undertake mutual delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each undertaker can undertake mutual delivery. Then, in step S103, the determination unit 103 determines whether the ordered items included in the order details match the product conditions that indicate whether the ordered items can be safely delivered by the undertaker. If the determination unit 103 determines that the ordered items match the product conditions (Yes in step S103), in step S104, the selection unit 104 selects an undertaker whose acceptance conditions match the order details. If the selection unit 104 selects an undertaker (Yes in step S104), in step S105, the instruction unit 105 instructs the selected undertaker to perform mutual delivery of the ordered items from the pickup location to the delivery destination. The delivery support device 10 then terminates operation.

If the determination unit 103 determines that the ordered product does not meet the product conditions (No in step S103), or if the selection unit 104 cannot select an underwriter (No in step S104), in step S106, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered product. The delivery support device 10 then terminates its operation.

Here, steps S102 and S103 can be performed in any order. Steps S102 and S103 can also be performed in the opposite order. Steps S102 and S103 can also be performed in parallel. In other words, it is sufficient that step S102 is performed before step S104.

The following describes the operation of the delivery support device 10 when it is equipped with a reception unit 106. The reception unit 106 receives the underwriter's selection of a receiving location after step S105. The reception unit 106 may also receive the underwriter's selection of a receiving location before step S105.

In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 has a determination unit 103 that determines whether the ordered items included in the client's order details meet product conditions that indicate whether the items can be safely delivered by an underwriter. If it is determined that the ordered items meet the product conditions, the selection unit 104 selects an underwriter whose acceptance conditions meet the order details. The instruction unit 105 instructs the selected underwriter to assist in the delivery of the ordered items from the pickup location to the delivery destination.

When an underwriter who is a customer delivers ordered items, it may be difficult for the underwriter to deliver the ordered items safely. Therefore, the determination unit 103 determines whether the ordered items meet product conditions that indicate whether the ordered items can be delivered safely by the underwriter, and ordered items that can be delivered safely by the underwriter can be made eligible for collaborative delivery. In other words, ordered items that are difficult for the underwriter to deliver safely are not made eligible for collaborative delivery. This enables the safe delivery of the client's ordered items. Furthermore, the selection unit 104 selects an underwriter whose acceptance conditions meet the client's order details. The acceptance conditions are conditions under which the underwriter can safely carry out collaborative delivery. The conditions for safe collaborative delivery vary for each underwriter. Therefore, by selecting an underwriter based on the acceptance conditions, the selection unit 104 can instruct an underwriter who can safely deliver the client's ordered items to carry out collaborative delivery. In other words, it enables the client's ordered items to be delivered safely. As described above, the delivery support device 10 enables the safe delivery of ordered items in collaborative delivery by underwriters who are customers. By participating in delivery collaboration, consignors can perform some of the deliveries on behalf of delivery personnel. As a result, for example, it may be possible to reduce the time required to deliver to each customer's residence. It may also be possible to increase the number of deliveries handled. This makes it possible to improve delivery efficiency while ensuring the safety of ordered items.

In this embodiment, if the delivery support device 10 determines that the ordered item does not meet the product conditions or if an underwriter who meets the acceptance conditions cannot be selected, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered item. Ordered items may include items that are difficult for the customer to safely deliver. For example, if the ordered item is easily damaged, it may be difficult for the underwriter to deliver it safely. Furthermore, if the ordered item is too heavy or large, it may be difficult for the underwriter to deliver it safely. In such cases, it may be desirable for items that are difficult for the customer to safely deliver to be delivered by a delivery person. Therefore, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered item if it is determined that the ordered item does not meet the product conditions. The product conditions indicate whether the ordered item can be safely delivered by the underwriter. In other words, an ordered item that does not meet the product conditions is one in which the ordered item cannot be safely delivered by the underwriter. Even when a mutual delivery assistance request is made, if the items ordered by the sender include items that can be safely delivered by the receiver, the instruction unit 105 will instruct the delivery person to deliver the ordered items. As a result, the ordered items can be delivered safely.

