Tube amp inventory software

[sabredude]

I'm thinking about having a piece of software written that would track all of my amp components so I would know what I have on hand before a build. I keep getting partway through a build a realize that I don't have a singe resistor value of a certain switch or whatever. I'd like the software to be able to tell by build if I have everything I need.
I've seen a few products out there but none allow you to check by project if you have everything you need.

If I do get something like this built, would any of you have interest in this? I have a buddy that's a professional program that can probably whip this out pretty fast but in order to pay for his time, I have to find some potential puyers. I'm thinking that I could resell it for $50 or so if that sounds right to you guys. I can do it on the honor system and let you try it first if that helps.

Let me know if there's other features you would want included and what info you think i should track like source, ordering, etc.

I'm thinking that it should track different categories like resistors, capacitors, hardware, switches, lamps, fuses, transformers. chassis, cabinet.

Then specify by rpojects, which compenents to use. Then when youg et ready to build, you could do a verification of what you have. Maybe even have it print a report (by source) of components to order.

[LOUDthud]

Wouldn't such a piece of software depend on having an accurate Bill Of Materials? Then you need an accurate inventory. I'd be spending more time taking inventory and building the BOM than building amps. I mean for every tube socket you need two screws, two nuts and two washers.

[Gaz]

Not a bad idea necessarily, but Excel or any other similar program is more than adequate for simple inventory stuff. JM2C.

[M Fowler]

I think it is way more important to start an excel spread sheet to log the components and the sources.

I spend more time thumbing through old receipts looking for the supplier then I do inventory taking.

Also, when a TAG member notes a certain component and source I keep that info but now I need to update my spread sheet with all the data I have scattered on my CPU in documents or picture files.

[Cygnus X1]

Stolen from industry, I use the "5S" method.
Each bin contains the unique parts, and a quick visual check tells me what is low.

I also maintain a spreadsheet that I update when I purchase to let me know where I ordered something, how much I paid and when.
When I notice something is low, then I highlight that item in yellow (low) or red (out of stock).

[sabredude]

Yep - I'm doing something similar with peanut jars. Perhaps I just need to be more organized.
Anybody have a good method for organizing resistors? or caps?
The peanut jars work great for switches, can caps, potentiometers, jacks, etc. but how do you organize 100 different values of resistors?
I use a tackle box for the small caps but there's too many resistors. I started doing project related bins for resistors but then another project comes up and I steal this component from here and another from there then I go to build the project and there's no sockets, or no impedance selector, or I'm out of 1k5 resistors!

[sabredude]

Any chance some of you might share your spreadsheet as a good starting point?

[Structo]

I'm not that prolific of a builder but I use a few of those organizer things you hang on the wall with all the little drawers.
I'm sure many of you use the same thing or similar.

I don't think I would use any inventory software unless I was building quite a few amps or had other employees building for me.

For instance, the first drawer on one has resistors.
1-100R
Second drawer has 1K-10K and so on.

For the low tolerance Dale Mil Spec resistors I have a separate drawer for those.

But I can't always tell with a quick look if I am out of something.
I generally only buy more components if I am going to build something.
Since I pretty much have to order everything online I wait until I need a bunch of stuff to save on shipping.

I always try to keep more common parts on hand like 10K, 68K, 100K, 150K, 220K, etc, 1M.

After a while you just end up with a bunch of stuff that you haven't used yet.

I wish I could afford to stock up on everything but in todays economy I have to wait quite a bit between purchases.

[NickC]

Excel is the simplest and easiest solution.

But a relational database application would be much more powerful (and difficult to build). I program databases using Access, but do not enjoy it in the slightest. There is a steep learning curve.

0.02

[M Fowler]

I have 7 of those plastic drawer bin cabinets on my walls each drawer marked for caps, resistors, jacks, screws, transistors, pots, tubes, etc.

another one has guitar parts in it and effect pedal stuff.

I am going to make a new longer wrap around bench in February.

[Cygnus X1]

Mark (it is Mark, right?), I have those but I also use these for individual resistors and small caps:

[img:500:322]http://www.lulusoso.com/upload/20110509 ... ewelry.jpg[/img]

And I use a Sharpie to label the values.
I save some space by mixing resistors and caps in single sections such as .68uf, 100R in a single space.

Coolest gift I ever got was file cabinets for storing photo slides.
Take out the cardboard dividers and they are perfect for storing loose tubes.
Found a pic of similar but mine are older.
I like vintage stuff, and re-purposed is even cooler.
[img:356:317]http://www.lightimpressionsdirect.com/p ... rge109.jpg[/img]

[selloutrr]

They make retail software that will keep inventory, subtract parts using item number manually entered on the keyboard or bar code scans. Then tell you when you ran under a predetermined number and notify you it's time to reorder. If you have an account set up with venders some can even reorder for you at that time or bulk all low quantity items for the end of the week, every two weeks, month, bi monthly, quartly, bi annually, yearly to save on shipping.

The probably being you then have to inventory each piece and account for it's use. This can get rather time consuming if you have parts that are bought by the pound. i.e. nuts and bolts.

If you only buy in quantity of 100 or less and realistically have only a 100 or so different parts it's over kill. If you are making serious manufacturing and handling 100,000's of parts daily it's very useful.

IMHO excel or even a well laid out parts drawer accending or decending in value of the parts. grouping by type, and solid plan of attack before you start a build is all you need. Pre planning is key.

Excel works for basic inventory but again you have to be PRO active to document invetory that is taken out of stock or it's pointless. You get off by just one unit and it puts you back to a false positive.

[Cygnus X1]

Correct sellout...and by that time I would definitely look into RF scans.
It's cheap these days.

My Excel is dedicated to knowing where to buy what.
The inventory is simply tracked by the 5S physical layout.
So subtraction isn't part of the issue, it's purely reactive.

Not a good business model on my part at all, but it works for the garage builder.

[ampmike]

Nice office Mark! Mikey

[sonicmojo]

Excel is the simplest and easiest solution.

But a relational database application would be much more powerful (and difficult to build). I program databases using Access, but do not enjoy it in the slightest. There is a steep learning curve.

0.02

I worked for Oracle in the 90s and with relational databases for my entire career. A "simple" database for tracking with an online interface might be a decent idea. Depending on the features (lists of actual supplier parts, for example) it could get very complicated, but maybe an "unloaded" system for individual hobbyist use would be a good idea. As with any database, it is garbage in, garbage out so you'd need to be attentive to keeping it up to date with good information. Then there is the front end which would have to be intuitive, maybe web based with simple Excel export capability for BOMs, inventory lists, etc.

I may draw up a high level entity-relationship diagram for the heck of it and run it by the forum for input.