JP7792661B1 - Program, information processing device, method, and system - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To smoothly create electronic approval documents required in connection with business negotiations regarding the use of assets within commercial facilities.
[Solution] A program to be executed by a computer having a processor and a memory. A database stores first information regarding negotiations for asset use conducted between a manager and an operator of a commercial facility and a person who wishes to use an asset within the commercial facility. The program causes the processor to execute the steps of accepting a creation request from the manager and acquiring at least one of the first information and second information regarding an inquiry from the person about asset use, and creating an electronic approval document for the person to obtain approval to use the asset based on at least one of the acquired first information and second information.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to a program, an information processing device, a method, and a system.

In recent years, research and development into technology for automatically creating electronic approval documents has progressed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses technology for automatically creating electronic approval documents based on customer-specific information. The customer-specific information includes, for example, at least one of customer attribute information, financial information, and loan trend information by financial institution.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-140656

However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 leaves room for improvement in terms of automatically creating electronic approval documents required in connection with business negotiations regarding the use of assets within commercial facilities.

The purpose of this disclosure is to facilitate the creation of electronic approval documents required in connection with business negotiations regarding the use of assets within commercial facilities.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present disclosure provides a program to be executed by a computer having a processor and memory. The database stores first information regarding negotiations for asset use conducted between the manager and operator of a commercial facility and a person who wishes to use an asset within the commercial facility. The program causes the processor to execute the steps of accepting a creation request from the manager and acquiring at least one of the first information and second information regarding an inquiry from the person about asset use, and creating an electronic approval document for the person to obtain approval to use the asset based on at least one of the acquired first information and second information.

This disclosure makes it possible to smoothly create electronic approval documents required in connection with business negotiations regarding the use of assets within commercial facilities.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a system 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a terminal device 10 shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a server 20 shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data structure of a facility information database 2021 shown in FIG. 3. 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the server 20. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the screen of the display 141 when an electronic approval document 1411 is displayed. FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the basic hardware configuration of a computer 90.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In all figures describing the embodiments, common components are designated by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations will be omitted. Note that the following embodiments do not unduly limit the content of the present disclosure as described in the claims. Furthermore, not all components shown in the embodiments are necessarily essential components of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration.

[1. Overview]
The server of this embodiment has a database that stores negotiation information (first information). The negotiation information is information regarding negotiations for asset use conducted between the manager and operator of the commercial facility and a person who wishes to use an asset within the commercial facility. The manager and operator of the commercial facility is, for example, a developer. The server of this embodiment accepts a creation request from the manager and acquires at least one of negotiation information and inquiry information (second information). The inquiry information is information regarding an inquiry from a person who wishes to use the asset. The server of this embodiment creates an electronic approval document for the person to obtain approval to use the asset based on at least one of the acquired negotiation information and inquiry information.

[2. Overall system configuration]
1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of system 1. System 1 is a system for providing a service (hereinafter, a management support service) that supports the management of assets installed in, for example, multiple commercial facilities.

A commercial facility is a facility used for the purpose of selling various goods or providing various services. Examples of commercial facilities include shopping malls, department stores, retail stores, clinic malls, and amusement facilities.

Examples of assets provided in commercial facilities include sections, common areas, seats, and advertising space. Common areas include, for example, entrances, corridors, halls, stairs, elevators, restrooms, and rest areas. Advertising space includes, for example, digital signage and OOH (Out Of Home) advertising.

The system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, a terminal device 10 and a server 20. The terminal device 10 and the server 20 are connected for communication via, for example, a network 80.

In Figure 1, an example is shown in which the system 1 includes one terminal device 10, but for example, the system 1 may include two or more terminal devices 10. In Figure 1, an example is shown in which the system 1 includes one server 20, but for example, a collection of multiple devices may form one server 20. The method of allocating the multiple functions required to realize the server 20 to one or more pieces of hardware can be determined appropriately depending on the processing capacity of each piece of hardware and/or the specifications required for the server 20, etc.

The terminal device 10 is, for example, an information processing device operated by a user. The user is the manager or operator of the commercial facility that is the target of the management support service (hereinafter referred to as the target facility). The manager or operator is a person who has authority over the store opening contract, such as the owner or manager of the commercial facility, or a person entrusted with the management and operation of the commercial facility. Specific examples of managers and operators include developers and store staff (e.g., store managers) of the commercial facility. The terminal device 10 is realized, for example, by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or tablet, a stationary PC (Personal Computer), or a laptop PC. In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 is assumed to be a tablet.

The terminal device 10 includes a communication interface (IF) 12, an input device 13, an output device 14, memory 15, storage 16, and a processor 19. The input device 13 is a device for accepting input operations from the user (e.g., a touch panel, a touchpad, a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, etc.). The output device 14 is a device for presenting information to the user (a display, a speaker, etc.). In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 is equipped with a touch panel in which the input device 13 and the output device 14 are integrated.

Server 20 is, for example, an information processing device for managing and operating the management support service, and is an information processing device implemented by a computer connected to network 80. In this embodiment, server 20 is assumed to be a management server owned by a company that provides the management support service.

As shown in FIG. 1, the server 20 includes a communication IF 22, an input/output IF 23, an output device 24, memory 25, storage 26, and a processor 29. The input/output IF 23 functions as an input device (not shown) for accepting input operations from employees in charge of management support services (hereinafter, service-side employees), and as an interface for the output device 24 for outputting information to service-side employees.

Each information processing device, such as the terminal device 10 and the server 20, is configured by a computer 90 (see Figure 7) equipped with an arithmetic unit and a storage device. The basic hardware configuration of the computer 90 and the basic functional configuration of the computer 90 realized by this basic hardware configuration will be described later. Note that explanations of the terminal device 10 and the server 20 that overlap with the basic hardware configuration and basic functional configuration of the computer will be omitted.

<2-1 Configuration of terminal device>
Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the terminal device 10 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 2, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 120, an input device 13, an output device 14, an audio processing unit 170, a microphone 171, a speaker 172, a camera 160, a position information sensor 150, an acceleration sensor 155, a storage unit 180, and a control unit 190. The blocks included in the terminal device 10 are electrically connected by, for example, a bus or the like.