Furthermore, if an underwriter who meets the acceptance conditions cannot be selected, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered items. Here, the acceptance conditions include conditions related to the ordered items or delivery that allow the underwriter to safely carry out cooperative delivery. Each underwriter has different order contents that they can safely deliver. For example, the size, weight, and total number of ordered items that an underwriter can safely deliver may vary depending on the underwriter. Also, some ordered items may be difficult to deliver depending on the underwriter, for example, due to allergies. Furthermore, the delivery distance and date and time that can be delivered may vary depending on the underwriter. In other words, if a delivery person who meets the acceptance conditions cannot be selected, this is when there is no underwriter who can safely deliver the ordered items. Even if cooperative delivery is requested, if there is no underwriter who can safely deliver the ordered items, the instruction unit 105 instructs the delivery person to deliver the ordered items. As a result, the ordered items can be delivered safely.

Therefore, the configuration of the delivery support device 10 makes it possible to safely deliver ordered items in a manner that matches the requester's order, even when a customer requests a mutually-assisted delivery. Safe delivery of ordered items enables stores and distribution centers to maintain the trust of their customers.

In this embodiment, the delivery support device 10 has the reception unit 106 accept the selection of a pickup location by the underwriter. The underwriter receives the ordered items from the client at the pickup location. The underwriter then performs a cooperative delivery of the ordered items from the pickup location to the delivery destination. In this case, the reception unit 106 accepts the selection of a pickup location, allowing the underwriter to receive the ordered items at a location that is convenient for them. This makes it easier for underwriters to perform cooperative delivery. As a result, it is possible to promote registration as a cooperative delivery underwriter. In addition, underwriters may actively undertake cooperative delivery. As the number of cooperative delivery underwriters increases, the number of cooperative delivery cases may increase. This in turn makes it possible to improve the efficiency of delivery of ordered items. Here, the pickup location includes the underwriter's residence or a facility that serves as a delivery base. If the pickup location is the underwriter's home, the underwriter cooperatively delivers the ordered items that have been delivered to the underwriter's residence. In other words, the underwriter can reduce the effort required to pick up the ordered items. Furthermore, if the receiving location is a facility that serves as a delivery base, the delivery person can reduce the effort of transporting the sender's ordered items to the recipient's residence. Depending on the delivery method and the recipient's own schedule, it may be convenient for the recipient to have the receiving location be a facility that serves as a delivery base. Therefore, by including the receiving location as the recipient's residence or a facility that serves as a delivery base, the effort required for at least one of the delivery person and the recipient in a mutual delivery arrangement can be reduced.

In the delivery support device 10 according to this embodiment, the acceptance conditions include the ability to collect the storage materials used to deliver the ordered items from the delivery destination and to return the collected storage materials to the delivery person or the facility that serves as the delivery base. Furthermore, in the delivery support device 10, the instruction unit 105 instructs the acceptor to collect the storage materials used to deliver the ordered items from the delivery destination. The sender may need to return the storage materials used to deliver the ordered items to the delivery person. Therefore, by having the acceptor performing a mutually assisting delivery collect the storage materials and then return them to the delivery person or the facility that serves as the delivery base, the sender can be spared the trouble of returning the storage materials. Furthermore, the delivery person can be spared the trouble of retrieving the storage materials. In a mutually assisting delivery, the acceptor delivers the ordered items and retrieves the storage materials, thereby improving delivery efficiency.

Second Embodiment
The second embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Below, the description of the second embodiment will be omitted to the extent that it does not make the description of the present embodiment unclear.

The configuration of the delivery support device 20 will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the delivery support device 20. The delivery support device 20 includes an order content acquisition unit 201, an acceptance condition acquisition unit 202, a determination unit 203, a selection unit 204, an instruction unit 205, and a provision unit 207. The delivery support device 20 may also include a reception unit 206.

The order content acquisition unit 201, acceptance condition acquisition unit 202, determination unit 203, selection unit 204, instruction unit 205, and reception unit 206 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

The provision unit 207 is one aspect of provision means that provides incentives to undertakers who have performed mutually-assisted delivery, according to the order details. The provision unit 207 determines the content of the incentive. The content of the incentive includes the amount of the incentive and the method of provision. Methods of providing the incentive include, for example, the distribution of coupons, points, or gift certificates. Furthermore, the method of providing the incentive may include a discount on the delivery fee for the ordered items delivered to the undertaker.

