INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE
The present application claims priority from Japanese application JP 20 13- 183 572
filed on September 5, 201 3, the content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this
application.
5
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technology of controlling inventory of ordered
articles which are not undergone warehousing processing.
In a case where products are imported from a foreign country by ship or the like,
10 it takes a long time from the shipping of the products, which are the ordered articles, by the
supplier to the warehousing of the ordered company, so that there occur occasionally goods in
transit which are products not received but bills relating to them have been received.
Ownership of the products is transferred to the purchaser at the time when the products are
loaded on a ship, freight car, aircraft or the like, depending on trade conditions. Therefore, a
15 company that performs cost management by calculating a purchase price difference between
actual and standard costs of each item on the basis of the stock information as month-end
processing desires to perform inventory control of goods in transit. For example, JP-A-2007-
179232 discloses a technology of managing goods in transit by managing an ordered article
during transportation as stock in transit with the article inspection processing and the bill
20 collation processing changed in their order.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Like the above conventional technology, the ordered articles are managed as stock
in transit by switching the inspection processing and the bill collation processing in their order,
25 so that it becomes possible to manage the goods in transit. But, for example, in a case where an
Indian company desires to introduce a system for performing inventory control by transcribing a
warehousinglshipping slip, it is necessary to manage imported stock information in association
with tariff payment information for Indian tax reasons. Therefore, stock information about the
ordered articles cannot be created and inventory control of the ordered articles in transit cannot
30 be performed until the tariff is actually paid.
The present invention has been achieved under the circumstances described above
and aims to provide a method and program for controlling inventory and a storage medium to
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make it possible to perform inventory control of goods in transit even in a country where the
inventory control cannot be performed on an ordered article in transit when the ordered article
has not been received but a bill relating to the ordered article has been received due to
restrictions by a taxation system.
5 A typical example of the invention for solving the above problem is described
below. Specifically, the present invention provides a method for controlling inventory by a
server that executes the inventory control of goods in transit which are ordered articles not
received but a bill relating to the ordered articles has been received. The server is provided
with an order slip-based history storage unit for storing information for uniquely identifying
10 order information, the order information, and information showing a state of accepting the
ordered articles; an order slip storage unit for storing the information for uniquely identifying the
order information and unit price information on the ordered articles; and a warehousinglshipping
slip storage unit for storing the information for uniquely identifying the order information and
stock information on the ordered articles. And, the server performs searching the order slip-
15 based history storage unit on the basis of the information for uniquely identifying the order
information and the information showing the state of accepting the ordered articles and
calculating, on the basis of information of a relevant record, a first value which is a total value of
a quantity of the ordered articles which are under the bill collation processing and a second value
which is a total value of a quantity of the ordered articles which are under warehousing
20 processing; calculating a quantity of the goods in transit by subtracting the calculated second
value from the calculated first value; obtaining unit price information from a relevant record by
searching the order slip storage unit on the basis of the information for uniquely identifying the
order information; calculating the stock amount of the goods in transit on the basis of the
calculated quantity of the goods in transit and the obtained unit price information; and registering
25 information including the quantity of the goods in transit and the stock amount, as temporary
stock information, together with a stock processing day into the warehousinglshipping slip
storage unit.
The present invention makes it possible to perform inventory control of goods in
transit even in a country where the inventory control cannot be performed on ordered articles
30 during they are in transit and not received yet but a bill relating to the ordered articles has been
received due to restrictions by a taxation system.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent
from the following description of the embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the
accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
FIG. 1 is a view showing an overall configuration example of a computer network
system 100 according to this embodiment.
5 FIG. 2 is a view showing a hardware structure example of a purchase management
server 1 03.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a data structure example of a purchase order slip
database 220 provided in the purchase management server 103.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a data structure example of a purchase order slip-based
10 history database 22 1 provided in the purchase management server 103.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a data structure example of an item master database 222
provided in the purchase management server 103.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a data structure example of a warehousing/shipping slip
database 223 provided in the purchase management server 103.
15 FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a processing of a goods-in-transit inventory
creating function 2 1 0 provided in the purchase management server 103.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a processing of a goods-in-transit inventory cancel
function 2 1 1 provided in the purchase management server 103.
20 DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT
One embodiment of the invention is described in detail with reference to the
drawings. Descriptions are made on a structure of a system according to this embodiment with
reference to FIG. 1, a hardware structure with reference to FIG. 2, a data structure of a database
with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6, and main functions according to flow charts and screen examples
25 with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG. 8.