The communication unit 120 performs processes such as modulation and demodulation to enable the terminal device 10 to communicate with an external device (e.g., server 20). The communication unit 120 performs transmission processing on signals created by the control unit 190 and transmits them to the external device. The communication unit 120 performs reception processing on signals received from the external device and outputs them to the control unit 190.

The input device 13 is a device through which the user inputs instructions or information. The input device 13 is realized, for example, by a touch-sensitive device 131, which inputs instructions by touching the operation surface. If the terminal device 10 is a PC or the like, the input device 13 may be realized by a reader, keyboard, mouse, etc. The input device 13 converts instructions input by the user into electrical signals and outputs them to the control unit 190. The input device 13 may also include, for example, a receiving port that receives electrical signals input from an external input device.

The output device 14 is a device for presenting information to the user. The output device 14 is realized, for example, by a display 141 that is visible to the user. The display 141 is an example of a screen according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and displays various information according to the control of the control unit 190. The display 141 is realized, for example, by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

The audio processing unit 170, for example, performs digital-to-analog conversion of audio signals. The audio processing unit 170 converts the signal provided by the microphone 171 into a digital signal and provides the converted signal to the control unit 190. The audio processing unit 170 also provides the audio signal to the speaker 172. The audio processing unit 170 is realized, for example, by a processor for audio processing. The microphone 171 accepts audio input and provides an audio signal corresponding to the audio input to the audio processing unit 170. The speaker 172 converts the audio signal provided by the audio processing unit 170 into audio and outputs the audio externally from the terminal device 10.

Camera 160 is an imaging device that captures images using visible light. In other words, camera 160 is a device that receives visible light using a light-receiving element and outputs image data as an image capture signal. Camera 160 captures an image of a subject in a certain direction and within a certain imaging range relative to terminal device 10, and outputs image data as the captured image. If camera 160 has a function that allows the imaging range, or more precisely, the angle of view, to be adjusted, camera 160 also outputs information related to this angle of view. This type of function is known as a zoom function.

The location information sensor 150 is a sensor that detects the location of the terminal device 10 and is generally a GNSS device, such as a GPS module. A GPS module is a receiving device used in a satellite positioning system. A satellite positioning system receives signals from at least three or four satellites and detects the current location of the terminal device 10 equipped with the GPS module as coordinate values based on the received signals. The location information sensor 150 may also detect the current location of the terminal device 10 from the location of the wireless base station to which the terminal device 10 connects via the communication unit 120.

The acceleration sensor 155 is a sensor that detects the acceleration applied to the terminal device 10. Preferably, the acceleration sensor 155 has the function of detecting the tilt around each axis (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis) of a three-dimensional coordinate system with the position of the terminal device 10 as the origin. The acceleration sensor 155 with such a function can detect the attitude of the terminal device 10, that is, its direction relative to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis, by detecting the gravitational acceleration of the gravitational force relative to the Earth.

The memory unit 180 is realized by the memory 15 and storage 16 shown in FIG. 1, and stores data and programs used by the terminal device 10. Programs include, for example, a web browser application.

The control unit 190 is realized, for example, by the processor 19 reading a program (including the app 2022) stored in the storage unit 180 and executing the instructions contained in the program. The control unit 190 controls the operation of the terminal device 10. By operating in accordance with the read program, the control unit 190 performs the functions of an operation reception unit 191, a transmission/reception unit 192, and a presentation control unit 193.

The operation reception unit 191 performs processing to receive instructions or information input from the input device 13. Specifically, the operation reception unit 191 receives instructions or information input from the touch-sensitive device 131.

The transmission/reception unit 192 performs processing to enable the terminal device 10 to send and receive data to and from external devices in accordance with a communication protocol. Specifically, the transmission/reception unit 192 sends instructions or information input by the user to the server 20. The transmission/reception unit 192 receives information sent from the server 20.

The presentation control unit 193 controls the output device 14 to present various information to the user. For example, the presentation control unit 193 displays an electronic proposal created by the management support processing module 2034 on the display 141. Details of the management support processing module 2034 and the electronic proposal will be described later.

<2-2 Server configuration>
Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the server 20 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the server 20 includes an output device 24, a communication unit 201, a storage unit 202, and a control unit 203. The blocks included in the server 20 are electrically connected by, for example, a bus or the like.

The output device 24 is a device for presenting information to service employees. The output device 24 is realized, for example, by a display (not shown) that is visible to service employees. The display displays various information according to the control of the control unit 203. The display is realized, for example, by an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display.

The communication unit 201 performs processing to enable the server 20 to communicate with an external device (e.g., terminal device 10).

The memory unit 202 is realized by the memory 25 and storage 26, and stores data and programs used by the server 20. The programs include application programs such as web browser applications.

The storage unit 202 also stores, for example, a facility information database 2021 and an app 2022. The facility information database 2021 is an example of a database according to one aspect of the present disclosure, and is a database that stores various information related to target facilities and assets within the target facilities. Details of the facility information database 2021 will be described later.

App 2022 is application software for executing and managing the management support service. A user can access app 2022 in server 20, for example, using a web browser application installed on terminal device 10. Note that app 2022 may be stored in terminal device 10, for example. In this case, app 2022 runs in the background of other applications installed on terminal device 10, for example.

The control unit 203 is realized when the processor 29 loads a program stored in the memory unit 202 and executes the instructions contained in the program. The control unit 203 controls the operation of the server 20. By operating in accordance with the loaded program, the control unit 203 performs the functions of a reception control module 2031, a transmission control module 2032, a presentation control module 2033, and a management support processing module 2034.

The reception control module 2031 controls the process in which the server 20 receives signals from external devices in accordance with a communication protocol. The transmission control module 2032 controls the process in which the server 20 transmits signals to external devices in accordance with a communication protocol. The presentation control module 2033 controls the process in which various information is presented to users and service-side employees. The presentation control module 2033
The management support processing module 2034 accepts a request to create an electronic approval document from a user, and acquires at least one of business negotiation information and inquiry information from the facility information database 2021. The management support processing module 2034 creates an electronic approval document based on at least one of the acquired business negotiation information and inquiry information.