The provision unit 207 provides the determined incentive to the underwriter. The provision unit 207 may also provide the incentive to the client. The recipient of the incentive is set in advance by, for example, the delivery center.

The method for determining the content of the incentive will now be described. The amount of the incentive is determined, for example, based on the order content. The provision unit 207 may determine the amount of the incentive, for example, based on the weight of each ordered item. The provision unit 207 may also determine the amount of the incentive, for example, based on the total weight of the ordered items. For example, the provision unit 207 may increase the amount of the incentive the heavier the weight of each ordered item or the total weight of the ordered items.

The provision unit 207 may, for example, determine the amount of incentive according to the size of each ordered item. For example, the provision unit 207 may provide a larger amount of incentive the larger the size of each ordered item. Furthermore, the provision unit 207 may, for example, determine the amount of incentive according to the total number of ordered items. For example, the provision unit 207 may provide a larger amount of incentive the larger the total number of ordered items. The provision unit 207 may determine the amount of incentive according to the delivery distance. For example, the provision unit 207 may provide a larger amount of incentive the longer the delivery distance.

The provision unit 207 may determine the amount of incentive depending on the number of deliveries an underwriter has made. For example, the provision unit 207 may increase the amount of incentive for an underwriter who is making a mutually assisting delivery for the first time. In other words, the provision unit 207 may increase the amount of incentive for an underwriter who has made zero deliveries. By increasing the incentive for an underwriter making a mutually assisting delivery for the first time, the underwriter may be more proactive in making mutually assisting deliveries. The provision unit 207 may also increase the amount of incentive for an underwriter who has made a large number of deliveries.

The provision unit 207 may determine the amount of incentive depending on the underwriter's evaluation. For example, the provision unit 207 may provide a larger amount of incentive to an underwriter with a higher evaluation.

The provision unit 207 can determine the method of providing the incentive depending on the recipient of the incentive. The provision unit 207 may also determine the method of providing the incentive depending on the customer's usage status. For example, the provision unit 207 can determine the method of providing the incentive depending on the order history of the customer to whom the incentive is to be provided. The provision unit 207 can decide to provide a coupon for a product that the customer frequently purchases. Furthermore, if the number of times a product has been ordered is low, the provision unit 207 may decide to provide a discount on the delivery fee. Providing a discount on the delivery fee may encourage the customer to continue ordering products.

The provision unit 207 may also determine the method of providing the incentive according to the customer's wishes. For example, when an underwriter registers that they are able to carry out mutual aid delivery, they may be able to register the desired method of providing the incentive. If the underwriter registers that they would like to receive the incentive in the form of a coupon, the provision unit 207 may provide the coupon to the underwriter.

The provision unit 207 may provide an incentive when it receives a notification that the underwriter has completed the mutually assisting delivery. In other words, the provision unit 207 may provide an incentive after the underwriter has completed the mutually assisting delivery. The completion of the mutually assisting delivery by the underwriter may be notified, for example, by a declaration by the underwriter. The underwriter may, for example, use the underwriter terminal 91 to send a notification of the completion of the mutually assisting delivery. Furthermore, the completion of the mutually assisting delivery by the underwriter may be notified by the requester's registration. When the requester receives the ordered items, the requester may, for example, use the requester terminal 92 to send a notification of the completion of the mutually assisting delivery. The requester may evaluate the underwriter at the same time as sending the notification of the completion of the mutually assisting delivery. Furthermore, the provision unit 207 may provide an incentive in conjunction with instructions to the underwriter by the instruction unit 205. The timing at which the provision unit 207 provides an incentive is not limited to these.

With reference to Figure 6, the operation of the delivery support device 20, which includes an order content acquisition unit 201, an acceptance condition acquisition unit 202, a determination unit 203, a selection unit 204, an instruction unit 205, and a provision unit 207, will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery support device 20.

