WO2017013489A1

WO2017013489A1 - Information processing, apparatus, information processing method, and information processing system

Info

Publication number: WO2017013489A1
Application number: PCT/IB2016/001113
Authority: WO
Inventors: Shinji Iwata
Original assignee: Gurunavi, Inc.
Priority date: 2015-07-23
Filing date: 2016-07-22
Publication date: 2017-01-26

Abstract

An information processing apparatus includes storage means for storing pieces of identification information of a plurality of restaurants, and restaurant information of at least category information regarding a category of menus of food and drink which can be provided by the plurality of restaurants, in correlation with each other, communication means for receiving POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu from each of POS systems of the plurality of restaurants, and control means. The control means selects, as a second restaurant from among the plurality of restaurants, another restaurant which provides a menu having an overlapping proportion of a predetermined threshold value or more with menus of a first restaurant with respect to at least the category, and has sales per unit area higher than sales per unit area of the first restaurant, on the basis of the stored restaurant information and the received POS data. In addition, the control means extracts a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant among menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant. Further, the control means controls the communication means to transmit information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

Description

INFORMATION PROCESSING APPARATUS, INFORMATION PROCESSING METHOD, AND INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEM

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus capable of communicating with a point of sales (POS) system of a restaurant, an information processing method for the information processing apparatus, and a program. 2. Description of Related Art

[0002] A restaurant introduces a POS system from the viewpoint of improving efficiency of business management. The POS system collects information regarding time and the kind of sold merchandise and thus helps with business management of the restaurant.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-137657 discloses a system in which a POS server acquires POS data regarding each restaurant from each restaurant server, extracts and compares the POS data regarding the restaurant and POS data regarding other restaurants having conditions similar to those of the restaurant on the basis thereof, and transmits a comparison result to the restaurant server. By using the system, the restaurant recognizes a state of the restaurant compared with other restaurants on the basis of the transmitted comparison result, and can perform business management thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0004] However, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2013-137657, other similar restaurants are extracted on the basis of attributes such as an area, business category, and a location condition, but, actually, the other restaurants may not be competing restaurants even if the area, the business category, and the location condition are similar. In this case, POS data is compared with that of the extracted other restaurants, but this does not contribute to improvement of business of the restaurant.

[0005] In this technique, sales per seat are compared with those of the other restaurants, but the restaurant side cannot determine the event causing a difference in the sales and thus cannot take improvement measures only through the comparison.

[0006] The present invention provides an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and an information processing system, capable of selecting a competing store having sales which are higher than sales of a restaurant with high accuracy, and providing information which contributes to improvement of a business situation (menu) of the restaurant on the basis of POS data of the competing store.

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including storage means for storing pieces of identification information of a plurality of restaurants, and restaurant information including at least category information regarding a category of menus of food and drink which can be provided by the plurality of restaurants, in correlation with each other; communication means for receiving POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu from each of POS systems of the plurality of restaurants; and control means. The control means selects, as a second restaurant from among the plurality of restaurants, another restaurant which provides a menu having an overlapping proportion of a predetermined threshold value or more with menus of a first restaurant with respect to at least the category, and has sales per unit area higher than sales per unit area of the first restaurant, on the basis of the stored restaurant information and the received POS data. The control means extracts a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant among menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, The control means controls the communication means to transmit information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

[0008] The information processing apparatus of the aspect selects a competing store whose sales are higher than a certain store on the basis of overlapping of menus and sales per unit area, provides, to the store, information regarding a category or a price range of a menu having a high order proportion in the competing store on the basis of POS data of the competing store, so as to prompt improvement of menus of the store, and thus contributes to improvement of a business state thereof. In other words, in a first restaurant and a second restaurant having a competing relationship, the information processing apparatus causes the first restaurant to recognize that categories of provided menus overlap each other as a whole, but category-basis or price range-basis selections are different from each other, and thus sales of the second restaurant are higher. Consequently, the first restaurant can take improvement measures such as an increase of a selection of menus in a specific category or price range. Here, the information processing apparatus may store area information of each of the restaurants as a part of the restaurant information, and may acquire the area information from the outside when performing a process of selecting the second restaurant.

[0009] In the aspect, the control means may extract a category or a price range having an order proportion of less than a threshold value among the menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the second restaurant. In addition, the control means may control the communication means to transmit information regarding the extracted category or price range having the order proportion of less than the threshold value to the POS system of the first restaurant.

[0010] The information processing apparatus of the aspect can cause the first restaurant to recognize a category or a price range of a menu to be reduced in the first restaurant without increasing the number of menus in a category or a price range whose order proportion is high in the second restaurant.

[0011] In the aspect, the control means may compare a menu constitutional proportion indicating the number of menus in each category or each price range to a total number of menus with the order proportion in each category or each price range on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant. In addition, in a case where there is a category or a price range in which a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is equal to or more than a first threshold value, the control means may control the communication means to transmit information regarding the category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

[0012] The information processing apparatus of the aspect causes the first restaurant to recognize a menu in a category or a price range in which a selection of menus in a category or a price range is small relative to a large number of orders, and thus to improve menus by also using the information from the second restaurant.