The negotiation information is information regarding negotiations for asset use conducted between a user and a person who wishes to use an asset within the target facility, and is an example of first information according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The negotiation information is stored in the facility information database 2021. Details of the negotiation information will be described later.

The inquiry information is information regarding an inquiry from a prospective applicant regarding the use of an asset, and is an example of second information according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The inquiry information includes, for example, whether or not there are any vacant assets (including assets that are currently in use but will become vacant before the prospective applicant's desired start date of use), the location, size, and shape of the vacant assets, the terms of use of the vacant assets (rent, available period, various laws and regulations applicable during the period of use, etc.), and basic information about the target facility.

The inquiry information may include, for example, application information. The application information is information regarding an application from an applicant for asset use, and is an example of fourth information according to one aspect of the present disclosure. The application information may include, for example, the asset desired for use, the desired period of use, the purpose of use, the desired usage fee, basic information about the applicant (company name, address, telephone number, contact information for the person in charge, etc.), desired terms of use, etc.

In this way, by including application information in the inquiry information, approvers and decision makers in electronic approval requests have more information to consider. In other words, from the application information, approvers and decision makers can more accurately understand the suitability of the applicant's asset usage, including the applicant's desired content and its compatibility with the asset, as well as the applicant's ability to pay usage fees. This allows approvers and decision makers to more accurately determine the appropriateness of the approval request content.

Note that application information may be considered, for example, as information that is a separate concept from inquiry information. In other words, the management support processing module 2034 may, for example, acquire application information separately from inquiry information.

The inquiry information may be stored in advance in the facility information database 2021, for example. Alternatively, the server 20 may acquire the inquiry information by receiving the inquiry information transmitted from the terminal device 10. When the server 20 acquires the inquiry information from the terminal device 10, the server 20 may store the acquired inquiry information in the facility information database 2021, for example. In this case, the terminal device 10 may acquire the inquiry information by receiving the inquiry information transmitted from a terminal device (not shown) operated by a user. The terminal device 10 may store the acquired inquiry information in the storage unit 180, for example. In this embodiment, the server 20 acquires the inquiry information from the terminal device 10.

An electronic approval request is an electronic document used by the user (administrator) to obtain approval for an applicant to use an asset.

There are no particular limitations on how the management support processing module 2034 creates an electronic approval document, as long as it is based on at least one of business negotiation information and inquiry information. In this embodiment, the management support processing module 2034 creates an electronic approval document by incorporating at least one of the acquired business negotiation information and inquiry information into an electronic approval document template.

The template for the electronic approval document may be stored in advance, for example, in the memory unit 202 or another memory area. There are no particular limitations on the format of the template for the electronic approval document, and it may be in any of the formats such as PDF, HTML, JSON, or XML. There are also no particular limitations on the content of the template for the electronic approval document. An electronic approval form template may include items such as a header (e.g., title, user's company name, application number, drafting date, applicant information (name, department, etc.), and application date (date entered into the approval process)), subject (a title briefly indicating the contents of the approval application), application category (e.g., contract, usage license, etc.), reason for application, detailed information (information indicating the details of the approval application), approval/decision information (e.g., approval process, approver, approver, approval status (approved, rejected, returned, pending, decision date and time), comments, decision result, and decision date), and related information.

There are no particular limitations on how at least one of the business negotiation information and inquiry information is incorporated into the electronic approval document template. In this embodiment, the management support processing module 2034 incorporates at least one of the business negotiation information and inquiry information into the related information field in the electronic approval document template.

In addition, in this embodiment, the management support processing module 2034 uses a rule-based algorithm to perform linguistic analysis on at least one of the acquired negotiation information and inquiry information, as well as various information stored in the facility information database 2021, to generate relevant information to be incorporated into the subject, reason for application, and detailed information fields. The management support processing module 2034 incorporates the generated relevant information into the subject, reason for application, and detailed information fields.

The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, create an electronic approval document using a generative AI model. Specifically, for example, the management support processing module 2034 may input at least one of the acquired business negotiation information and inquiry information into a generative AI model and output an electronic approval document from the generative AI model. The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, create an electronic approval document by acquiring the electronic approval document output from the generative AI model.

The generative AI model is a trained model constructed by learning, for example, the contents of past approval documents, past business negotiation information and inquiry information, company regulations, and keywords frequently used when creating approval documents. The generative AI model may be stored, for example, in the storage unit 202, or may be provided on a cloud server (not shown). Examples of generative AI models that can be applied to the creation of electronic approval documents include LLMs (Large Language Models). The prompts that instruct the creation of electronic approval documents and are input to the generative AI model may be, for example, default prompts stored in a prompt table (not shown), or may be hard-coded in a program stored in the storage unit 202. The prompt table may be stored, for example, in the storage unit 202. The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, incorporate at least one of the acquired business negotiation information and inquiry information into a prompt and input it to the generative AI model.

[3 Data Structure]
4 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of tables stored in the server 20. Note that FIG. 4 is merely an example and does not exclude data that is not listed. Furthermore, even data listed in the same table may be stored in separate storage areas in the storage unit 202.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the data structure of the facility information database 2021. The facility information database 2021 shown in Figure 4 is a table having, for example, a facility ID as a key and columns for facility name, facility information, floor, tenant name, asset used, tenant information, negotiation information, contract information, performance information, schedule information, and flow information. The facility information database 2021 comprehensively stores various information for all target facilities managed and operated by the manager/operator.

The "Facility ID" item stores identification information (identifier) for uniquely identifying the target facility. The "Facility Information" item stores basic information and schedule information for the target facility. Basic information includes, for example, location, contact information, industry, business hours, access information, parking information, and bank account information. Schedule information includes business hours, regular holidays, closure periods, event durations and details, maintenance durations and details, etc. The "Floor" item stores the floor number of each floor within the target facility. The "Tenant Name" item stores the name of the tenant who has a store in the target facility. The "Asset Used" item stores the type, location, and area of the asset used by the tenant (collectively, asset information).