FIG. 1 is a view showing an overall configuration example of a computer network
system 100 according to this embodiment. A purchase management system 100 connects
purchase management information, such as purchase order information and bill collation
information, input by a user from a client machine 10 1 to a purchase management server 103
30 through a network 102.
FIG. 2 is a view showing a hardware structure example of the purchase
management server 103. The purchase management server 103 can be realized by an ordinary
computer and includes a storage unit 201, a display unit 202 such as a display, an input unit 203
such as a keyboard, a mouse or the like, a CPU control unit 204 and a communication control
unit 205. The storage unit 201 stores a program having a goods-in-transit inventory creating
function 21 0 and a goods-in-transit inventory cancel function 2 11, and stores as databases, a
purchase order slip database 220, a purchase order slip-based history database 221, an item
master database 222, and a warehousinglshipping slip database 223. The above program may
5 be stored in advance into the storage unit 201, may be stored in a portable storage medium which
is usable by the computer and if necessary read via an unshown reader, or may be downloaded if
necessary from another device connected with the network 102 which is a communication
medium usable by the computer and stored into the storage unit 201.
FIG. 3 is a view showing a data structure example of the purchase order slip
10 database 220 provided in the purchase management server 103. The purchase order slip
database 220 is a table which stores information relating to the purchase order slip input by the
client machine 101. As shown in FIG. 3, a purchase order slip number 301, a reference number
302, an item code 303, an item name 304, a quantity 305, a quantity unit 306, an amount 307,
and a price 308 are stored in correspondence with each other. Order information can be
15 uniquely identified by the purchase order slip number 301 and the reference number 302. The
amount 307 is an amount calculated from the quantity 305 and the price 308 which is unit price
information.
FIG. 4 is a view showing a data structure example of the purchase order slip-based
history database 22 1 provided in the purchase management server 103. The purchase order
20 slip-based history database 221 is a table storing history information on warehousing processing
and bill collation processing performed on the purchase order slips stored in the purchase order
slip database 220. As shown in FIG. 4, the table stores a purchase order slip number 401, a
reference number 402, processing 403, an item code 404, an item name 405, a quantity 406, and
an amount 407 in correspondence with each other. The purchase order slip number 401 and the
25 reference number 402 are associated with the purchase order slip number 301 and the reference
number 302 in the purchase order slip database 220. In the processing 403, "Bill collation" is
set when the bill collation processing is performed, "Warehousing" is set when the warehousing
processing is performed, and the processed quantity and the amount are set in the quantity 406
and the amount 407. The processing 403 performs the bill collation processing by subtracting a
30 total of the quantity 406 of records of "Warehousing" from a total of the quantity 406 of records
of "Bill collation", but the quantity of products, which are not undergone the warehousing
processing, namely goods in transit can be grasped. In this example, for records including the
purchase order slip number 401 of " 10001 " and the reference number 402 of " 1 ", a total of the
quantities 406 set with "Bill collation" in the processing 403 is "30", while a total of the quantity
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406 set with "Warehousing" in the processing 403 is " 1 Ow, and it can be judged that the
subtracted quantity "20" is the quantity of goods in transit.
FIG. 5 is a view showing a data structure example of the item master database 222
provided in the purchase management server 103. The item master database 222 is a table for
5 storing item information. As shown in FIG. 5, the table stores an item code 501, an item name
502, a quantity unit 503, and a standard unit price 504 in correspondence with each other. The
item master database 222 holds information on items and holds the standard price 504 of items.