[0013] In the aspect, in a case where there is a category or a price range in which the ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is less than a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, the control means may control the communication means to transmit information regarding the category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

[0014] The information processing apparatus of the aspect causes the first restaurant to recognize a menu in a category or a price range in which the number of orders is small relative to a large selection of menus in a category or a price range, and thus to improve menus by also using the information from the second restaurant and information regarding a menu in a category or a price range of the first threshold value or more.

[0015] In the aspect, the control means may extract a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant, every plurality of periods of time, among the menus of the second restaurant, on the basis of POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant every plurality of periods of time in a day.

[0016] The information processing apparatus of the aspect can provide specific improvement of menus of the first restaurant for each period of time by performing comparison of a category-basis or price range-basis order proportion between the first restaurant and the second restaurant every plurality of periods of time in a day. Here, the period of time is a period of time such as a one-hour segment or a two-hour segment in a day, or a period of time on a business division basis, such as lunch business hours or dinner business hours.

[0017] In the aspect, in a case where it is determined that there are no sales of the first restaurant and sales of the second restaurant occupy a predetermined proportion or higher of sales for a day in a predetermined period of time among the plurality of periods of time on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, the control means may control the communication means to transmit information for proposing opening of the first restaurant in the predetermined period of time.

[0018] In a case where the first restaurant is not open in a predetermined period of time (for example, lunch business hours or breakfast business hours), and the second restaurant is open in the predetermined period of time and thus has sales, the information processing apparatus considers that there is also an advantage in which the first restaurant is open in the predetermined period of time, and can thus improve sales of the first restaurant by proposing opening in the period of time.

[0019] In the aspect, the control means may calculate areas used for sales per unit area of the first restaurant and sales per unit area of the second restaurant by using an area in a customer seat portion as a floor area.

[0020] In the aspect, in a case where the second restaurant is selected in plurality, the control means may calculate an average value of order proportions on a category basis or a price range basis in the plurality of second restaurants, and may compare the average value with an order proportion on a category basis or on a price range basis in the first restaurant.

[0021] In the aspect, in a case where the second restaurant is selected in plurality, the control means may extract one restaurant of which the sales per unit area are highest as the second restaurant among the plurality of second restaurants.

[0022] In the aspect, in a case where categories of menus or menu names of a predetermined number or larger overlap each other, the control means may determine that a restaurant has the overlapping proportion of the predetermined threshold value or more.

[0023] In the aspect, the control means may determine the overlapping proportion by further using an overlapping proportion of a price range of the menu and/or whether or not location areas are the same as each other. [0024] According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing method including storing pieces of identification information of a plurality of restaurants, and restaurant information at least category information regarding a category of menus of food and drink which can be provided by the plurality of restaurants, in correlation with each other; and receiving POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu from each of POS systems of the plurality of restaurants. The information processing method is characterized by including selecting, as a second restaurant from among the plurality of restaurants, another restaurant which provides a menu having an overlapping proportion of a predetermined threshold value or more with menus of a first restaurant with respect to at least the category, and has sales per unit area higher than sales per unit area of the first restaurant, on the basis of the stored restaurant information and the received POS data, extracting a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant among menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, and transmitting information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

[0025] According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing system including a plurality of POS systems that are operated by a plurality of restaurants; and a server that includes storage means for storing pieces of identification information of the plurality of restaurants, and restaurant information of at least category information regarding a category of menus of food and drink which can be provided by the plurality of restaurants, in correlation with each other, communication means for receiving POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu from each of the POS systems of the plurality of restaurants, and control means. Each of the plurality of POS systems transmits the POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu to the server. The server selects, as a second restaurant from among the plurality of restaurants, another restaurant which provides a menu having an overlapping proportion of a predetermined threshold value or more with menus of a first restaurant with respect to at least the category, and has sales per unit area higher than sales per unit area of the first restaurant, on the basis of the stored restaurant information and the received POS data. The server extracts a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant among menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant. The server controls the communication means to transmit information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

[0026] As described above, according to the aspects, it is possible to select a competing store having sales which are different from sales of a restaurant, and to provide information which contributes to improvement of a business situation (menu) of the restaurant on the basis of POS data of the competing store.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals denote like elements, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a restaurant information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of a restaurant information providing server according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a database of the restaurant information providing server according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a process of providing POS data analysis information regarding another store, performed by the restaurant information providing server according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of POS data analysis information regarding another store, which is generated by the restaurant information providing server of the embodiment of the present invention and is displayed in a POS system; FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a process of providing POS data analysis information regarding an own store, performed by the restaurant information providing server according to the embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of POS data analysis information regarding the own store, which is generated by the restaurant information providing server of the embodiment of the present invention and is displayed in the POS system; and

FIG 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of POS data analysis information regarding the own store, which is generated by the restaurant information providing server of the embodiment of the present invention and is displayed in the POS system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0029] [Configuration of System]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a POS data analysis information providing system according to the present embodiment.

[0030] As illustrated in FIG 1 , the system includes a restaurant information providing server 100 on the Internet 50, POS systems 200 of a plurality of restaurants, and a plurality of user terminals 300.

