Separate the nonadjacent references with commas. If you want the objective cell to be a certain value, click Value of, and then type the value in the box.Ĥ.In the By Changing Variable Cells box, enter a name or reference for each decision variable cell range. If you want the value of the objective cell to be as small as possible, click Min. If you want the value of the objective cell to be as large as possible, click Max. The objective cell must contain a formula. If the Solver command or the Analysis group is not available, you need to activate the Solver add-in.ġ.Click the File tab, click Options, and then click the Add-Ins category.Ģ.In the Manage box, click Excel Add-ins, and then click Go.ģ.In the Add-ins available box, select the Solver Add-in check box, and then click OK.Ģ.In the Set Objective box, enter a cell reference or name for the objective cell. The values in the variable cells are used to calculate the profit for each quarter, so they are related to the formula objective cell F7, =SUM (Q1 Profit:Q2 Profit).Īfter Solver runs, the new values are as follows.ġ.On the Data tab, in the Analysis group, click Solver. Solver can change the quarterly budgets for advertising (decision variable cells B5:C5), up to a total budget constraint of $20,000 (cell F5), until the total profit (objective cell F7) reaches the maximum possible amount. In the following example, the level of advertising in each quarter affects the number of units sold, indirectly determining the amount of sales revenue, the associated expenses, and the profit. Note Versions of Solver prior to Excel 2007 referred to the objective cell as the "target cell," and the decision variable cells as "changing cells" or "adjustable cells". Solver adjusts the values in the decision variable cells to satisfy the limits on constraint cells and produce the result you want for the objective cell. Solver works with a group of cells, called decision variables or simply variable cells that are used in computing the formulas in the objective and constraint cells. Use Solver to find an optimal (maximum or minimum) value for a formula in one cell - called the objective cell - subject to constraints, or limits, on the values of other formula cells on a worksheet. Solver is a Microsoft Excel add-in program you can use for what-if analysis. Want to see what version of Office you're using?
Important This feature isn’t available in Office on a Windows RT PC.
If you get prompted that the Solver add-in is not currently installed on your computer, click Yes to install it.ĥ.After you load the Solver add-in, the Solver command is available in the Analysis group on the Data tab.ĭefine and solve a problem by using Solver If Solver Add-in is not listed in the Add-Ins available box, click Browse to locate the add-in. To use it in Excel, however, you need to load it first.ġ.Click the File tab, and then click Options.Ģ.Click Add-Ins, and then in the Manage box, select Excel Add-ins.Ĥ.In the Add-Ins available box, select the Solver Add-in check box, and then click OK. The Solver add-in is a Microsoft Excel add-in program that is available when you install Microsoft Office or Excel.