The "Tenant Information" item stores tenant information for tenants who have opened stores in the facility (tenants who are currently under contract). Tenant information includes, for example, basic information about the tenant's operating company, industry, store size, business hours, products/services offered, store format, official social media accounts, and online shop links.

The "Negotiation Information" item stores negotiation information. Negotiation information includes information about various negotiations between users and tenants, as well as information about negotiations regarding asset use between users and applicants. In the following description, when the term "negotiation information" is simply used, this "negotiation information" refers to information about negotiations regarding asset use between users and applicants.

Negotiation information includes, for example, information regarding negotiations between prospective applicants to open a store on the asset. Negotiation information for store opening includes, for example, store opening conditions (rent, contract period, contract renewal conditions, security deposit/rental fee, burden of common area charges, etc.), store area/interior/equipment, business conditions (opening date, business hours, products/services offered, etc.), various reporting obligations such as sales reports, and cancellation conditions.

Examples of business negotiation information other than information related to store opening negotiations include information related to business negotiations regarding terms of use (fees, period of use, etc.) when using signage, conference rooms, parking lots, spaces other than the designated lot, etc.

The "Contract Information" item stores contract information. Contract information is information related to various contracts concluded between users and tenants. Contract information includes, for example, information related to a store opening contract for a tenant to open a store in an asset. Contract information for a store opening contract includes, for example, the contract number, contract date, contract period (store opening period), and contract terms related to the tenant's rent (e.g., common area fees, management fees, and the calculation method for the basic rent linked to the tenant's sales amount). Note that the rent included in the contract information may be, for example, a fixed rent that is not linked to sales amount, etc.

The "Performance Information" item stores the tenant's performance information. Performance information includes, for example, sales information, customer number information, sales promotion information, inventory information, profit information, customer information, and operational information. Sales information is information related to the tenant's sales. Sales information includes, for example, the total sales amount (sales amount) for a certain period (monthly, quarterly, annual, etc.), the increase or decrease in sales compared to past sales (year-on-year, month-on-month, etc.), the average purchase amount per customer, and the number of transactions for a certain period (number of sales, number of orders, etc.). Customer number information includes, for example, the number of customers who visited the store within a certain period, the time period/day with the highest number of customers, and the average time customers spent in the store. Sales promotion information includes, for example, the increase or decrease in sales during sales and campaigns, analysis results of the effectiveness of advertising and PR activities, and analysis results of the usage rate/effectiveness of discounts and coupons with special offers. Inventory information includes, for example, inventory turnover (an indicator of how quickly products are sold), the types of products that went out of stock within a certain period of time, the frequency of out-of-stocks, and the presence and extent of excess inventory. Profit information includes, for example, gross profit (gross profit: profit amount obtained by subtracting cost of sales from sales), operating profit (gross profit minus expenses), and the ratio of profit to sales (gross profit rate, operating profit rate, etc.). Customer information includes, for example, customer attribute information, repeat customer rate, and satisfaction/evaluation obtained from survey results, word-of-mouth, and online reviews. Operational information includes goal achievement (degree of achievement of monthly and annual target sales, target number of store visitors, target profit, etc.), growth rate (compared to the previous period, the same month last year, and the quarter), and evaluation of staff work efficiency and customer service, etc.

The "Schedule Information" item stores schedule information for an asset. Schedule information includes, for example, the usage period, start date of usage, end date of usage, business hours, regular holidays, preparation period, cleanup period, event duration and content, staff shifts, vacant period, maintenance period and content, business schedule for a certain period (day, week, month, year, etc.), release date of new products/services, advertising schedule, and the dates, times, and summaries of various business negotiations/meetings.

The "Floor Information" item stores the flow information. Flow information is information related to changes in the status of tenants and assets. Flow information includes, for example, information about planned tenant openings and closings (including tenant relocations within the facility), information about vacant spaces, information about rent revisions, information about planned changes in tenant business format, and renovation/renewal plans.

The various information stored in the facility information database 2021 may be entered into the server 20 by, for example, a service employee's input operation, or the server 20 may receive various information transmitted from the terminal device 10. Furthermore, the various information stored in the facility information database 2021 may be edited and updated as appropriate by, for example, a service employee.

Note that the table structure of facility information database 2021 shown in FIG. 4 is merely an example, and facility information database 2021 may employ various table structures. For example, tenant information, negotiation information, contract information, performance information, schedule information, and flow information may each be managed in a separate database, with the facility information database 2021 being a collection of these linked databases. In this case, the separate databases may have in common, for example, a facility ID as a key and columns for facility name, facility information, floor, tenant name, and asset usage. Furthermore, tenant information, negotiation information, contract information, performance information, schedule information, and flow information may each be classified into several categories and managed in a database for each category, with the facility information database 2021 being a collection of these linked databases. In this case, for example, a management configuration could be envisioned in which tenant information and negotiation information are managed in a database in the "sales management" category, contract information and performance information are managed in a database in the "business management" category, and schedule information and flow information are managed in a database in the "usage reservation" category.

[4. Operational example]
An example of the operation of the server 20 when creating an electronic approval document will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the server 20. In this example of the operation, it is assumed that the user has logged in from the login screen displayed on the display 141 and that various functions of the management support service are available.

In step S11 shown in FIG. 5, the server 20 accepts a request from the user to create an electronic proposal and acquires at least one of business negotiation information and inquiry information.

Specifically, for example, the operation reception unit 191 receives an operation by a user to create an electronic approval document. The transmission/reception unit 192, for example, transmits a request to create an electronic approval document related to the received operation to the server 20. The management support processing module 2034, for example, receives a creation request transmitted from the terminal device 10, thereby accepting the creation request.

When acquiring negotiation information, the management support processing module 2034 reads and acquires negotiation information corresponding to the asset that the applicant wishes to use from the facility information database 2021, for example, based on the user information included in the creation request received from the terminal device 10.