[0031] The restaurant information providing server 100 is a web server operating a portal site (restaurant information providing site) which publishes information regarding restaurants. The restaurant information providing server 100 is connected to the respective POS systems 200 of a plurality of restaurants and the plurality of user teiminals 300 via the Internet 50.

[0032] The restaurant information providing server 100 accesses the portal site, and transmits, to the user terminal 300 which has entered a retrieval condition, a web page publishing restaurant information conforming to the retrieval condition.

[0033] The restaurant information providing server 100 may receive not only menu information regarding menus provided by each restaurant but also POS data for each menu, including a unit price, the number of outputs (the number of orders), sales amount, and the like, from the POS system 200 of each restaurant in a periodic manner (for example, every predetermined period such as half a day, a day, a week, or a month).

[0034J The restaurant information providing server 100 may provide analysis data which is created on the basis of the POS data received from each POS system 200, to each POS system 200 via, for example, a management screen for each POS system 200.

[0035] The POS systems 200 (200A, 200B,...) are provided in the respective restaurants, and each of which is formed of, for example, a POS register terminal, an order reception device, and a restaurant server.

[0036] Information regarding an order of a customer of the restaurant may be received by, for example, a tablet personal computer (PC) type order reception device carried by a salesperson (or installed on a table of the customer). Order data includes, for example, identification information of a menu (dish), an amount of money thereof, the number of outputs, the order date and time, and a profit margin, and the data is transmitted to and stored in the restaurant server as POS data.

[0037] The POS register terminal is a computer performing an accounting process corresponding to a dish ordered by a customer of the restaurant. The POS register terminal reads identification information such as a barcode printed on a slip given to a customer after the customer orders a dish, inquires of the restaurant server about the identification information, so as to acquire merchandise and an amount of money corresponding thereto, and calculates a total amount of money.

[0038] The restaurant server stores information (identification information, menu names, amounts of money, categories, and the like) regarding dishes (menus) which can be provided by the restaurant. The restaurant server adds an accounting completion flag to POS data on which an accounting process is completed on the basis of, for example, the inquiry about the identification information from the POS register terminal.

[0039] The POS register terminal, the order reception device, and the restaurant server from the POS system 200 are not necessarily physically separate devices, and, for example, a single tablet PC may have the functions thereof. [0040] As described above, the POS system 200 (for example, the restaurant server) periodically transmits POS data regarding each menu to the restaurant information providing server 100 on the basis of the stored accounting-completed POS data.

[0041] A manager of each POS system 200 (for example, the restaurant server) can view analysis data created by the restaurant information providing server 100 by accessing a management screen provided by the restaurant information providing server 100 via, for example, a browser.

[0042] The user terminals 300 (300A, 300B, 300C,...) are terminals used by users (a user A, a user B, a user C,...), and are, for example, smart phones, mobile phones, tablet PCs, notebook PCs, or desktop PCs.

[0043] Each of the user terminals 300 accesses the restaurant information providing site provided by the restaurant information providing server 100, receives the above-described web page, and displays the web page on a screen by using a browser.

[0044] The user of the user terminal 300 retrieves restaurants in the portal site via the screen displayed by the browser, and views information regarding a desired restaurant. The information regarding each restaurant displayed on the web page includes a store name of the restaurant, an ID (store ID) for identifying the restaurant, category information regarding business category or a service of the restaurant, the content (information indicating features of the store, such as PR text of the restaurant, or information regarding events performed by the restaurant) about the restaurant, information regarding an area in which the restaurant is located, an address and a telephone number of the restaurant, information regarding menus provided by the restaurant, a floor area of the restaurant, and the like. Here, the floor area may be an area of the whole restaurant, and may be an area of only a customer seat portion.

[0045] [Hardware Configuration of Restaurant Information Providing Server]

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the restaurant information providing server 100. As illustrated in FIG 2, the restaurant information providing server 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 1 1 , a read only memory (ROM) 12, a random access memory (RAM) 13, an input/output interface 15, and a bus 14 which connects the above-described elements to each other.

[0046] The CPU 1 1 accesses the RAM 13 or the like so as to perform various calculation processes as necessary, and collectively controls all the blocks of the restaurant information providing server 100. The ROM 12 is a nonvolatile memory in which an OS or programs executed by the CPU 11 , and firmware such as various parameters are stored in an invariable manner. The RAM 13 is used as a work area or the like of the CPU 11 , and temporarily holds the OS, currently executed various applications, and currently processed various types of data.

The input/output interface 15 is connected to a display unit 16, an operation reception unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and the like.

[0047] The display unit 16 is a display device using, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electroluminescence display (OELD), and a cathode ray tube (CRT).

[0048] The operation reception unit 17 is, for example, a pointing device such as a mouse, a keyboard, a touch panel, and other input devices. In a case where the operation reception unit 17 is the touch panel, the touch panel is integrally formed with the display unit 16.

[0049] The storage unit 18 is, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory (solid state drive: SSD), and other nonvolatile memories such as solid state memories. The storage unit 18 stores the OS, various applications, and various types of data.

[0050] As will be described later, particularly, in the present embodiment, the storage unit 18 has a restaurant information database, a POS data database, an order proportion database, and a menu constitutional proportion database.

