The present case relates to an information processing apparatus, a method of updating a processing procedure, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a processing procedure update program.
At distribution bases, work such as picking to pick products from product shelves and pack them in boxes is performed according to processing procedures such as slips. Techniques of improving efficiency of picking to shorten the time needed for work such as picking has been disclosed (e.g., see Patent Document 1).
Examples of the related art include [Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2004-1933.
According to an aspect of the embodiments, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory, the processor being configured to perform updating processing, the updating processing including: performing a simulation of a plurality of specified sequences different from each other on a basis of a condition that, in a case where a processing procedure group that includes a plurality of processing procedures that specifies a moving route and work to be performed at a predetermined work point on the moving route is defined, a plurality of processing subjects has executed the specified sequences of processing according to the processing procedures assigned to the plurality of individual processing subjects, and the work point overlaps and time at which the work is performed overlaps between the plurality of processing subjects, the processing subjects other than one of the processing subjects that has started the work first stand by until the one of the processing subjects completes the work; extracting stand-by information for each of the plurality of processing subjects from a simulation result of the performing of the simulation; and updating the processing procedure group by combining the processing procedures of equal to or more than two of the processing subjects into one processing procedure according to the stand-by information extracted by the extracting.
The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention.
In a case where multiple workers perform operations such as picking sequentially, if an operation is performed in front of the moving direction, it is needed to wait on the spot until the operation is complete, thereby causing congestion. In view of the above, it is needed to combine processing procedures assigned to the multiple workers into a processing procedure for one person to carry out multitasking, and to execute the processing procedure with one worker according to the multi-tasked processing procedure. However, an optimization method in consideration of the congestion of workers before the multitasking has not been developed.
In one aspect, it is an object of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus, a method of updating a processing procedure, and a processing procedure update program capable of updating a processing procedure according to congestion of processing subjects.
At distribution sites, there have been a lot of attempts to optimize truck allocation plans and delivery routes. On-site logistics for performing box packing and transporting the boxes to trucks in a warehouse according to customer orders is also an important project that needs to improve efficiency in the distribution industry as a whole. On-site work, especially a picking process (process of picking products from product shelves and packing them in boxes according to orders) is mainly manual work, and is one of the areas where it is difficult to achieve optimization.
The current mainstream of picking is single picking (picking rule for performing picking work for each delivery customer in response to daily placing orders). However, from the viewpoint of improving the efficiency of picking, transition to multi-picking (efficiently combining customer orders for different delivery destinations to perform picking work) has been gradually progressing.
Since a plurality of product names is often listed on the slip, the worker moves to the individual shelves on which the individual products listed on the slip are placed. In a case where the shelves on which the individual products are placed are different, the moving routes on which the individual workers move are different. In the example of
In such single picking, both of the workers (1) and (3) pick products on the shelf E. For example, when the worker (1), the worker (3), and the worker (2) start moving in this order, the worker (3) is not enabled to pick a product on the shelf E until the worker (1) completes picking of a product on the shelf E, whereby the worker (3) is to be stand by in front of the shelf E. Therefore, as exemplified in
In view of the above, as exemplified in
For example, a method using dynamic programming for solving what is called a knapsack problem may be considered. This is a problem of finding a combination that maximizes the total value of items (slips in this case) to be put in a knapsack (worker in this case). When trying to apply this method, it becomes difficult to solve a problem as the scale increases. Furthermore, a formulation of a way of setting the value to be combined differs for each problem, and it is needed to construct a formula that expresses the value each time. Moreover, when actually working according to the multi-tasked slip, the work of the worker may be stagnant due to the combined slip, but it is difficult to solve the problem by the commonly used method of dynamic programming.
In the following embodiment, an information processing apparatus, a method of updating a processing procedure, and a processing procedure update program capable of updating a processing procedure group (slip group) according to congestion of workers will be described.
The central processing unit (CPU) 101 is a central processing unit. The CPU 101 includes one or more cores. The random access memory (RAM) 102 is a volatile memory that temporarily stores a program to be executed by the CPU 101, data to be processed by the CPU 101, and the like. The storage device 103 is a non-volatile storage device. For example, a read only memory (ROM), a solid state drive (SSD) such as a flash memory, a hard disk to be driven by a hard disk drive, or the like may be used as the storage device 103. The storage device 103 stores a work sequence determination program. The interface 104 is an interface device between the input device 10, the display device 80, and the like. With the CPU 101 executing the work sequence determination program, the slip order storage unit 20, the work sequence replacement unit 30, the line simulator 40, the extraction unit 50, the update unit 60, and the sequence determination unit 70 are implemented. Note that hardware such as a dedicated circuit may be used as the slip order storage unit 20, the work sequence replacement unit 30, the line simulator 40, the extraction unit 50, the update unit 60, and the sequence determination unit 70.