When acquiring inquiry information, the management support processing module 2034 acquires the inquiry information, for example, by receiving the inquiry information sent from the terminal device 10. There are no particular limitations on the timing at which the terminal device 10 sends the inquiry information.

In step S12, the server 20 creates an electronic approval document based on at least one of the acquired business negotiation information and inquiry information.

Specifically, for example, the management support processing module 2034 reads an electronic approval document template from the storage unit 202 and incorporates at least one of business negotiation information and inquiry information into the template. The management support processing module 2034, for example, reads various information from the facility information database 2021 and performs language analysis on the various information and at least one of the business negotiation information and inquiry information to generate relevant information. The various information read from the facility information database 2021 is, for example, at least one of asset information, tenant information, schedule information, and liquidity information. The management support processing module 2034, for example, incorporates the generated relevant information into the relevant item in the electronic approval document template. As a result, the server 20 creates an electronic approval document.

In step S13, the server 20 displays the created electronic approval document on the display 141.

Specifically, for example, the presentation control module 2033 transmits information for displaying the created electronic proposal form to the terminal device 10. The transmission/reception unit 192 receives, for example, information for displaying the electronic proposal form transmitted from the server 20. The presentation control unit 193 transmits, for example, information for displaying the received electronic proposal form to the output device 14, causing the display 141 to display the electronic proposal form. As a result, the server 20 causes the electronic proposal form to be displayed on the display 141.

Note that if the output device 14 is a printer, the presentation control unit 193 may, for example, print out a paper medium on which the electronic proposal form is printed from the output device 14. Also, for example, the server 20 may not need to present the created electronic proposal form to the user. In this case, the server 20 may, for example, send the created electronic proposal form to the terminal device 10.

Below, with reference to Figure 6, an example of the screen when the server 20 displays the electronic proposal document 1411 on the display 141 will be described. Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the screen of the display 141 when the electronic proposal document 1411 is displayed.

In the example screen shown in Figure 6, an electronic approval document 1411 is displayed on the display 141. The electronic approval document 1411 is, for example, an electronic approval document for obtaining approval to enter into a store opening contract with an applicant ("Company A" in the figure).

Area 14111 of the electronic approval request form 1411 includes fields for, for example, the drafting date, approval date, drafter, and the drafter's department. The management support processing module 2034, for example, sets the date on which the creation request was received as the drafting date and incorporates information indicating the date on which the creation request was received into the "drafting date" field. The "drafter" field of the template for the electronic approval request form 1411 includes pre-installed information indicating, for example, the person in charge designated in advance for each application category. The "department" field of the template for the electronic approval request form 1411 includes pre-installed information indicating, for example, the department to which the person in charge designated in advance for each application category belongs.

Area 14112 of the electronic approval document 1411 includes, for example, fields for the application number and approval number. The management support processing module 2034, for example, incorporates information indicating a specified application number into the "application number" field in accordance with predetermined numbering rules.

Area 14113 of the electronic approval document 1411 has, for example, a field for "subject." The management support processing module 2034, for example, performs linguistic analysis on various information read from the facility information database 2021, as well as on at least one of the business negotiation information and inquiry information, to generate information indicating the subject, and incorporates that information into the "subject" field.

Area 14114 of the electronic approval request form 1411 includes, for example, fields for application category, reason for application, counterparty information, contract details, and related information. Area 14114 also includes, for example, a comment field for the person with approval authority.

The "Application Category" field in the template for the electronic approval request form 1411 is pre-populated with information indicating the type of business for which the approval request is being submitted. The "Other Party Information" field in the template for the electronic approval request form 1411 is pre-populated with information regarding the applicant, for example. The various information regarding the applicant is an example of third information related to one aspect of the present disclosure. In the example screen of FIG. 6 , the "Other Party Information" field includes basic information about the applicant, information indicating the applicant's purpose and details of the usage manner of the asset, information indicating the applicant's asset usage history of the target facility, and information indicating the applicant's asset usage history of other commercial facilities. The management support processing module 2034 may extract various information regarding the applicant from, for example, at least one of business negotiation information and inquiry information. Furthermore, for example, the management support processing module 2034 may obtain various information regarding the applicant by receiving information regarding the applicant transmitted from the terminal device 10. In this way, by including various information about the applicant in the electronic approval request form 1411, the approver and decision maker can understand the details of the applicant and more accurately determine the appropriateness of the approval request application. The "Contract details" item in the template for the electronic approval request form 1411 incorporates information indicating the contract details for asset usage (the store opening contract in the figure) agreed upon between the user and the applicant. The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, extract information indicating the contract details from business negotiation information. In the example screen of Figure 6, the detailed information is composed of the information incorporated in the "Counterparty information" item and the information incorporated in the "Contract details" item.

The management support processing module 2034, for example, performs language analysis on various information read from the facility information database 2021, as well as at least one of the negotiation information and inquiry information, to generate relevant information, and incorporates the relevant information into the "Reason for application," "Detailed information," and "Contract details" items. The management support processing module 2034, for example, incorporates at least one of the negotiation information and inquiry information into the "Related information" item. In the example screen of Figure 6, both the negotiation information and inquiry information are incorporated into the "Related information" item.

Area 14116 of the electronic proposal form 1411 has, for example, approval columns for the number of authorized approvers (four in the example screen of Figure 6). Area 14117 of the electronic proposal form 1411 has, for example, approval columns for authorized approvers. For example, the approval columns contain electronic records indicating that the contents of the electronic proposal form 1411 have been approved, and the approval columns contain electronic records indicating that the contents of the electronic proposal form 1411 have been approved. Examples of these electronic records include digital signatures and digital seals.

Note that the screen example in Figure 6 is merely an example, and various variations can be envisioned regarding the format, structure, display content, and display mode of the electronic approval document 1411.

