Abstract: A merchandising system for conducting a control of article display positions that are generally changed by the customers includes a method of obtaining article display positions based on the present display state. In this system, when selecting coordinate items to be suitably combined with an article, the display positions thereof can be easily determined, which advantageously helps the customer to search the store or floor for the desired items.

Abstract: From a blank goods layout map of a gondola showing a goods layout on each gondola by contours, a user request is inputted for displaying information of the merchandise management, the information responding to the request is output for the corresponding goods layout map, a user request is inputted for a selected elemental operation, and the inputted request is transferred to the elemental operation for execution.

Abstract: In an inventory control method and system, changes of sales for individual goods are forecasted and the excess or deficiency of a stock of each of the goods at the present point of time is estimated from the results of forecast. In order to facilitate an inventory control, merchandise information is sorted and displayed in accordance with the degree of urgency, the degree of importance or the like of inventory adjustment on the basis of the results of estimation.

Abstract: In a data management system necessary for management such as a profit management of a shop, it is required to collect and to analyze a great amount of various kinds of data items. In such a data management system, in addition to a data base storing therein all data, there are disposed a data base associated with each data utilization purpose and a data base for the data analysis so as to conduct data-base-oriented processing, which enables an analysis result suitable for a purpose to be easily attained and which simplifies the system configuration.

Abstract: Method and system for extracting a characteristic from information handled by a computer and displaying the information in a manner to clarify the characteristic. A relationship among information items is analyzed from similarity and cluster analysis, and a characteristic related to the relationship is analyzed and displayed. The present invention is particularly useful in the analysis of merchandise information.

Abstract: A real time status monitoring method for inputting randomly varying data relating to a plurality of objects, processing a plurality of functions having some of the data as variables and monitoring an overall status including the objects on a real time basis, and an apparatus therefor are disclosed. A table indicating the presence or absence of data change in the objects and the presence or absence of variables related to the data change in the funtions is prepared. In processing the functions, the table is referenced and only those functions which include the variables related to the data change are processed.

Abstract: In an inventory control method and system, changes of sales for individual goods are forecasted and the excess or deficiency of a stock of each of the goods at the present point of time is estimated from the results of forecast. In order to facilitate an inventory control, merchandise information is sorted and displayed in accordance with the degree of urgency, the degree of importance or the like of inventory adjustment on the basis of the results of estimation.

Abstract: In a scheduling system, constraints changing based on situations and scheduling know-how are implemented according to the knowledge engineering method, whereas computations for the concrete, optimal allocation are conducted according to the mathematical programming method. As a result, there can be achieved a scheduling which can easily cope with changes in the scheduling know-how and constraints and which has a high maintainability and a high computation speed.

Abstract: A goods layout planning method for making a layout for a quantity of goods arranged on gondolas in a store by using a terminal device including a display and a processor. Rules regarding goods layouts are stored in a knowledge base. The effort to make layout plans for goods can be simplified and the efficiency thereof improved by using sales data for each of the goods, attributes of goods, attributes of gondolas, and the rules with respect to the goods layouts.

Abstract: An automatic freight stacking system for loading previously determined freight articles of various configurations (shapes, size, material, etc.) to be shipped, using a loading scheduler for determining a loading schedule on the basis of the existing various configurations of the freight articles, marshalling equipment for receiving the freight articles in a given order and delivering them in a predetermined order which is determined by the scheduler, a feeding conveyor for carrying the delivered freight articles and transporting means to the places of the respective loading means allocated by the loading scheduler, and the loading means for loading the carried freight articles on the transporting means in accordance with the scheduled operation sequence.

Abstract: A piling planning method for cargoes in which an operator can designate a piling position of each of the various cargoes, and by displaying the piling result graphically on a graphic terminal, a piling patern is determined so that vacant space is reduced, and by using a final piling pattern, a piling position and a piling order of each cargo, and a piling operation sequence of the palletizing robot are determined. A piling system is provided in which cargoes supplied thereto are piled on a pallet in accordance with piling planning data prepared by a piling planning device which executes the above piling planning method.

Abstract: A piling planning method for cargoes in which an operator can designate a piling position of each of the various cargoes, and by displaying the piling result graphically on a graphic terminal, a piling patern is determined so that vacant space is reduced, and by using a final piling pattern, a piling position and a piling order of each cargo, and a piling operation sequence of the palletizing robot are determined. A piling system is provided in which cargoes supplied thereto are piled on a pallet in accordance with piling planning data prepared by a piling planning device which executes the above piling planning method.