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mrp

Manufacture tight inventories with MRP_Excel.zip

MRP_Excel.zip from Production-Scheduling.com is a free Manufacturing Resource Planning tool in an Excel workbook. It uses no macros or VBA code and it's not locked: anyone who knows Excel can customize it to suit his or her needs.

Excel-based MRP systems have several advantages, such as the ability to use schedules and other data already entered in Excel; greater familiarity and less complexity than a full-scale MRP system; and, best of all, lower cost. MRP offers some significant features, including a Purchase Action Report that identifies schedule-critical purchase orders, a single-level Bill of Material Structure, and a … Read more

Cutting the cost of solar the unsexy way

Most of Silicon Valley focuses on the cost of the photovoltaic module, and how to bring that down. In fact, most of Silicon Valley focuses on how to fundamentally change the basic technology of the module - from crystalline silicon based to thin film deposition. Very sexy. And very risky. And currently breaking the back of more than one company and investor who is trying. What's worse, the module is only 30-50% of the per kwh cost anyway.

In the meantime, the cost of solar on a per kwh basis has continued to improve, primarily on the back of … Read more