Providing system, providing method, and management device

A providing method of providing a recording material to a plurality of users that use a recording device, the recording device being configured to perform recording by applying the recording material to a medium, the providing method comprising:

• managing user stock data for each of the plurality of users, the user stock data being data in which a stock of the recording material held by the plurality of users is associated with a usage expiry date of the recording material;
• determining, based on the user stock data of each of the plurality of users, whether an unused recording material is present in the stock of the recording material held by each of the plurality of users, the unused recording material being the recording material remaining unused for a first period or longer from a start of holding of the recording material;
• and
• in a case in which it is determined that the unused recording material is present in the stock of the recording material held by a first user of the plurality of users, when a period until a usage expiry date of the unused recording material is less than a first threshold value:
• setting a collection recommendation flag to the unused recording material in the user stock data of the first user, the collection recommendation flag indicating the recording material recommended for collection;
• transmitting to a sales company device a notification that the collection recommendation flag has been set;
• and
• specifying a second user different from the first user, to whom the collected unused recording medium is delivered, based on the user stock data and usage amount data of each of the plurality of users,
• wherein the usage amount data indicating a usage amount of the recording material in the recording device is managed for each of the plurality of users.

A management device for managing provision of a recording material to a plurality of users that use a recording device, the recording device being configured to perform recording by applying the recording material to a medium, wherein

• the management device manages user stock data for each of the plurality of users, the user stock data being data in which a stock of the recording material held by the plurality of users is associated with a usage expiry date of the recording material;
• the management device determines, based on the user stock data of each of the plurality of users, whether an unused recording material is present in the stock of the recording material held by each of the plurality of users, the unused recording material being the recording material remaining unused for a first period or longer from a start of holding of the recording material;
• and
• in a case in which it is determined that the unused recording material is present in the stock of the recording material held by a first user of the plurality of users, when a period until a usage expiry date of the unused recording material is less than a first threshold value:
• the management device sets a collection recommendation flag to the unused recording material in the user stock data of the first user, the collection recommendation flag indicating the recording material recommended for collection;
• the management device transmits to a sales company device a notification that the collection recommendation flag has been set;
• and
• specifying a second user different from the first user, to whom the collected unused recording medium is delivered, based on the user stock data and usage amount data of each of the plurality of users,
• wherein the usage amount data indicating a usage amount of the recording material in the recording device is managed for each of the plurality of users.