The line simulator 40 stores a layout that models the premises where each worker performs picking.
A standard move cell is a cell in which a worker holding a slip moves to an adjacent cell or stands by. A branch cell is a cell in which a worker holding a slip moves to an adjacent cell in any of a plurality of directions or stands by. A pick cell is a cell in which a worker holding a slip performs picking work or moves to an adjacent cell. A slip cell is a point for placing slips for which picking work by a worker has not been performed. A worker cell is a cell in which a worker who has not received a slip moves to an adjacent cell or stands by.
Furthermore, the layout includes multiple shelves on which products are placed. Each of the shelves is arranged to correspond to the position of the pick cell. The example of
By applying various limiting conditions to the model of this line simulator, it becomes possible to virtually reproduce the site on the premises and obtain the work completion time and congestion of workers. In the present embodiment, as an example, (1) a slip group (slip order) including multiple slips including a moving route and picking work to be performed in a predetermined pick cell on the moving route is defined. (2) Each worker holds a slip received from a slip cell in a specified work sequence, and starts moving on the moving route of the slip to work at the pick cell of the slip. (3) Each move is allowed to move only to an adjacent cell per unit time. (4) In the pick cell, a standby time is generated by a picking time. (5) In a case where the pick cell overlaps and the picking work time overlaps among a plurality of workers, until the worker who has started the picking work first completes the picking work, other workers are not allowed to move. (6) Workers are not allowed to overtake at a part sandwiched between two shelves. (7) Workers follow a standard route. (8) In a case where there is no product on a destination shelf, overtaking is performed through a shortcut route. (9) In a worker cell, workers move one by one toward the standard move cell next to the slip cell. Note that the layout of
Next, processing procedure update performed by the information processing apparatus 100 will be described. First, a user inputs a slip order using the input device 10. The slip order storage unit 20 stores the slip order input from the input device 10. The slip order includes multiple slips. The slip in this case is a slip indicating contents of single picking work.
Next, the work sequence replacement unit 30 randomly changes the work sequence (step S2). The work sequence indicates the order of slips for which each worker performs picking work. In a simulation performed by the line simulator 40, the work sequence indicates the order in which the slips are put into the layout of the line simulator 40.
Next, the line simulator 40 performs a simulation of single picking according to the work sequence determined by the work sequence replacement unit 30 (step S3). The work sequence replacement unit 30 and the line simulator 40 repeat steps S2 and S3 the same number of times as ran_step. As a result, the simulation of single picking is carried out for each work sequence.
Next, the line simulator 40 counts the number of slips (ip) on the premises (step S13). The number of slips (ip) indicates the number of slips remaining in the cell on the premises. Specifically, it indicates the total number of slips remaining in the slip cells, the standard move cells, the branch cells, and the pick cells. Next, the line simulator 40 determines whether or not the number of slips (ip) is zero (step S14). If no slip has been placed in the cell on the premises, or all the workers have reached the goal, it is determined as “Yes” in step S14. If any of the slips remains in the cell on the premises, it is determined as “No” in step S14.
If it is determined as “Yes” in step S14, the line simulator 40 determines whether or not there is a slip that has not been placed on the premises (step S15). If it is determined as “Yes” in step S15, the line simulator 40 determines whether or not the next slip may be placed (step S16). Specifically, it is determined whether or not a slip remains in the slip cell. If there is no slip in the slip cell, it is determined that the placing is possible. If it is determined as “Yes” in step S16, the line simulator 40 arranges the next slip in the slip cell to place it on the premises (step S17). If it is determined as “No” in step S16, or after execution of step S17, the process is performed again from step S13. With the process of steps S13 to S17 repeated, all slips are placed on the premises according to the work sequence.
If it is determined as “No” in step S14, the line simulator 40 obtains information of the cell in which a slip (i) is located (step S18). A value from 1 to ip is taken by i. In a case where two slips remain in the cell on the premises, ip is 2, and i takes values 1 and 2. One of the values of i is assigned to the slip remaining in the cell on the premises.