[0051] The communication unit 19 is, for example, a network interface card

(NIC) for Ethernet or various modules such as a wireless LAN for wireless communication, and performs communication with the POS systems 200 of the respective restaurants.

[0052] Although not illustrated, at least one of the POS register terminal, the order reception device, and the restaurant server forming each of the POS systems 200 includes a storage unit such as an HDD storing the POS data and a communication unit transmitting the POS data to the restaurant information providing server 100.

[0053] [Database Configuration of Restaurant Information Providing Server]

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of databases included in the restaurant information providing server 100.

[0054] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the restaurant information providing server 100 has a restaurant information database 31 , a POS information database 32, and an order proportion information database 33 in the storage unit 18.

[0055] The restaurant information database 31 stores, for each restaurant, a store name of the restaurant, an ID (store ID) for identifying the restaurant, genre information regarding business category or a service of the restaurant, business hours, text (information indicating features of the store, such as PR text of the restaurant, or information regarding events performed by the restaurant) about the restaurant, information regarding an area in which the restaurant is located, an address and a telephone number of the restaurant, information regarding menus (including menu IDs) provided by the restaurant, a floor area of the restaurant, a web site URL, and the like. Here, information regarding the store floor is not necessarily included in the restaurant information database 31 in advance, and may be acquired from the outside when a process of selecting a second restaurant, which will be described later, is performed, and may be used.

[0056] The area information is stored, for example, on a prefecture, a state or a shire basis, but the information may be stored on a narrower area basis, such as a city, a ward, a town, or a village. The genre information may include, for example, not only main genres such as Japanese foods, Chinese foods, Italian foods, French foods, and roasted meat, but also specific sub-genres such as a grilled chicken skewer and tempura in Japanese foods, and pasta and pizza in Italian foods.

[0057] The menu information is information in which all menus which can be provided by each restaurant are stored so as to be sorted on a category basis and a price range basis, and is periodically (for example, every day or every week) received from the POS system 200 of each restaurant and is stored. The category indicates, for example, salad, fried food, meat dishes, fish dishes, flour dishes, deep-fried food, boiled rice food, bread, noodles, soups/stewed dishes, spitted food, Japanese steamboat dishes, and dessert. The price range is set in plurality, such as a range from 100 yen to less than 150 yen, and a range from 780 yen to less than 980 yen. As a price becomes higher, one price range may be increased. Information regarding the price range may not necessarily be included in the menu information, and may be set as appropriate on the basis of a unit price of each menu extracted from the following POS data, and each menu may be sorted into each price range on the basis thereof.

[0058) The POS information database 32 stores POS data for each menu, which is periodically received from the POS system 200 of each restaurant. The POS data is formed of, for example, a menu ID, a unit price thereof, the number of outputs (or sales amount), and order time. The restaurant information providing server 100 may extract a menu name, a category thereof, and a price range thereof corresponding to each number of outputs by referring to the menu information in the restaurant information database 31 with the menu ID as a key.

[0059] The order proportion information database 33 stores an order proportion of a menu on a category basis or on a price range basis in each restaurant, calculated on the basis of the POS data stored in the POS information database 32. Here, the order proportion is a proportion of the number of orders of a menu included in each category or each price range to a total number of orders in a predetermined period of each restaurant. A process of calculating the order proportion is performed, for example, periodically, or when the POS data is received from the POS system 200 of each restaurant.

[0060] A menu constitutional proportion information database 34 stores a constitutional proportion of the number of menus in each category or each price range to a total number of menus of each restaurant, calculated on the basis of the menu information (category information and price range information) of each restaurant stored in the restaurant information database 31. A process of calculating the menu constitutional proportion is performed, for example, periodically, or when the POS data is received from the POS system 200 of each restaurant. [0061] These respective databases are referred to each other as necessary in a POS data analysis information providing process, which will be described later, performed by the restaurant information providing server 100, and are used.

[0062] [Operation of Restaurant Information Providing Server]

Next, a description will be made of an operation of the restaurant information providing server 100 with the above-described configuration. The operation is performed in cooperation among the CPU 11 of the restaurant information providing server 100, the hardware such as the communication unit 19, and software stored in the storage unit 18. In the following description, for convenience of description, it is assumed that the operation is mainly performed by the CPU 11.

[0063] (POS data analysis information of other stores)

First, a description will be made of a POS data analysis information providing process of other stores, performed by the restaurant information providing server 100. This process is performed through comparison with POS data of an own store, but may be performed separately from analysis of POS data of the own store.

[0064] FIG 4 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of the POS data analysis information of other stores, performed by the restaurant information providing server 100. This process is performed, for example, in a case where a POS system of a restaurant (first restaurant) to which analysis information is provided, accesses a management screen.

[0065] As illustrated in FIG 4, first, the CPU 1 1 of the restaurant information providing server 100 determines whether or not POS data has been received from the respective POS systems 200 (or the POS data has been stored in the POS information database 32) whenever a predetermined period such as a day or a week elapses (step 41 ),

[0066] In a case where it is determined that the POS data has been received (Yes), the CPU 11 acquires menu information (category information) of each restaurant corresponding to the POS data, from the restaurant information database 31 (step 42).