Steps S201, S202, S203, S204, S205, and S207 in Figure 6 are the same as steps S101, S102, S103, S104, S105, and S106 in Figure 4, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 6, in step S206, the providing unit 207 provides an incentive according to the order contents to the recipient who performed the mutually assisting delivery. Then, the delivery support device 20 ends its operation.

. . . In this embodiment, the provision unit 207 of the delivery support device 20 provides an incentive to an underwriter who has performed a mutually assisting delivery, based on the order contents. By providing an incentive to an underwriter, the underwriter may be more willing to undertake a mutually assisting delivery. Furthermore, by providing an incentive to an underwriter, the number of customers registered as underwriters may increase. Increasing the number of underwriters who perform mutually assisting deliveries may increase the number of mutually assisting deliveries performed. In other words, the efficiency of delivery of ordered items can be improved. Here, the incentive varies, for example, depending on the order contents or delivery distance. The difficulty of mutually assisting delivery may vary depending on the order contents and delivery distance. For example, if the weight of the ordered items is heavy, it is difficult for the underwriter to perform the mutually assisting delivery. Furthermore, if the delivery distance is long, the burden on the underwriter is greater than when the delivery distance is short. Therefore, by providing incentives that vary depending on the order contents or delivery distance, the underwriter can receive an incentive based on the difficulty of the mutually assisting delivery. As a result, the underwriter may be more likely to undertake a mutually assisting delivery again. Furthermore, the incentive varies, for example, depending on the number of times the underwriter has performed mutually assisting deliveries. This may result in the underwriter being more likely to undertake the mutual delivery again. Furthermore, the incentive may vary depending on, for example, the underwriter's evaluation. This may improve the quality of the underwriter's mutual delivery. As a result, it is possible to improve the client's satisfaction with the mutual delivery.

[Third embodiment]
The third embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Below, the description of the present embodiment will be omitted to the extent that it does not become unclear.

The configuration of the delivery support device 30 will be described with reference to Figure 7. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the delivery support device 30. The delivery support device 30 comprises an order content acquisition unit 301, an acceptance condition acquisition unit 302, a determination unit 303, a selection unit 304, an instruction unit 305, a calculation unit 308, and a notification unit 309. The delivery support device 30 may further comprise at least one of a reception unit 306 and a provision unit 307.

The order content acquisition unit 301, acceptance condition acquisition unit 302, determination unit 303, selection unit 304, instruction unit 305, calculation unit 308, notification unit 309, reception unit 306, and provision unit 307 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment.

The calculation unit 308 is one aspect of a calculation means for calculating the utilization rate of mutual delivery relative to the total number of orders within a specified area. The utilization rate represents the proportion of orders for which mutual delivery was used relative to all orders within the specified area. The calculation unit 308 can calculate this by dividing the number of orders for which mutual delivery was used within the specified area by the total number of orders within the specified area. This utilization rate makes it possible to visualize the extent to which mutual delivery is used within the specified area. The calculation unit 308 can, for example, obtain from database 94 the number of orders for which mutual delivery was used within the specified area and the total number of orders within the specified area.

The calculation unit 308 may calculate the success rate of mutual delivery within a specified area. The success rate is the ratio of orders for which mutual delivery was actually carried out to the number of orders for which mutual delivery was requested. In other words, the calculation unit 308 can calculate this by dividing the number of orders for which mutual delivery was carried out within a specified area by the number of orders for which mutual delivery was requested within the specified area. This success rate makes it possible to visualize the percentage of times mutual delivery is actually carried out when a customer requests mutual delivery. The calculation unit 308 can obtain, for example, from the database 94, the number of orders for which mutual delivery was carried out within a specified area and the number of orders for which mutual delivery was requested within the specified area.

Here, an example of a specified area is the entire area covered by one delivery center. A specified area may also be an area covered by the same delivery person. A specified area may also be a prefecture or a district, town, or village. A specified area is not limited to these.

The calculation unit 308 may calculate multiple utilization rates or conversion rates for regions that are divided differently. For example, the calculation unit 308 may calculate the utilization rate for the entire region that is served by one distribution center, and the utilization rate for the regions that are served by the same distribution center.