[5 Summary]
As described above, in this embodiment, the operation reception unit 191 receives an operation to create an electronic request document by a user. The transmission/reception unit 192 transmits a request to create an electronic request document related to the received operation to the server 20. The management support processing module 2034 receives the request to create an electronic request document transmitted from the terminal device 10. The management support processing module 2034 reads and acquires business negotiation information from the facility information database 2021, or receives and acquires inquiry information from the terminal device 10. The management support processing module 2034 reads an electronic request document template from the storage unit 202 and creates an electronic request document by incorporating at least one of business negotiation information and inquiry information into the template. The presentation control module 2033 transmits information for displaying the created electronic request document to the terminal device 10. The transmission/reception unit 192 receives information for displaying the electronic request document transmitted from the server 20. The presentation control unit 193 transmits information for displaying the received electronic proposal to the output device 14, and causes the display 141 to display the electronic proposal.

In this way, server 20 can create an electronic request form for the applicant's asset use that includes at least one of business negotiation information and inquiry information, simply by accepting a user's request for the creation of an electronic request form. This allows users to easily create electronic request forms that provide more information than ever before for the approver and decision maker to use in determining the contents of the request. In other words, the approver and decision maker can accurately grasp, from at least one of business negotiation information and inquiry information, the compatibility between the applicant's wishes and the asset, the suitability of the applicant's asset use, etc. This allows for a smooth process of creating electronic request forms for the applicant's asset use.

[6. Modifications]
From the viewpoint of improving the convenience of electronic approval documents, the server 20 can create electronic approval documents that include various additional information. The server 20 can also create other electronic documents using the various information incorporated in the electronic approval documents. Below, examples of additional information that may be included in the electronic approval documents and other electronic documents that may be created using the various information incorporated in the electronic approval documents will be described.

First, the server 20 may, for example, analyze at least one of the acquired business negotiation information and inquiry information to predict an index value related to asset usage. Also, for example, the server 20 may include the predicted index value in an electronic approval document.

There are no particular limitations on the content of the index value. The index value may be, for example, the amount of sales, profit, number of customers attracted, percentage of customer demographics by age group, or number of followers on SNS (social networking service) when a person interested uses the asset. There are also no particular limitations on the content of the predicted results of the index value. The predicted results of the index value may be, for example, predicted amounts of sales or profits during a specified future period (which can be set arbitrarily), or the predicted number of customers attracted, the predicted percentage of customer demographics by age group at the end of a specified future period, or the predicted number of followers.

Specifically, for example, the management support processing module 2034 may analyze at least one of the acquired negotiation information and inquiry information using a rule-based analysis algorithm or a trained machine learning model to predict index values. The machine learning model, for example, uses at least one of the negotiation information and inquiry information as input data, and may be a neural network such as a convolutional neural network (CNN) or a recurrent neural network (RNN), or a generative AI model such as an LLM. The machine learning model may, for example, be stored in the storage unit 202, or may be provided on the aforementioned cloud server.

The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, include the predicted index value results in the electronic approval document by incorporating the predicted index value results into the electronic approval document template. The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, send the electronic approval document including the predicted index value results to the terminal device 10.

This variant provides more information for approvers and decision-makers to use when making decisions on electronic approval requests. In other words, approvers and decision-makers can more accurately understand the suitability of a requester's asset use, the extent to which the requester's asset use will contribute to improving the user's profits, and so on, from the predicted index values. This allows approvers and decision-makers to more accurately determine the appropriateness of the contents of approval requests, improving the convenience of electronic approval requests.

Next, the server 20 may, for example, acquire format data for the approval document used by the user (hereinafter referred to as the user's approval document). Also, for example, the server 20 may include items required by the user in the acquired format data in the electronic approval document.

The user-side request form may be, for example, a general request form that is routinely used internally by the user (administrator), regardless of the type of application category, etc. Furthermore, the user-side request form may be, for example, an electronic request form or a paper request form. A paper request form may be, for example, a printout with the necessary information incorporated into the format data. The format data for the user-side request form may include, for example, required fields according to the type of application category, etc. (mandatory fields specific to the user-side request form). Additionally, there are no particular limitations on the format and content of the format data for the user-side request form, just like with electronic request form templates.

Specifically, for example, the management support processing module 2034 may acquire the format data by receiving the format data of the user-side approval document sent from the terminal device 10.

The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, identify required items from among the items included in the acquired format data. More specifically, the management support processing module 2034 may, for example, compare the acquired format with an electronic approval document template and identify items in the format that are not included in the template as required items. Alternatively, the format data may contain information indicating that an item is required, and the management support processing module 2034 may identify the required items based on that information.

The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, include the required items in the electronic approval document by incorporating information indicating the identified required items into the electronic approval document. The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, send the electronic approval document including the required items to the terminal device 10.

According to this modification, the server 20 can customize the electronic approval document to make it easier for the user to use. This allows the creation of an electronic approval document that better reflects the actual circumstances of the user's approval process, improving the convenience of the electronic approval document.

In this variant, the format data for the user-side approval document may be, for example, the format data for an existing standard approval document. An "existing standard approval document" specifically refers to an approval document that is not limited to a specific company or organization, but is composed of basic formats and items that are commonly used by many companies and organizations. Examples of "existing standard approval document format data" include scanned paper approval documents sold commercially at stationery stores or office supply stores, approval document templates provided in business books or websites, and approval document templates included with cloud-based business efficiency tools or workflow systems.

Next, the server 20 may, for example, acquire format data for an existing standard form. Also, for example, the server 20 may create an electronic form by including electronic approval form information in the acquired format data.

A document is any document created and used by organizations such as companies and government agencies for business transactions, records, reports, etc. Examples of documents include approval documents, as well as slips, invoices, receipts, delivery notes, estimates, contracts, reports, applications, and ledgers.

"Existing standard forms" specifically refer to forms that are not limited to specific companies or organizations and are generally composed of basic formats and items that are commonly used by many companies and organizations. Examples of "existing standard approval form format data" include scanned paper forms sold commercially at stationery stores and office supply stores, form templates provided in business books and websites, and form templates included with cloud-based business efficiency tools and workflow systems.