[0067] Successively, the CPU 11 extracts restaurants providing a menu having an overlapping proportion of a predetermined threshold value or greater with the menu of the first restaurant with respect to a category of the menu (step 43). [0068] Specifically, the CPU 11 uses a category of the menu of the first restaurant as a key, searches for restaurants providing a menu in a category matching the category, and extracts restaurants in which, for example, a proportion of the matching category is equal to or more than a threshold proportion (for example, 70%) of the number of all categories of menus of the first restaurant.

[0069] Next, the CPU 11 compares sales per unit area between the first restaurant and the extracted restaurants on the basis of the received POS data and the floor area information of each restaurant included in the menu information (step 44). Here, the sales may be total sales in a predetermined period in each restaurant, and may be sales per customer spending or per hour in a predetermined period. The sales are not limited to a sales amount, and may employ any numerical value as long as earnings of a restaurant can be evaluated. For example, the number of visitors (occupancy rate), a total number of ordered menus, average staying time, or the number of outputs of a single or a plurality of menus as an index may be employed.

[0070] Next, the CPU 1 1 selects a restaurant whose sales per unit area are higher than those of the first restaurant, as a second restaurant, as a result of the comparison (step 45).

[0071] Next, the CPU 11 analyzes the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant (or refers to the order proportion information database 33), and compares order proportions of a menu on a category basis or on a price range basis in the respective restaurants with each other (step 46). Here, in a case where a plurality of second restaurants are selected, the CPU 11 calculates an average value of order proportions on a category basis or a price range basis in the plurality of second restaurants, and compares the average value with an order proportion on a category basis or on a price range basis in the first restaurant. Alternatively, among a plurality of second restaurants, one restaurant whose sales per unit area are highest may be selected as a second restaurant. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that one second restaurant is extracted.

[0072] Next, the CPU 11 extracts a category or a price range having a higher order proportion than that of the corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant, from menus of the second restaurant, as a result of the comparison (step 47).

[0073] Next, the CPU 11 extracts a category or a price range having an order proportion of less than a predetermined threshold value (for example, 5%) from the menus of the second restaurant (step 48).

[0074] The CPU 11 transmits information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant via the management screen and displays the information thereon (step 49).

[0075] FIG. 5 illustrates an example of a management screen displaying information regarding a category or a price range extracted through comparison between respective order proportions of the first restaurant and the second restaurant. Of the information regarding a category and a price range, FIG 5 illustrates an example of displaying the information regarding a category.

[0076] For example, other screens which will be described later may be displayed on the management screen by a user of the POS system 200 of the first restaurant selecting the screens from a menu screen.

[0077] As illustrated in FIG. 5, in the management screen, for example, a category-basis order proportion of the first restaurant is displayed on a left part thereof, and, for example, a category-basis order proportion of the second restaurant is displayed on a right part thereof. As described above, in a case where a plurality of second restaurants are selected, an average value of category-basis order proportions of the plurality of second restaurants is displayed.

[0078] In the example illustrated in FIG 5, with respect to the category of "fish dishes", whereas an order proportion in the first restaurant is 24%, an order proportion in the second restaurant 39% which is 1.5 times or more the order proportion in the first restaurant, and a portion displaying the category is surrounded by, for example, a solid line rectangular shape so as to be highlighted.

[0079] There are categories whose order proportions in the first restaurant are higher than an order proportion in the second restaurant in addition to the category of "fish dishes", but, in the example illustrated in FIG 5, the category having the greatest difference between the order proportions is highlighted.

[0080] In addition to the highlighting using the solid line, for example, advice information 51 is displayed so as to prompt a selection of fish dishes to be increased. The content of the advice information 51 is not limited thereto.

[0081] In the same figure, an order proportion of "boiled rice food" in the second restaurant is less than 5% exemplified above, and thus a portion displaying the category is surrounded by, for example, a dotted line rectangular shape, so as to be highlighted.

[0082] There are categories whose order proportions in the second restaurant are less than the threshold value in addition to the category of "boiled rice food", but order proportions of the categories in the first restaurant are 0%, and highlighting thereof is meaningless. Therefore, for example, categories whose order proportions in the second restaurant is less than the threshold value and order proportions in the first restaurant are higher than the operators in the second restaurant are highlighted.

[0083] In addition to the highlighting using the dashed line, for example, advice information 51 is displayed so as to prompt a selection of the boiled rice food to be reduced.

[0084] A management screen displaying information regarding a price range is created in the same manner as in the example illustrated in FIG. 5, and is displayed in the POS system 200 of the first restaurant.

[0085] Since the above-described information is provided, a manager or a person in charge of the first restaurant recognizes a category or a price range in which an order proportion of a menu is high in a competing store having sales higher than those of an own store, and thus increases the number of menus in the category or the price range so as to increase sales. The manager or the person in charge can reduce the number of menus in a category or a price range whose order proportion is also low in the competing store and thus sales cannot be expected, instead of increasing the number of menus. In other words, this prevents loss of ingredients due to unsold food. The manager or the person in charge of the first restaurant can reconsider menus of the own store without separately analyzing sales or the number of orders of the own store. The POS data of the first restaurant is information necessary in the second restaurant, and thus POS data items of the stores are used by each other. In other words, the restaurants can understand trends of restaurants in a similar genre or price range without needing to perform market research again.