FIG. 6 is a view showing a data structure example of the warehousinglshipping
slip database 223 provided in the purchase management server 103. The warehousinglshipping
10 slip database 223 is a table storing warehousinglshipping slip information relating to stock
movement and provides information for performing inventory control. As shown in FIG. 6, the
table stores a warehousinglshipping slip number 601, a reference number 602, a stock movement
classification 603, an item code 604, a quantity 605, a quantity unit 606, an amount 607, a
purchase order slip number 608, a purchase order reference number 609, and a transcription date
15 61 0 in correspondence with each other. Creation of temporary dummy (temporary) stock
information on the goods in transit in the warehousinglshipping slip database 223 makes it
possible to perform inventory control of the goods in transit. The stock movement
classification 603 is an item for discriminating a stock receivingldelivering method and shows
"Order warehousing" when warehousing is performed in response to a purchase order. It makes
20 it possible to discriminate the dummy stock of goods in transit by setting classification "Goods in
transit" dedicated for goods in transit in the stock movement classification 603 when creating
dummy stock of goods in transit and by setting classification "Goods-in-transit cancel" when
cancelling the dummy stock of goods in transit. In the case of warehousing for a regular
purchase order slip, the purchase order slip and the warehousinglshipping slip are associated
25 with each other by setting the purchase order slip number 301 and the reference number 302 in
the purchase order slip database 220 to the purchase order slip number 608 and the purchase
order reference number 609. But, it is necessary to manage the stock information on imported
goods in association with information on a tariff paid at the customs office depending on the
taxation system of a foreign country, and there are cases that the warehousing/shipping slip can
30 not be registered in association with the purchase order slip until actual clearance of the goods
through customs. Therefore, for the dummy stock of goods in transit, dummy stock
information for the inventory control not associated with the purchase order is created, so that no
value is set for the purchase order slip number 608 and the purchase order reference number 609.
The quantity of goods in transit calculated from a record of "Bill collation" of the processing 403
and a record of "Warehousing" of the processing 403 in the purchase order slip-based history
database 221 is set for the quantity 605 at a third record in the warehousinglshipping slip
database 223. For the amount 607, the stock amount calculated by multiplying the quantity 605
by the price 308 which is unit price information of the purchase order slip database 220 is set to
5 make it possible to generate the stock information with the amount of purchase order.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing a processing of the goods-in-transit inventory
creating function 2 1 0 provided in the purchase management server 103. This embodiment
assumes a system performing the cost management by calculating a purchase price difference
between the actual price and the standard price of the stock at the end of the month, so that the
10 goods-in-transit inventory creating function 21 0 is performed before performing closing
processing of the stock at the end of the month.
The goods-in-transit inventory creating function 21 0 obtains purchase order slip
data by searching the purchase order slip-based history database 221 using as keys the purchase
order slip number 401 and the reference number 402, which are information for uniquely
15 identifying the order information (step S701). The goods-in-transit inventory creating function
21 0 calculates the quantity of goods in transit, which have been undergone the bill collation but
not undergone the warehousing processing, by subtracting a total of the quantity 406 that the
processing 403 shows "Warehousing", namely the quantity undergone the warehousing
processing, from a total of the quantity 406 that the processing 403 shows "Bill collation",
20 namely the quantity undergone the bill collation processing (step S702). If the calculated
quantity of goods in transit is zero, the goods-in-transit inventory creating function 21 0 judges
that the there have occurred no goods in transit ("No" in step S703) and then performs processing
of the next record obtained in step S701. If the calculated quantity of goods in transit is larger
than zero, the goods-in-transit inventory creating function 210 judges that there have occurred
25 goods in transit ("Yes" in step S703) and searches the purchase order slip database 220 on the
basis of the purchase order slip number 401 and the reference number 402 to obtain the price 308
which is unit price information at the time of purchase order (step S704). The goods-in-transit
inventory creating function 2 10 calculates the stock amount of goods in transit by multiplying
the quantity of goods in transit calculated in step S702 by the price 308 obtained in step S704.
30 The goods-in-transit inventory creating function 21 0 registers dummy stock information on the
goods in transit into the warehousinglshipping slip database 223 by searching the
warehousinglshipping slip database 223 on the basis of the purchase order slip number 40 1 and
the reference number 402, registering a classification "Goods in transit" in the stock movement
classification 603 of the relevant record, registering the calculated quantity of the goods in transit
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into the quantity 605, registering the calculated stock amount of goods in transit into the amount
607 and registering the date at the end of the month when the processing is performed into the
transcription date 6 10 (step S70.5). After registering, the next record obtained in step S70 1 is
processed, and repeated processing is terminated after all of the processing has been completed.
5 FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing a processing of the goods-in-transit inventory
cancel function 2 1 1 which is provided in the purchase management server 103. The goods-intransit
inventory cancel function 21 1 performs cancel processing of the registered dummy stock
information on goods in transit as processing first in the next month after the processing of
closing the stock at the end of the month. As specific processing, for example the goods-in-
10 transit inventory cancel function 21 1 searches the dummy stock information that has "Goods in
transit" in the stock movement classification 603 in the warehousinglshipping slip database 223
and the date at the end of the former month registered in the transcription date 610 when the
current date is a base date (step S801). The goods-in-transit inventory cancel function 21 1 sets
a classification called "Goods-in-transit cancel" into the stock movement classification 603 in the
15 warehousinglshipping slip database 223, sets a day (first day of the next month) following the
last day of the previous month for the transcription date 6 10, and registers cancel data into the
warehousinglshipping slip database 223 (step S802). Then, warehousing processing is
performed by the user at the time when the goods are actually received, and regular stock
information is created in the warehousinglshipping slip database 22.