The electronic approval document information is information relating to an electronic approval document created by the server 20, and is an example of fifth information according to one aspect of the present disclosure. There are no particular limitations on the content of the electronic approval document information, as long as it is necessary for creating an electronic document. The electronic approval document information may be, for example, some or all of the various information contained in the electronic approval document.

Specifically, for example, the management support processing module 2034 may read and acquire format data of an existing standard form from the storage unit 202 upon receiving a creation request from a service-side employee. Also, for example, the management support processing module 2034 may acquire the format by receiving format data of an existing standard form transmitted from the terminal device 10.

The management support processing module 2034 may, for example, create an electronic document by extracting information from the electronic approval document information that corresponds to each item in the acquired format (this may include all information included in the electronic approval document information) and incorporating it into the format. In this process, the management support processing module 2034 may, for example, read and obtain information other than the electronic approval document information that is necessary for creating an electronic document from the facility information database 2021, and incorporate it into the aforementioned format.

When format data for an existing standard form is obtained from the terminal device 10, the management support processing module 2034 may, for example, send the created electronic form to the terminal device 10.

In this modified example, the server 20 can also automatically create electronic documents using electronic approval forms. This broadens the scope of applications for electronic approval forms and improves their convenience.

[7. Basic Computer Hardware Configuration]
7 is a block diagram showing the basic hardware configuration of a computer 90. The computer 90 includes at least a processor 901, a main storage device 902, an auxiliary storage device 903, and a communication IF 991 (interface), which are electrically connected to one another by a communication bus 921.

The processor 901 is hardware that executes a set of instructions written in a program. The processor 901 is composed of an arithmetic unit, registers, peripheral circuits, etc.

The main memory device 902 is used to temporarily store programs and data processed by the programs. For example, it is a volatile memory such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory).

The auxiliary storage device 903 is a storage device for saving data and programs. Examples include flash memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), magneto-optical disk, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, and semiconductor memory.

The communication IF 991 is an interface for inputting and outputting signals for communicating with other computers over a network using wired or wireless communication standards.

Networks are composed of the Internet, LANs, various mobile communication systems constructed using wireless base stations, etc. For example, networks include 3G, 4G, and 5G mobile communication systems, LTE (Long Term Evolution), and wireless networks (e.g., Wi-Fi (registered trademark)) that can connect to the Internet via designated access points. For wireless connections, communication protocols include, for example, Z-Wave (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark). For wired connections, networks also include those that are directly connected using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable, etc.

In addition, the computers 90 can be virtually realized by distributing all or part of each hardware configuration across multiple computers 90 and connecting them via a network. In this way, the concept of computer 90 includes not only a computer 90 housed in a single housing or case, but also a virtualized computer system.

[8. Basic Functional Configuration of a Computer]
The following describes the functional configuration of a computer realized by the basic hardware configuration (FIG. 7) of the computer 90. The computer includes at least the functional units of a control unit, a storage unit, and a communication unit.

The functional units of the computer 90 can also be realized by distributing all or part of each functional unit across multiple computers 90 interconnected via a network. The concept of computer 90 includes not only a single computer 90 but also a virtualized computer system.

The control unit is realized when the processor 901 reads various programs stored in the auxiliary storage device 903, expands them into the main storage device 902, and executes processing in accordance with the programs. The control unit can realize functional units that perform various types of information processing depending on the type of program. In this way, the computer is realized as an information processing device that performs information processing.

The storage unit is realized by a main storage device 902 and an auxiliary storage device 903. The storage unit stores data, various programs, and various databases. The processor 901 can also allocate a storage area corresponding to the storage unit in the main storage device 902 or the auxiliary storage device 903 in accordance with the programs. The control unit can also cause the processor 901 to add, update, and delete data stored in the storage unit in accordance with the various programs.

The term "database" refers to a relational database, which manages data sets called masters and tables in a tabular format structurally defined by rows and columns, by relating them to each other. In a database, a table is called a master, a column in a table is called a column, and a row in a table is called a record. In a relational database, relationships between tables and masters can be set and associated.

Typically, each table and each master has a column set as a primary key to uniquely identify a record, but setting a primary key to a column is not mandatory. The control unit can cause the processor 901 to add, delete, or update records in specific tables and masters stored in the memory unit in accordance with various programs.

Furthermore, by storing data, various programs, and various databases in the memory unit, the information processing device and information processing system according to the present disclosure can be considered to have been manufactured.

Note that databases and masters in this disclosure may include any data structure in which information is structurally defined (lists, dictionaries, associative arrays, objects, etc.). Data structures also include data that can be considered as data structures by combining data with functions, classes, methods, etc. written in any programming language.

The communication unit is realized by the communication IF 991. The communication unit realizes the function of communicating with other computers 90 via a network. The communication unit can receive information sent from other computers 90 and input it to the control unit. The control unit can cause the processor 901 to execute information processing on the received information in accordance with various programs. The communication unit can also transmit information output from the control unit to other computers 90.

Furthermore, the above-described configurations, functions, processing units, processing means, etc. may be implemented in part or in whole in hardware, for example by designing them as integrated circuits. The present invention can also be realized by software program code that implements the functions of the embodiments. In this case, a storage medium on which the program code is recorded is provided to a computer, and a processor in the computer reads the program code stored on the storage medium. In this case, the program code read from the storage medium itself implements the functions of the above-described embodiments, and the program code itself and the storage medium on which it is stored constitute the present invention. Examples of storage media for providing such program code include flexible disks, CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, hard disks, SSDs, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-Rs, magnetic tape, non-volatile memory cards, and ROMs.

Furthermore, the program code that realizes the functions described in this embodiment can be implemented in a wide range of programming or scripting languages, such as assembler, C/C++, Perl, Shell, PHP, Java (registered trademark), JavaScript, and TypeScript.

Furthermore, the software program code that realizes the functions of the embodiments may be distributed over a network and stored on a computer's hard disk, memory, or other storage means, or on a storage medium such as a CD-RW or CD-R, and the computer's processor may read and execute the program code stored on the storage means or storage medium.