The calculation unit 308 can calculate the utilization rate from the number of orders for which mutual delivery has been performed within a specified area up to the time of calculation and the total number of orders within the specified area. The calculation unit 308 may calculate the utilization rate within a specified period. The specified period is, for example, the most recent month or one year. The specified period is set in advance. The calculation unit 308 can calculate the success rate up to the time of calculation and the success rate within the specified period.

The notification unit 309 is one aspect of a means for notifying customers of the utilization rate. The notification unit 309 notifies customers of the utilization rate calculated by the calculation unit 308. Customers notified by the notification unit 309 include the requester and the undertaker. Customers notified by the notification unit 309 also include customers who have never used mutual delivery. A customer who has never used mutual delivery is a customer who has not registered that they are able to undertake mutual delivery and has never requested mutual delivery before. The notification unit 309 may notify the delivery person of the utilization rate.

The notification method used by the notification unit 309 will now be described. As an example of a notification method, the notification unit 309 sends a notification including the utilization rate. The notification unit 309 may, for example, send a notification including the utilization rate to a terminal used by the customer. Terminals used by customers include the sender terminal 92 and the underwriter terminal 91. The notification unit 309 may also send a notification including the utilization rate to the delivery person terminal 93.

The notification unit 309 may, for example, give instructions to display the utilization rate on the store's homepage. The notification unit 309 may also give instructions to display the utilization rate on the product ordering screen. The notification unit 309 may, for example, give instructions to display the utilization rate on the distribution center's homepage. Customers can see the utilization rate when they access the store's or distribution center's homepage.

The notification unit 309 may, for example, instruct the usage rate to be displayed on the product order form. For example, if the store accepts orders using paper order forms, it may instruct the usage rate to be printed on the paper order form.

The notification unit 309 may, for example, create a heat map showing the utilization rate by region. The heat map can visualize the utilization rate of mutual delivery by region. The notification unit 309 may then notify the user of the heat map. The notification is performed using one of the notification methods described above. The notification unit 309 may, for example, instruct the store to display the utilization rate in the created heat map on its homepage.

The notification method used by the notification unit 309 is not limited to these. The notification unit 309 may notify the utilization rate in a manner that allows the customer to check it. The notification unit 309 may also change the notification recipient depending on the notification method. Furthermore, the notification unit 309 may also notify the closing rate. The method for notifying the closing rate is the same as the method for notifying the utilization rate. The notification unit 309 may also notify the utilization rate and the closing rate. In this case, the notification unit 309 may notify the utilization rate and the closing rate using different notification methods.

If the delivery support device 30 is equipped with a calculation unit 308 and a notification unit 309, the incentive provided by the provision unit 307 may vary depending on the utilization rate within the area to which the underwriter belongs. In other words, the provision unit 307 determines the content of the incentive depending on the utilization rate within the area to which the underwriter belongs. The provision unit 307 may then provide the determined incentive to the underwriter. For example, the provision unit 307 may increase the amount of the incentive when the utilization rate is low. By increasing the amount of the incentive, it is possible to encourage customers to use mutual aid delivery. Furthermore, the provision unit 307 may decrease the amount of the incentive when the utilization rate is high. Furthermore, the provision unit 307 may provide an incentive according to the closing rate.

With reference to Figure 8, the operation of the delivery support device 30, which includes an order content acquisition unit 301, an acceptance condition acquisition unit 302, a determination unit 303, a selection unit 304, an instruction unit 305, a calculation unit 308, and a notification unit 309, will be described. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the delivery support device 30.

Steps S301, S302, S303, S304, S305, and S308 in Figure 8 are the same as steps S101, S102, S103, S104, S105, and S106 in Figure 4, respectively.

Referring to FIG. 8, in step S306, the calculation unit 308 calculates the utilization rate of mutual delivery relative to the total number of orders within a specified area. Then, in step S307, the notification unit 309 notifies the customer of the utilization rate. The delivery support device 30 then ends its operation.

The timing of steps S306 and S307 is not limited to these. It is sufficient that the operation of step S307 is performed after step S306.