[0086] (POS data analysis information of own store)

Next, a description will be made of a process of providing analysis information of

POS data of an own store (the first restaurant), provided separately from information for comparison with POS data of another store (the second restaurant).

[0087] FIG 6 is a flowchart illustrating a flow of a POS data analysis information providing process of the own store, performed by the restaurant information providing server 100. The process is also performed in a case where the POS system of the first restaurant accesses a management screen.

[0088] As illustrated in FIG 6, first, the CPU 11 of the restaurant information providing server 100 acquires a menu constitutional proportion of the first restaurant on a category basis and a price range basis from the menu constitutional proportion information database 34, and acquires an order proportion in the first restaurant on a category basis and a price range basis from the order proportion information database 33 (step 61). In a case where the menu constitutional proportion and the order proportion are not stored in the respective databases, the CPU 1 1 may calculate the proportions on the basis of the menu information and the POS data at that time.

[0089] Next, the CPU 11 compares the acquired menu constitutional proportion and order proportion with each other (step 62).

[0090] Next, the CPU 1 1 extracts a category or a price range in which a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is equal to or more than a first threshold value (for example, 1.5) (step 63).

[0091] The CPU 11 extracts a category or a price range in which a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is less than a second threshold value (for example, 0.7) smaller than the first threshold value (step 64).

[0092] The CPU 11 transmits information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant via the management screen and displays the information thereon (step 65).

[0093] FIGS. 7 and 8 respectively illustrate examples of management screens displaying information regarding categories and price ranges in which a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is equal to or more than the first threshold value, and information regarding categories and price ranges in which the ratio is less than the second threshold value. FIG. 7 illustrates a screen displaying information regarding the categories, and FIG. 8 illustrates a screen displaying information regarding the price ranges.

[0094] As illustrated in FIG. 7, in the management screen, for example, a category-basis menu constitutional proportion of the first restaurant is displayed on a left part thereof, and, for example, a category-basis order proportion of the first restaurant is displayed on a right part thereof.

[0095] In the example illustrated in FIG. 7, whereas a menu constitutional proportion of the category of "fried food" is 8.3%, an order proportion thereof is 17.3%. In other words, a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is equal to or more than the first threshold value (1.5), portions displaying the menu constitutional proportion and the order proportion of the category are surrounded by, for example, solid line rectangular shapes so as to be highlighted.

[0096] In addition to the highlighting using the solid lines, for example, advice information 51 is displayed so as to indicate that a selection of the fried food is small.

[0097) Similarly, whereas a menu constitutional proportion of the category of "fish dishes" is 13.9%, an order proportion thereof is 24.2%, and thus the ratio is equal to or more than the first threshold value. Therefore, portions displaying the menu constitutional proportion and the order proportion of the category are also surrounded by solid line rectangular shapes so as to be highlighted. In addition to the highlighting using the solid lines, for example, advice information 51 is also displayed so as to indicate that a selection of the fish dishes is small.

[0098] On the other hand, whereas a menu constitutional proportion of the category of "dessert" is 25.0%, an order proportion thereof is 8.5%, and thus a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is less than the second threshold value (0.7). Therefore, portions displaying the menu constitutional proportion and the order proportion of the category are surrounded by, for example, dashed line rectangular shapes so as to be highlighted. In addition thereto, for example, advice information 51 is displayed so as to indicate that a selection of the dessert is too large.

[0099] As illustrated in FIG 8, in the management screen, for example, a price range-basis menu constitutional proportion of the first restaurant is displayed on a left part thereof, and, for example, a price range-basis order proportion of the first restaurant is displayed on a right part thereof.

[0100] In the example illustrated in FIG. 8, whereas a menu constitutional proportion in the price range "from 270 yen to less than 340 yen" is 5.3%, an order proportion therein is 28.0%. In other words, a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is equal to or more than the first threshold value (1.5), portions displaying the menu constitutional proportion and the order proportion in the price range are surrounded by, for example, solid line rectangular shapes so as to be highlighted. In addition to the highlighting using the solid lines, for example, advice information 51 is displayed so as to indicate that a selection of menus from 270 yen to less than 340 yen is small.

[0101] On the other hand, whereas a menu constitutional proportion in the price range "from 480 yen to less than 580 yen" is 23.8%, an order proportion therein is 15.8%. In other words, a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is less than the second threshold value (0.7), and thus portions displaying the menu constitutional proportion and the order proportion of the category are surrounded by, for example, dashed line rectangular shapes so as to be highlighted. In addition the highlighting using the dashed lines, for example, advice information 51 is displayed so as to indicate that a selection of menus from 480 yen to less than 580 yen is too large.

[0102] There are price ranges in which a ratio of an order proportion to a menu constitutional proportion is less than the second threshold value in addition to the price range "from 480 yen to less than 580 yen", but, in the example illustrated in FIG. 8, only the price range whose menu constitutional proportion is highest is highlighted.

[0103] Since the management screens as in both of FIGS. 7 and 8 are displayed, a manager or a person in charge of the first restaurant recognizes a menu in a category or a price range in which a selection of menus in a category or a price range is small relative to a large number of orders, and the number of orders is small relative to a large selection of menus in a category or a price range, and can thus take menu improvement measures by also using the information obtained through comparison of order proportions with the second restaurant illustrated in FIG. 5.