The functions performed by the components described herein may be implemented in circuitry or processing circuitry, including general-purpose processors, application-specific processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), CPUs (Central Processing Units), conventional circuits, and/or combinations thereof, programmed to perform the described functions. Processors include transistors and other circuits and are considered circuitry or processing circuitry. A processor may also be a programmed processor that executes a program stored in memory.

In this specification, a circuit, unit, or means refers to hardware that is programmed to realize or executes the described functions. The hardware may be any hardware disclosed in this specification or any hardware known to be programmed to realize or execute the described functions.

If the hardware in question is a processor, which is considered to be a type of circuitry, the circuitry, means, or unit is the combination of the hardware and the software used to configure the hardware and/or processor.

The above describes several embodiments of the present disclosure, but these embodiments may be embodied in a variety of other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are considered to be within the scope of the invention and its equivalents as defined in the claims, as well as within the scope and spirit of the invention.

[9. Supplementary Note]
The matters described in the above embodiments will be supplemented below.

<Appendix 1>
A program to be executed by a computer having a processor and memory, wherein first information regarding negotiations for asset use conducted between the manager and operator of a commercial facility and a person wishing to use an asset within the commercial facility is stored in a database, and the program causes the processor to execute the steps of accepting a creation request from the manager and acquiring at least one of the first information and second information regarding an inquiry from the person wishing to use the asset, and creating an electronic request form for the person wishing to obtain approval to use the asset based on at least one of the acquired first information and second information.

<Appendix 2>
A program described in Appendix 1, which further causes the processor to execute a step of analyzing at least one of the acquired first information and second information and predicting an index value regarding asset usage, and in the creation step, includes the predicted index value result in an electronic request form.

<Appendix 3>
A program described in (Appendix 1) or (Appendix 2), which further causes the processor to execute a step of acquiring third information about the applicant, and in the creation step, includes the acquired third information in an electronic request form.

<Appendix 4>
A program described in any of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 3), which further causes the processor to execute a step of acquiring fourth information regarding an application for asset use from an applicant, and in the creation step, includes the acquired fourth information in an electronic request form.

<Appendix 5>
A program described in any of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 4) that further causes the processor to execute a step of acquiring format data for the approval form used by the administrator, and in the creation step, includes in the electronic approval form items required by the administrator in the acquired format data.

<Appendix 6>
The format data for the approval request form used by the administrator is the existing standard format data for approval requests (the program described in Appendix 5).

<Appendix 7>
A program described in any of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 6) that causes the processor to further execute the steps of acquiring format data for an existing standard document and creating an electronic document by including fifth information regarding the created electronic approval form in the acquired format data.

<Appendix 8>
An information processing device comprising a control unit and a storage unit, wherein the control unit executes all steps in a program according to any one of (Supplementary Note 1) to (Supplementary Note 7).

<Appendix 9>
A method executed by a computer having a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes all steps in the program described in any one of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 7).

<Appendix 10>
A system comprising means for executing all steps in the program described in any one of (Appendix 1) to (Appendix 7).

1... System 10... Terminal device 120... Communication unit 13... Input device 14... Output device 15... Memory 16... Storage 19... Processor 20... Server 22... Communication IF
23... Input/output IF
24... output device 25... memory 26... storage 29... processor

Claims (12)

A program to be executed by a computer having a processor and a memory,
a database stores first information relating to negotiations for the use of an asset conducted between a manager and operator of a commercial facility and a person who wishes to use an asset within the commercial facility, and sixth information relating to tenants operating in the commercial facility and changes in the status of the asset ;
The program causes the processor to:
receiving a creation request from the manager and acquiring at least one of the first information and second information related to an inquiry from the applicant regarding use of the asset , and the sixth information ;
and a step of creating the electronic approval document by incorporating at least one of the acquired first information and second information , and the acquired sixth information, into a template for the electronic approval document for the applicant to obtain approval from the manager and operator to use the asset. A program to be executed by a computer having a processor and a memory,
a database stores first information relating to negotiations for the use of an asset conducted between a manager and operator of a commercial facility and a person who wishes to use an asset within the commercial facility, and sixth information relating to tenants operating in the commercial facility and changes in the status of the asset;
The program causes the processor to:
receiving a creation request from the manager and acquiring at least one of the first information and second information related to an inquiry from the applicant regarding use of the asset, and the sixth information;
A program that executes a step of inputting at least one of the acquired first information and second information, and the acquired sixth information into a generating AI model, and outputting an electronic request form from the generating AI model to obtain approval from the manager and operator for the applicant to use the asset, thereby creating the electronic request form. analyzing at least one of the acquired first information and the acquired second information using a rule-based algorithm to predict an index value related to the utilization of the asset;
The program according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein in the creating step, the predicted result of the index value is included in the electronic approval document. further causing the processor to execute a step of analyzing at least one of the acquired first information and the acquired second information using a trained machine learning model to predict an index value related to the use of the asset;
The program according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the creating step, the predicted result of the index value is included in the electronic approval document. further causing the processor to perform a step of acquiring third information regarding the applicant;
The program according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the third information acquired is included in the electronic request form in the creating step. further causing the processor to perform a step of acquiring fourth information relating to an application for use of the asset from the applicant;
The program according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the acquired fourth information is included in the electronic request form in the creating step. The processor further executes a step of acquiring format data of a request form used by the management operator,
3. The program according to claim 1 , wherein in the creating step, the electronic request form includes items required for the manager in the acquired format data. The program according to claim 7 , wherein the format data of the approval document used by the administrator is an existing standard format data of the approval document. A step of obtaining format data of an existing standard form;
The program according to claim 1 or 2 , further causing the processor to execute a step of creating an electronic document by including fifth information regarding the created electronic request form in the acquired format data. 3. An information processing apparatus comprising: a control unit; and a storage unit, wherein the control unit executes all steps of the program according to claim 1 . A method implemented on a computer having a processor and a memory, wherein the processor executes all the steps of the program according to claim 1 or 2 . A system comprising means for executing all steps of the program according to claim 1 or 2 .