In this embodiment, the calculation unit 308 of the delivery support device 30 calculates the utilization rate of mutual delivery relative to the total number of orders within a specified area. The notification unit 309 then notifies customers of the utilization rate. By being notified of the utilization rate of mutual delivery, customers can understand the utilization rate of mutual delivery. In addition, customers who have never used mutual delivery may start using it. As the number of customers using mutual delivery increases, delivery efficiency can be improved.

In the delivery support device 30 of this embodiment, the incentives vary depending on the utilization rate within the area to which the underwriter belongs. For example, by providing a larger incentive amount to underwriters in areas with low utilization rates than to underwriters in areas with high utilization rates, it becomes possible to promote the use of mutual aid delivery in areas with low utilization rates. As a result, delivery efficiency can be improved.

[Hardware configuration example]
9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of the delivery support device 40 according to the present disclosure. The delivery support device 40 is realized by a computer. The delivery support device 40 is an example in which the delivery support device 10, the delivery support device 20, or the delivery support device 30 is realized by a computer.

The delivery support device 40 includes a processor 401, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 402, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 403, a storage device 404 such as a hard disk for storing programs, an input/output interface 405 for inputting and outputting data, and a communication interface 406 for network connection. Each component is connected via a bus 407.

Processor 401 runs the operating system and controls the entire computer. Examples of processor 401 include a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Processor 401 loads programs stored in, for example, ROM 402 or storage device 404. Processor 401 then executes each process coded in the program. Processor 401 may execute the processes or instructions in the illustrated flowchart based on the program.

ROM 402 stores application programs, programs related to each embodiment, etc. RAM 403 is used as a work area for processor 401.

Examples of the storage device 404 include semiconductor memory such as flash memory, and HDDs (Hard Disk Drives). The storage device 404 stores, for example, OS (Operating System) programs, application programs, and programs related to each embodiment.

The input/output interface 405 is connected to peripheral devices (not shown). The connection method may be a wired or wireless network.

The communication interface 406 is connected to a communication network (not shown) such as a LAN (Local Network) or WAN (Wide Area Network) via a wireless or wired network. The communication network may be made up of multiple communication networks. This allows the computer to be connected to external devices via the communication network. The delivery assistance device 40 may have components other than those shown in FIG. 9. For example, the delivery assistance device 40 may have a drive device or the like. For example, the processor 401 may be attached to a drive device or the like and read programs and data stored on a non-transitory tangible recording medium into the RAM 403.

The present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that would be understood by a person skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

Some or all of the above embodiments may also be described as, but are not limited to, the following notes.

(Appendix 1)
an order content acquisition means for acquiring order content of a client who requests mutual help delivery by customers;
an acceptance condition acquisition means for acquiring information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake the mutual aid delivery and acceptance conditions under which each of the undertakers can undertake the mutual aid delivery;
a determining means for determining whether the ordered product included in the order details meets product conditions that indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the underwriter;
a selection means for selecting the underwriter whose acceptance conditions match the order details when it is determined that the ordered product matches the product conditions;
an instruction means for instructing the selected undertaker to carry out the mutual delivery of the ordered goods from the receiving location to the delivery destination;
A delivery support device comprising:

(Appendix 2)
The delivery support device described in Appendix 1, wherein the instruction means instructs a delivery person to deliver the ordered product if it is determined that the ordered product does not meet the product conditions or if it is not possible to select an undertaker who meets the acceptance conditions.

(Appendix 3)
The delivery support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the product conditions include a condition regarding the fragility of the product.

(Appendix 4)
The delivery support device according to any one of Supplementary Notes 1 to 3, wherein the product conditions include conditions regarding the total number or weight of the ordered products.

(Appendix 5)
The delivery support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a reception unit that receives the selection of the receiving location by the undertaker.

(Appendix 6)
The delivery support device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the receiving location includes the recipient's residence or a facility that serves as a delivery base.

(Appendix 7)
The delivery assistance device according to any one of appendices 1 to 6, wherein the acceptance conditions include conditions regarding the ordered items or conditions regarding delivery that allow the underwriter to safely carry out the mutually-assisted delivery.

(Appendix 8)
The delivery support device described in any one of Appendices 1 to 7, wherein the acceptance conditions include the ability to collect the storage material used to deliver the ordered items from the client's residence and to return the collected storage material to the delivery person or to a facility that serves as a delivery base.

