How do you do it?

[alanp]

Thought I'd share how I order stuff.

First, go through the various BOM's and build up a big shopping list in OpenOffice. (Saved in .xls for you lot, since it's a bit more universal.) I typically add stuff that I need to restock on here, even if I don't have them listed for specific projects. Blue LED's are a good example.

After I've done this, with a grand shopping list to the side of the individual ones, I go through my parts collection to see what I have in stock, and what I don't. I haven't done this yet, in the name of procrastination. This is the horrible, time consuming part. The first bit is just data entry, and I'm a fairly decent touch typist. (One of the best classes I took at high school. We learnt on old typewriters, but the skill is universal.) Come to think of it, I haven't listed out my P19 parts in the sheet yet. Better do that.

Then I go and do a great big order from Tayda

[jimilee]

I've built up a stash, so now what I do is start a build and as I come across stuff. Write it down, sometimes if I get to a point where I can't continue I start another build or two. On my last off day of the week I order the aforementioned list.

[Stomptown]

I've built up a stash, so now what I do is start a build and as I come across stuff. Write it down, sometimes if I get to a point where I can't continue I start another build or two. On my last off day of the week I order the aforementioned list.

So you don't just make a mental note of the things you need and hope you remember it a few weeks later when you go to place an order? Kind of a strange method you got going on there; but if you say it works maybe I'll give it a try! 

[croquet hoop]

Just like you, I maintain a big excel file with all the pedals I intend to make in a near future. It looks like this :



When I want to make some of them, I select the colums of the pedals I don't want to make and delete them, then look up in the "total" column what I need for the remaining pedals.

Then I maintain a list of sellers comparing prices and parts selection. I limit myself to four sellers for now. I don't know how it will be useful when I have a big stock of parts, but to get the right parts from the right sellers when you place your very first orders, it is quite convenient :



Each part name is linked to its corresponding page on the ordering site. Dark green means "best price/parts selection" (factoring shipping cost), light green means "can't hurt to throw one or two in the cart to try". So, when I need something, I just jnow where to order. The colors in the first columns show the state of the current batch of orders.

It may look daunting (and building the second spreadsheet certainly was), but the work involved, especially regarding parts choice, was very helpful in filling the gaps in my knowledge in all things electronic. And it should still be quite helpful for future orders.

[jimilee]

I've built up a stash, so now what I do is start a build and as I come across stuff. Write it down, sometimes if I get to a point where I can't continue I start another build or two. On my last off day of the week I order the aforementioned list.

So you don't just make a mental note of the things you need and hope you remember it a few weeks later when you go to place an order? Kind of a strange method you got going on there; but if you say it works maybe I'll give it a try! 

right,I still just write stuff down next to where I'm building! That way when it comes I have no idea why I ordered it. Seems slow but I usually finish 2 or more builds all about the same time. :-)

[GermanCdn]

Generally I keep a running tab of what I'm low on while I'm building.  When new builds come out, I cross reference that against the low list.  Opamps, caps, trannies, and pots are easy as I have them discretely organized, resistors not so much just based on the sheer variety of values.  Never fails though, I always miss a couple of important things, which ends up bumping builds.

[atreidesheir]

Alan,
cheers for openoffice.
I never use microsoft anymore.

[das234]

Just like you, I maintain a big excel file with all the pedals I intend to make in a near future. It looks like this :

(Images removed to save space)

When I want to make some of them, I select the colums of the pedals I don't want to make and delete them, then look up in the "total" column what I need for the remaining pedals.

Then I maintain a list of sellers comparing prices and parts selection. I limit myself to four sellers for now. I don't know how it will be useful when I have a big stock of parts, but to get the right parts from the right sellers when you place your very first orders, it is quite convenient :


Each part name is linked to its corresponding page on the ordering site. Dark green means "best price/parts selection" (factoring shipping cost), light green means "can't hurt to throw one or two in the cart to try". So, when I need something, I just jnow where to order. The colors in the first columns show the state of the current batch of orders.

It may look daunting (and building the second spreadsheet certainly was), but the work involved, especially regarding parts choice, was very helpful in filling the gaps in my knowledge in all things electronic. And it should still be quite helpful for future orders.

I'm almost exactly the same.  I have the openoffice spreadsheet with a column for each project I plan to build and columns for different vendors and their prices (Tayda is column 1).  I color code the best price and I color code project columns as I go.  They start black, then yellow if it's on the horizon, green if it's imminent (those parts that need to go on the next order) and red once I've bought and built it.  

[RobA]

If I were this organized, then I'd never have the "damn, I forgot to order something in the last order" excuse to make a new order.

[Stomptown]

I've built up a stash, so now what I do is start a build and as I come across stuff. Write it down, sometimes if I get to a point where I can't continue I start another build or two. On my last off day of the week I order the aforementioned list.

So you don't just make a mental note of the things you need and hope you remember it a few weeks later when you go to place an order? Kind of a strange method you got going on there; but if you say it works maybe I'll give it a try! 

right,I still just write stuff down next to where I'm building! That way when it comes I have no idea why I ordered it. Seems slow but I usually finish 2 or more builds all about the same time. :-)

I definitely need to get more organized. Ordering us such is headache otherwise...

[croquet hoop]

If I were this organized, then I'd never have the "damn, I forgot to order something in the last order" excuse to make a new order.

There's always a reason to make a new order.

Oh look, a coupon from Tayda!

[das234]

If I were this organized, then I'd never have the "damn, I forgot to order something in the last order" excuse to make a new order.

Sure you would.  My last order, I forgot to turn a couple yellow parts green so I'm short 2 150k resistors and a 22n cap.  Grrr.  But I ordered 600 parts so that's no too bad.

[juansolo]

Usually involves me looking at the BOMs and Cleggy going through the stash and seeing what we haven't got for upcoming builds. Then building something else entirely using the parts we'd ordered for something else and having to start over again a couple of weeks later...

Rinse and repeat.

[selfdestroyer]

Usually involves me looking at the BOMs and Cleggy going through the stash and seeing what we haven't got for upcoming builds. Then building something else entirely using the parts we'd ordered for something else and having to start over again a couple of weeks later...

Rinse and repeat.

exactly what I do.

I print out BOM's as I build and I make note of what parts I do not have during the build and at the end of a few builds I compile an order. I found that as long as I keep building I am happy and content.. even if I do not achieve the end result instantly.

[midwayfair]

I just keep lots of stuff around. It's very rare that I don't have something I need or a usable sub, so I just order anything I'm missing for a build, along with some stuff I used on the last build, plus a couple OOH SNINY