20 According to the above-described embodiment, the inventory control of goods in
transit can be performed even in a country where the inventory control cannot be performed on
goods in transit due to restrictions by a taxation system.
While one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the
invention is not limited to it, but various modifications and variations can be made without
25 departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
It should be further understood by those skilled in the art that although the
foregoing description has been made on embodiments of the invention, the invention is not
limited thereto and various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the
spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.
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WE CLAIM:
1. A method for controlling inventory by a server (1 03) that executes the inventory
control of goods in transit which are ordered articles not received but a bill relating to the
ordered articles has been received, wherein:
the server (103) is provided with an order slip-based history storage unit (221) for
storing information for uniquely identifying order information, the order information, and
information showing a state of accepting the ordered articles; an order slip storage unit (220) for
storing the information for uniquely identifying the order information and unit price information
on the ordered articles; and a warehousinglshipping slip storage unit (223) for storing the
information for uniquely identifying the order information and stock information on the ordered
articles, and
the server (1 03) performs:
searching the order slip-based history storage unit (22 1) on the basis of the
information for uniquely identifying the order information and the information showing the state
of accepting the ordered articles and calculating, on the basis of information of a relevant record,
a first value which is a total value of a quantity of the ordered articles which are under the bill
collation processing and a second value which is a total value of a quantity of the ordered articles
which are under warehousing processing;
calculating a quantity of the goods in transit by subtracting the calculated second
value from the calculated first value;
obtaining unit price information from a relevant record by searching the order slip
storage unit (220) on the basis of the information for uniquely identifying the order information;
calculating the stock amount of the goods in transit on the basis of the calculated
quantity of the goods in transit and the obtained unit price information; and
registering information including the quantity of the goods in transit and the stock amount,
as temporary stock information, together with a stock processing day into the
warehousinglshipping slip storage unit (223).
2. The method for controlling inventory according to claim 1, wherein the server
(1 03) executes cancel processing of the temporary stock information in which the stock
processing day is registered with the last day of the previous month when the current date is a
base date in the warehousinglshipping slip storage unit (223).
3. A program causing a computer to control an inventory of goods in transit which
are ordered articles not received but a bill relating to the ordered articles has been received,
wherein:
the computer is provided with an order slip-based history storage unit (221) for
storing information for uniquely identifying order information, the order information, and
information showing a state of accepting the ordered articles; an order slip storage unit (220) for
storing information for uniquely identifying the order information and unit price information on
the ordered articles; and a warehousing/shipping slip storage unit (223) for storing information
for uniquely identifying the order information and stock information on the ordered articles,
the computer is made to execute:
processing to search the order slip-based history storage unit (221) on the basis of
the information for uniquely identifying the order information and the information showing the
state of accepting the ordered articles, and to calculate, on the basis of information of a relevant
record, a first value which is a total value of a quantity of the ordered articles which are under
the bill collation processing and a second value which is a total value of a quantity of the ordered
articles which are under warehousing processing;
processing to calculate a quantity of the goods in transit by subtracting the
calculated second value from the calculated first value;
processing to obtain unit price information from a relevant record by searching
the order slip storage unit (220) on the basis of the information for uniquely identifying the order
information;
processing to calculate the stock amount of the goods in transit on the basis of the
calculated quantity of the goods in transit and the obtained unit price information; and
processing to register information including the quantity of the goods in transit
and the stock amount, as temporary dummy stock information, together with a stock processing
day into the warehousinglshipping slip storage unit (223).
4. The program according to claim 3, wherein the computer is made to execute
cancel processing of the temporary stock information in which the stock processing day is
registered with the last day of the previous month when the current date is a base date in the
warehousing/shipping slip storage unit (223).
5. A storage medium storing a program readable by a computer, the medium storing
the program according to claim 3 or 4.
Dated this isth day of July 2014
Of Anand and Anand Advocates
Agent for the Applicant
ABSTRACT