(Appendix 9)
The delivery support device according to claim 8, wherein the instruction means instructs the receiver to collect the storage member from the residence of the sender.

(Appendix 10)
The delivery support device according to any one of appendices 1 to 9, further comprising a providing means for providing an incentive to the underwriter who performed the mutually assisting delivery, according to the order content.

(Appendix 11)
The delivery assistance device according to claim 10, wherein the incentive varies depending on the order content or delivery distance.

(Appendix 12)
The delivery assistance device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the incentive varies depending on the number of times or evaluation of the underwriter who has performed the mutually assisting delivery.

(Appendix 13)
a calculation means for calculating a utilization rate of the mutual delivery service with respect to the total number of orders within a predetermined area;
The delivery support device according to any one of appendices 10 to 12, further comprising: a notification means for notifying the customer of the utilization rate.

(Appendix 14)
The delivery assistance device according to claim 13, wherein the incentive varies depending on the utilization rate within the area to which the underwriter belongs.

(Appendix 15)
The delivery support device according to claim 7, wherein the acceptance conditions include conditions regarding the total number, weight, or delivery distance of the ordered items.

(Appendix 16)
The delivery support device according to claim 7, wherein the acceptance conditions include conditions regarding the ordered products that the acceptor cannot accept.

(Appendix 17)
The delivery support device according to claim 7, wherein the acceptance conditions include conditions regarding the date and time when the acceptor is available to accept the delivery.

(Appendix 18)
The delivery support device described in any one of appendixes 1 to 17, wherein the selection means selects the acceptor according to the delivery distance when there are multiple acceptors whose acceptance conditions match the order content.

(Appendix 19)
Acquire the order details of the client who requests mutual delivery by the customer;
Acquire information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake the mutual aid delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each of the undertakers can undertake the mutual aid delivery;
determining whether the ordered product included in the order details meets product conditions that indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the underwriter;
If it is determined that the ordered product meets the product conditions, the underwriter who meets the acceptance conditions for the order content is selected;
instructing the selected undertaker to carry out the mutual delivery of the ordered goods from the receiving location to the delivery destination;
Shipping support methods.

(Appendix 20)
Acquire the order details of the client who requests mutual delivery by the customer;
Acquire information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake the mutual aid delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each of the undertakers can undertake the mutual aid delivery;
determining whether the ordered product included in the order details meets product conditions that indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the underwriter;
If it is determined that the ordered product meets the product conditions, the underwriter who meets the acceptance conditions for the order content is selected;
instructing the selected undertaker to carry out the mutual delivery of the ordered goods from the receiving location to the delivery destination;
A recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to execute a process.

(Appendix 21)
Acquire the order details of the client who requests mutual delivery by the customer;
Acquire information on undertakers who are the customers and who are able to undertake the mutual aid delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each of the undertakers can undertake the mutual aid delivery;
determining whether the ordered product included in the order details meets product conditions that indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the underwriter;
If it is determined that the ordered product meets the product conditions, the underwriter who meets the acceptance conditions for the order content is selected;
instructing the selected undertaker to carry out the mutual delivery of the ordered goods from the receiving location to the delivery destination;
A delivery support program that causes a computer to execute processing.

Some or all of the configurations described in Supplementary Notes 2-18, which are dependent on Supplementary Note 1 above, may also be dependent on Supplementary Notes 19-21 in the same manner as Supplementary Note 2-18. Not limited to Supplementary Notes 1, 19-21, but also to various hardware, software, various recording devices for recording software, or systems, some or all of the configurations described as Supplements may be dependent on each other, as long as they do not deviate from the above-mentioned embodiments.