Next, the line simulator 40 determines whether or not the cell in which the slip (i) is located is a standard move cell, a branch cell, a pick cell, or a slip cell (step S19).
If it is determined in step S19 that the cell in which the slip (i) is located is a standard move cell, the line simulator 40 executes the process of the standard move cell (step S20). If it is determined in step S19 that the cell in which the slip (i) is located is a branch cell, the line simulator 40 executes the process of the branch cell (step S21). If it is determined in step S19 that the cell in which the slip (i) is located is a pick cell, the line simulator 40 executes the process of the pick cell (step S22). If it is determined in step S19 that the cell in which the slip (i) is located is a slip cell, the line simulator 40 executes the process of the slip cell (step S23).
Note that, although it is not determined whether or not there is another slip in the cell adjacent to the pick cell in the flowchart of
The loop from steps S18 to S23 (on-site slip loop) is repeatedly executed until the slip number i changes from 1 to ip. As a result, one of the processes of steps S20 to S23 may proceed for all the slips remaining on the premises.
Thereafter, step S15 is executed. Since the time advances by one unit time each time the loop of steps S14 to S23 (time loop) is performed, with the number of loops of the time loop obtained, it becomes possible to obtain the work completion time needed to complete the single picking work of all the slips.
If it is determined as “No” in step S15, the line simulator 40 breaks (stops) the time loop (step S24). Next, the line simulator 40 calculates and outputs the number of loops of the time loop as Time (step S25). Thereafter, the flowchart of
Next, the sequence determination unit 70 determines the optimum work sequence using a sequential optimization algorithm (step S6). Specifically, the sequence determination unit 70 causes the line simulator 40 to execute the loop of steps S2 and S3 again for the updated slip, and determines, as an optimum work sequence, the work sequence in which the work completion time is less than the threshold value or the work completion time is the shortest. The display device 80 displays the work sequence determined by the sequence determination unit 70, the two slips combined into one, and the like (step S7). Thereafter, the flowchart of
According to the result of
In the present embodiment, the congestion information of the workers is extracted from the simulation result of the line simulator 40, and the slips of two or more workers are combined into one slip according to the extracted congestion information. As a result, it becomes possible to update the processing procedure according to the congestion of the workers. Furthermore, in order to achieve most efficient multitasking, the work sequence is randomly replaced within the range that satisfies the restrictions on the premise (e.g., work delivery deadline and slip types that may be multi-tasked), and the sequence plan with heavy congestion (long congestion) is calculated. This solution completely opposite from the viewpoint of work efficiency improvement is purposefully used to obtain a plan that causes congestion purposefully, and the multitasking of the slips is carried out. Moreover, the same line simulator is used to further obtain the work sequence of the individual slips combined for the multi-picking in which the work completion time becomes smaller, whereby optimization of the multi-picking work sequence is carried out with the same engine.
Note that, in the example described above, the line simulator 40 functions as an exemplary simulation unit that performs a simulation of a plurality of specified sequences different from each other on the basis of a condition that, in a case where a processing procedure group including a plurality of processing procedures for specifying a moving route and work to be performed at a predetermined work point on the moving route is defined, a plurality of processing subjects has executed the specified sequences of processing according to the processing procedures assigned to the plurality of individual processing subjects, and the work point overlaps and time at which the work is performed overlaps between the plurality of processing subjects, the processing subjects other than one of the processing subjects that has started the work first stand by until the one of the processing subjects completes the work. The slip is an example of the processing procedure. The work sequence is an example of the specified sequence. The worker is an example of the processing subject. The extraction unit 50 functions as an exemplary extraction unit that extracts stand-by information regarding each of the plurality of processing subjects from a simulation result of the simulation unit. The update unit 60 functions as an exemplary update unit that updates the processing procedure group by combining the processing procedures of two or more processing subjects into one processing procedure according to the stand-by information extracted by the extraction unit. The sequence determination unit 70 functions as an exemplary sequence determination unit that determines a processing procedure sequence according to the next simulation result performed by the simulation unit according to the processing procedure group updated by the update unit.
While the embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to such a specific embodiment, and various modifications and alterations may be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention described in the claims.
All examples and conditional language provided herein are intended for the pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation application of International Application PCT/JP2020/008657 filed on Mar. 2, 2020 and designated the U.S., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2020/008657 | Mar 2020 | US |
Child | 17886774 | US |