[0104] [Conclusion]

As described above, the restaurant information providing server 100 selects a competing store whose sales are higher than a certain store on the basis of overlapping of menus and sales per unit area, provides, to the store, information regarding a category or a price range of a menu having a high order proportion in the competing store on the basis of POS data of the competing store, so as to prompt improvement of menus of the store, and thus contributes to improvement of a business state thereof. In other words, in a first restaurant and a second restaurant having a competing relationship, the restaurant information providing server 100 causes the first restaurant to recognize that categories of provided menus overlap each other as a whole, but category-basis or price range-basis selections are different from each other, and thus sales of the second restaurant are higher. Consequently, the first restaurant can take improvement measures such as an increase of a selection of menus in a specific category or price range.

[0105] [Modification Examples]

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be variously modified within the scope without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0106] In the above-described embodiment, a menu overlapping proportion between the first restaurant and other restaurants is calculated on the basis of a category of menus, but, instead thereof or in addition thereto, the overlapping proportion may be calculated on the basis of overlapping of a menu name. Further in addition thereto, a competing store may also be extracted by taking into consideration an overlapping proportion of a price range or whether a location area is the same or the vicinity.

[0107] In the above-described embodiment, a restaurant is extracted on the basis of an overlapping proportion of a menu category with the first restaurant, and the sales per unit area are compared between the extracted restaurant and the first restaurant, but order of these processes may be reversed.

[0108] The process of extracting the restaurant on the basis of an overlapping proportion may be performed in advance before POS data is received from each POS system.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the number of orders of a menu in each category or price range to a total number of orders in a predetermined period is set as an order proportion, and information regarding the operator is provided. However, alternatively, a proportion (set order proportion) of the number of sets ordering a menu in a predetermined category or price range to a total number of sets of visited customers (groups or individuals of customers visited together) in a predetermined period (a day, a week, a method, or the like) may be calculated, and information (comparison between set order proportions of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, or comparison between a menu constitutional proportion and a set order proportion in the first restaurant) regarding the proportion may be provided.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the server operating the restaurant information providing site and the sever which receives POS data from the POS system 200 of each restaurant and manages the POS data are an identical server (restaurant information providing server 100), but a POS server managing POS data of each restaurant may be provided separately from a server providing restaurant information, and the POS data is exchanged between the POS server and the restaurant information providing server so that data regarding the order proportion is generated and is provided to each POS system 200.

[0111] In the above-described embodiment, comparison of a category-basis or price range-basis order proportion between the first restaurant and the second restaurant is performed on the basis of data in a period corresponding to a reception timing of POS data, such as a day or a week. However, the restaurant information providing server 100 may perform the comparison every plurality of periods of time in a day. Here, the period of time is a period of time such as a one-hour segment or a two-hour segment in a day, or a period of time on a business division basis, such as lunch business hours or dinner business hours.

[0112] In other words, the restaurant information providing server 100 may extract a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than that of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant, every plurality of periods of time, among menus of the second restaurant, on the basis of POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, obtained every plurality of periods of time in a day.

(0113) Consequently, the restaurant information providing server 100 can provide specific improvement of menus of the first restaurant for each period of time. Specifically, in a case where it is recognized that an order proportion of a menu in a certain category or price range is higher in an early period of time (for example, a period of time of 17:00 to 18:00) in night business hours of the second restaurant than in the first restaurant, but an order proportion of a menu in another category or price range is higher in the subsequent period of time (for example, a period of time of 19:00 to 20:00), such information is provided to the first restaurant, and thus a salesperson of the first restaurant can recommend different menus for each period of time to customers, or different menus for each period of time can be displayed on the order reception device. Therefore, since sales for each period of time can be increased, it is possible to reduce salaries of employees or to shorten working hours.

[0114] In a case where it is recognized that categories having high order proportions differ between lunch business hours and dinner business hours in the second restaurant, such information is provided to the first restaurant, and thus the first restaurant can take measures such as arranging ingredients used for a menu provided in dinner business hours in a menu in a category which is different from a category in a dinner period of time and providing the menu in lunch business hours. (0115) In a case where the second restaurant has favorable sales in a period of time in which the first restaurant is not open, the restaurant information providing server 100 may propose that the first restaurant be open in the period of time.

[0116] In other words, in a case where it is determined that there are no sales of the first restaurant and sales of the second restaurant occupies a predetermined proportion or higher of sales for a day in a predetermined period of time among the plurality of periods of time on the basis of restaurant information and POS data regarding the first restaurant and the second restaurant, the restaurant information providing server 100 may control the communication means to transmit information for proposing opening of the first restaurant in the predetermined period of time. That there are no sales of the first restaurant in the predetermined period of time may be determined on the basis of the POS data, and may be determined on the basis of business hour information included in the restaurant information database 31. The predetermined proportion is, for example, 20% or 30%, but is not limited thereto.

