Need to expand
28th May 2009 – 5.36 pmWaiting for the scrapmetal processing skill and its prerequisites to train saw my stock run quite low and once I could refine my mission loot I set to replenish my stocks to healthy levels. In picking out the BPOs for the modules I was confident would sell I install some jobs before I hit a wall. It's almost surprising to find I am still limited in the number of jobs I can run.
Even though I have trained in mass production I still cannot run a large number of jobs at once and the only way to have the capability to run more simultaneous jobs is to buy the advanced mass production skill book and train in that, which costs a cool twenty million ISK. I have been able to work around this limit so far mostly because the manufacturing runs for modules take less than a day and I can easily delay a run or two until tomorrow. However, with a healthy wallet it may be time to consider purchasing the skill book and expand my capabilities.
I have a handful of module BPOs that I can manufacture and sell for a decent profit but there are many more BPOs available to buy, and it has been quite a while since I have researched anything. I know that I am working towards Tech II manufacture but this shouldn't stop me from exploring more conventional options at the same time. Considering that even basic skill training has enabled me to have a few dozen open orders, compared to only a few laboratory jobs, that I only use half of them at most tells me that I am probably doing something wrong.
My trading error could be in not selling to enough markets or not taking advantage of buy orders to snap up bargains, but it could just as well be that I am simply not making enough unique modules. Even with only three or four stations to sell to, splitting ten modules amongst them would make much better use of my order limit than the five or six I currently manufacture. I will take a look at the market and see what I might be able to make. Maybe I could even start to look at producing some of the smaller ships, shuttles or frigates.
Buying the advanced mass production skill book is another effectively unrecoverable cost, but also one that will streamline my business by removing a bottleneck in research and manufacture. When I am sitting on two hundred million ISK I won't miss that twenty million investment, and there is no better way to progress than to use my assets to expand my current little empire.
2 Responses to “Need to expand”
Been reading with great interest as we've followed a similar path in manufacturing. You'll definitely enjoy the extra slots from Advanced Mass Production. That skill and Adv. Lab Operation are probably the most useful for industrialists. If you're looking toward T2 mfg, take a look at http://www.eve-journey.com/2009/05/t2-production/, I wrote a little piece on the process and skills to look at.
All the best working towards the first 1bil! :)
I've done a fair bit of reading on Tech II manufacture but I always welcome more advice, thanks for the link!