Customer support system, an office system, a customer support center, a supply center and a customer support method

• US 7,415,420 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2002
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Takata, Hisashi, Yokoyama, Yoshiaki, Yano, Takahisa, Hosoe, Yasuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeanty; Romain
• Application Number:
  US10/107,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20020143593A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,336 Days
• Field of Search: 705 7- 8, 705/28
• US Class Current: 705/7.25
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06315 Needs-based resource requirements planning or analysis
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data

Abstract

Resupply, recycling and exchange of consumption items of office apparatuses made by two or more manufacturers can be facilitated by a customer support center, a supply center, office systems and customer support terminals connected via a communication network, wherein an apparatus management database, a cost and supply information database, an analysis database, and a supply management database are installed at appropriate locations, each associated with functional units such as a data acquisition unit, a data analysis unit, a report generating unit and the like for issuing purchase orders, recycling orders, exchange orders and office system improvement proposals.

Claims

1. A customer support center that supports a customer, based on apparatus management information of office apparatuses manufactured by a plurality of manufacturers, and installed at a premises of the customer, comprising:

a data collection unit coupled to a plurality of office systems through a network and configured to collect through the network the apparatus management information, cost information, and supply information on the office apparatuses of a plurality of office systems, each of which includes one or more office apparatuses, at least one of the office systems including two or more office apparatuses,

an analysis database that stores the apparatus management information, the cost information, and the supply information separately for each of the office systems, and

a data analysis unit that analyzes the information stored in the analysis database separately for each of the office systems wherein the data analysis unit generates information relative to a peak usage of each of the office apparatuses, usage statistics per organizational unit, usage statistics per individual, and costs associated with the office apparatuses and associated materials, using the information stored in the analysis database, and further prepares graphical representations for each of the office systems.

2. The customer support center as claimed in claim 1, comprising a report generating unit that generates a report to the customer and the customer supporters, wherein the report generating unit generates the report based on data that the data analysis unit analyzes.

3. The customer support center as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data analysis unit proposes a system for each of the office systems, which reduces latency time and costs associated with the office apparatuses, using the information stored in the analysis database.

4. The customer support center as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data analysis unit continuously analyzes the information stored in the analysis database, and verifies past analysis results.

5. The customer support center as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a supply management database that stores information for managing consumption items of the office apparatuses, and a supply management unit that manages the consumption items for each of the office systems.

6. The customer support center as claimed in claim 5, wherein the supply management unit estimates a balance on hand of each of the consumption items, based on the information stored in the analysis database and the information stored in the supply management database, and automatically places a purchase order for a consumption item when an amount of the balance on hand becomes less than a predetermined amount.

7. The customer support center as claimed in claim 6, wherein the supply management unit automatically directs a recycling of a consumption item discarding of that is prohibited, at a predetermined time and when a purchase order of the consumption item is placed.

8. The customer support center as claimed in claim 1, wherein information indicating consumed amount of a consumption item in the cost information and the supply information stored in the analysis database is updated, based on actual usage for each of the office systems.