[0117] Consequently, in a case where the first restaurant is not open in a predetermined period of time (for example, lunch business hours or breakfast business hours), and the second restaurant is open in the predetermined period of time and thus has sales, the restaurant information providing server 100 considers that there is also an advantage in which the first restaurant is open in the predetermined period of time, and can thus improve sales of the first restaurant by proposing opening in the period of time.

[0118] Information regarding a category or price range having a high order proportion in the second restaurant in the proposed period of time is also provided, and thus the first restaurant can obtain information for determining a category or price range of menus to be provided in the period of time in which the first restaurant is newly open.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus ( 100) comprising:

storage means (18) for storing pieces of identification information of a plurality of restaurants, and restaurant information including at least category information regarding a category of menus of food and drink which can be provided by the plurality of restaurants, in correlation with each other;

communication means (19) for receiving POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu from each of POS systems (200) of the plurality of restaurants; and

control means ( 1 1 ),

the information processing apparatus characterized in that:

the control means selects, as a second restaurant from among the plurality of restaurants, another restaurant which provides a menu having an overlapping proportion of a predetermined threshold value or more with menus of a first restaurant with respect to at least the category, and has sales per unit area higher than sales per unit area of the first restaurant, on the basis of the stored restaurant information and the received POS data, the control means extracts a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant among menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, and

the control means controls the communication means to transmit information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control means extracts a category or a price range having an order proportion of less than a threshold value among the menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the second restaurant, and

wherein the control means controls the communication means to transmit information regarding the extracted category or price range having the order proportion of less than the threshold value to the POS system of the first restaurant.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the control means compares a menu constitutional proportion indicating the number of menus in each category or each price range to a total number of menus with the order proportion in each category or each price range on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant, and

wherein, in a case where there is a category- or a price range in which a ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is equal to or more than a first threshold value, the control means controls the communication means to transmit information regarding the category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 3,

wherein, in a case where there is a category or a price range in which the ratio of the order proportion to the menu constitutional proportion is less than a second threshold value smaller than the first threshold value, the control means controls the communication means to transmit information regarding the category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

5. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4,

wherein the control means extracts a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or a price range of the first restaurant, every plurality of periods of time, among the menus of the second restaurant, on the basis of POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant every plurality of periods of time in a day.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5,

wherein, in a case where it is determined that there are no sales of the first restaurant and sales of the second restaurant occupy a predetermined proportion or higher of sales for a day in a predetermined period of time among the plurality of periods of time on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, the control means controls the communication means to transmit information for proposing opening of the first restaurant in the predetermined period of time.

7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,

wherein the control means calculates areas used for sales per unit area of the first restaurant and sales per unit area of the second restaurant by using an area in a customer seat portion as a floor area.

8. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

wherein, in a case where the second restaurant is selected in plurality, the control means calculates an average value of order proportions on a category basis or a price range basis in the plurality of second restaurants, and compares the average value with an order proportion on a category basis or on a price range basis in the first restaurant.

9. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7,

wherein, in a case where the second restaurant is selected in plurality, the control means extracts one restaurant of which the sales per unit area are highest as the second restaurant among the plurality of second restaurants.

10. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,

wherein, in a case where categories of menus or menu names of a predetermined number or larger overlap each other, the control means determines that a restaurant has the overlapping proportion of the predetermined threshold value or more.

11. The information processing apparatus according to claim 10,

wherein the control means determines the overlapping proportion by further using an overlapping proportion of a price range of the menu and/or whether or not location areas are the same as each other.

12. An information processing method comprising:

storing pieces of identification information of a plurality of restaurants, and restaurant information including at least category information regarding a category of menus of food and drink which can be provided by the plurality of restaurants, in correlation with each other; and

receiving POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu from each of POS systems (200) of the plurality of restaurants,

the information processing method characterized by comprising:

selecting, as a second restaurant from among the plurality of restaurants, another restaurant which provides a menu having an overlapping proportion of a predetermined threshold value or more with menus of a first restaurant with respect to at least the category, and has sales per unit area higher than sales per unit area of the first restaurant, on the basis of the stored restaurant information and the received POS data,

extracting a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant among menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, and

transmitting information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.

13. An information processing system comprising:

a plurality of POS systems (200) that are operated by a plurality of restaurants; and a server (100) that includes storage means (18) for storing pieces of identification information of the plurality of restaurants, and restaurant information including at least category information regarding a category of menus of food and drink which can be provided by the plurality of restaurants, in correlation with each other, communication means (19) for receiving POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu from each of the POS systems of the plurality of restaurants, and control means (1 1 ), the information processing system characterized in that:

each of the plurality of POS systems transmits the POS data including a unit price and the number of orders of each menu to the server,

the server selects, as a second restaurant from among the plurality of restaurants, another restaurant which provides a menu having an overlapping proportion of a predetermined threshold value or more with menus of a first restaurant with respect to at least the category, and has sales per unit area higher than sales per unit area of the first restaurant, on the basis of the stored restaurant information and the received POS data, the server extracts a category or a price range having an order proportion higher than an order proportion of a corresponding category or price range of the first restaurant among menus of the second restaurant on the basis of the restaurant information and the POS data of the first restaurant and the second restaurant, and

the server controls the communication means to transmit information regarding the extracted category or price range to the POS system of the first restaurant.