Publisher's Synopsis
For anyone who wants to be operating at a high level with the Excel Solver quickly, this is the book for you. Step-By-Step Optimization With Excel Solver is more than 200+ pages of simple yet thorough explanations on how to use the Excel Solver to solve today's most widely known optimization problems. Loaded with screen shots that are coupled with easy-to-follow instructions, this book will simplify many difficult optimization problems and make you a master of the Excel Solver almost immediately. Here are just some of the Solver optimization problems that are solved completely with simple-to-understand instructions and screen shots in this book: - The famous "Traveling Salesman" problem using Solver's Alldifferent constraint and the Solver's Evolutionary method to find the shortest path to reach all customers. This also provides an advanced use of the Excel INDEX function. - The well-known "Knapsack Problem" which shows how optimize the use of limited space while satisfying numerous other criteria. - How to perform nonlinear regression and curve-fitting on the Solver using the Solver's GRG Nonlinear solving method. - How to solve the "Cutting Stock Problem" faced by many manufacturing companies who are trying to determine the optimal way to cut sheets of material to minimize waste while satisfying customer orders. - Portfolio optimization to maximize return or minimize risk. - Venture capital investment selection using the Solver's Binary constraint to maximize Net Present Value of selected cash flows at year 0. Clever use of the If-Then-Else statements makes this a simple problem. - How use Solver to minimize the total cost of purchasing and shipping goods from multiple suppliers to multiple locations. - How to optimize the selection of different production machine to minimize cost while fulfilling an order. - How to optimally allocate a marketing budget to generate the greatest reach and frequency or number of inbound leads at the lowest cost. Step-By-Step Optimization With Excel Solver has complete instructions and numerous tips on every aspect of operating the Excel Solver. You'll fully understand the reports and know exactly how to tweek all of the Solver's settings for total custom use. The book also provides lots of inside advice and guidance on setting up the model in Excel so that it will be as simple and intuitive as possible to work with. All of the optimization problems in this book are solved step-by-step using a 6-step process that works every time. In addition to detailed screen shots and easy-to-follow explanations on how to solve every optimization problem in the book, a link is provided to download an Excel workbook that has all problems completed exactly as they are in this book. Step-By-Step Optimization With Excel Solver is exactly the book you need if you want to be optimizing at an advanced level with the Excel Solver quickly.