10, 20, 30, 40 Delivery support device 101, 201, 301 Order content acquisition unit 102, 202, 302 Acceptance condition acquisition unit 103, 203, 303 Determination unit 104, 204, 304 Selection unit 105, 205, 305 Instruction unit 106, 206, 306 Reception unit 207, 307 Provision unit 308 Calculation unit 309 Notification unit 401 Processor 402 ROM
403 RAM
404 Storage device 405 Input/output interface 406 Communication interface 407 Bus 91 Acceptor terminal 92 Requester terminal 93 Delivery person terminal 94 Database

Claims (20)

an order content acquisition means for acquiring order content of a client who requests mutual help delivery by customers;
an acceptance condition acquisition means for acquiring information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake the mutual aid delivery and acceptance conditions under which each of the undertakers can undertake the mutual aid delivery;
a determining means for determining whether the ordered product included in the order details meets product conditions that indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the underwriter;
a selection means for selecting the underwriter whose acceptance conditions match the order details when it is determined that the ordered product matches the product conditions;
an instruction means for instructing the selected undertaker to carry out the mutual delivery of the ordered goods from the receiving location to the delivery destination;
A delivery support device comprising: The delivery support device according to claim 1, wherein the instruction means instructs a delivery person to deliver the ordered product when it is determined that the ordered product does not meet the product conditions or when it is not possible to select an undertaker who meets the acceptance conditions. The delivery support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the product conditions include a condition regarding the fragility of the product. The delivery support device according to claim 1 , wherein the product conditions include a condition regarding the total number or weight of the ordered products. The delivery support device according to claim 1 , further comprising a reception unit that receives the selection of the receiving location by the undertaker. The delivery support device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiving location includes a residence of the receiver or a facility that serves as a delivery base. The delivery assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the acceptance conditions include conditions regarding the ordered product or conditions regarding delivery that allow the acceptor to safely carry out the mutually-assisted delivery. The delivery support device of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the acceptance conditions include the possibility of collecting the storage material used to deliver the ordered items from the client's residence and returning the collected storage material to a delivery person or a facility that serves as a delivery base. The delivery support device according to claim 8 , wherein the instruction means instructs the receiver to collect the storage member from the residence of the sender. The delivery support device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a providing unit that provides an incentive according to the order content to the undertaker who has performed the mutually assisting delivery. The delivery assistance device according to claim 10 , wherein the incentive varies depending on the order content or delivery distance. The delivery support device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the incentive varies depending on the number of times or an evaluation of the underwriter who has performed the mutually assisting delivery. a calculation means for calculating a utilization rate of the mutual delivery service with respect to the total number of orders within a predetermined area;
The delivery support device according to claim 10 , further comprising: a notification unit that notifies the customer of the utilization rate. The delivery support device according to claim 13 , wherein the incentive varies depending on the utilization rate in the area to which the underwriter belongs. The delivery support device according to claim 7 , wherein the conditions regarding the ordered items include conditions regarding the total number, weight, or delivery distance of the ordered items. The delivery support device according to claim 7 , wherein the conditions regarding the ordered products include conditions regarding the ordered products that cannot be accepted by the acceptor. The delivery support device according to claim 7 , wherein the conditions regarding delivery include a condition regarding a date and time when the receiver is available to accept the delivery. The delivery support device according to claim 1 , wherein the selection means selects the recipient according to the delivery distance when there are multiple recipients whose acceptance conditions match the order content. Acquire the order details of the client who requests mutual delivery by the customer;
Acquire information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake the mutual aid delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each of the undertakers can undertake the mutual aid delivery;
determining whether the ordered product included in the order details meets product conditions that indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the underwriter;
If it is determined that the ordered product meets the product conditions, the underwriter who meets the acceptance conditions for the order content is selected;
instructing the selected undertaker to carry out the mutual delivery of the ordered goods from the receiving location to the delivery destination;
Shipping support methods. Acquire the order details of the client requesting mutual delivery by the customer;
Acquire information on undertakers who are customers who can undertake the mutual aid delivery and the acceptance conditions under which each of the undertakers can undertake the mutual aid delivery;
determining whether the ordered product included in the order details meets product conditions that indicate whether the product can be safely delivered by the underwriter;
If it is determined that the ordered product meets the product conditions, the underwriter who meets the acceptance conditions for the order content is selected;
instructing the selected undertaker to carry out the mutual delivery of the ordered goods from the receiving location to the delivery destination;
A recording medium that stores a program that causes a computer to execute a process.