Problem with contracts

Another really annoying problem I keep hitting.

When I create a new contract for my corp, the first month, I see an error that the corp was unable to fulfill the contract. I assume that this is because it has to reserve the product from the previous month's production, and it didn't know to reserve it because the contract was just created, but in that case, why not just have the contract kick in the following month?

Also, what happens if I've already contracted 100,000 widgets, (and of course, 100,000 widgets were reserved from last month's production to fulfill those contracts), and I create a new contract for 100,000 widgets? Does it give half to each contract, shorting them both? That's what it would appear to do.

Thoughts, oh wise internet?

And another aspect here - from the side of the seller.

month 1, I sell 1000 widgets on the open market, my full production. Yay!

later on month 1, I get a contract for 1000 widgets a month, my full production. Yay!

month 2, I reserve all 1000 widgets for the contract fulfillment. I sell nothing. WTF?

month 3, I sell the 1000 widgets I reserved last month, and reserve this month's production for the contract again.

month 4, repeat.

So I lost a month's sale, as I am forced to keep a month's production in reserve, effectively.

You don't sell anything from the reserve the first month you activate a reserve. You're keeping it in stock.

To your first post, I'm not sure which contract is being neglected. Seems to be random.

Yea, but Alex, when you cancel the contract, you will have 2 months worth of production to sell in one month

Half a year ago, I posted a suggestion to fix this. I got no replies.

It would be nice if somebody (other than me) posted in that thread to make it move to the top of the board.

Board "Suggestions", thread "Better supply contract handling."

Globbo

It's a minor problem IMO. The important part is that contracting works in the long run.

A more serious problem is that country contracting via a common market doesn't always work. I have numerous products that are on offer in the CM and are needed in my countries, but those products never get accepted by auto-contracting by my countries. I have to go and make direct contracts for much of the goods.

Really? I've done it successfully many times.

The problem I have with contracting w/ a country is the moving target of 'monthly demand' This has swung wildly for some products. It would be nice if there was some sort of 'auto-follow' for contracted amounts.

Oh - another discovery. If you contract out 100 widgets, and someone accepts the contract and then cancels it, you need to offer the widgets again - the system doesn't automatically put them back on the common market.

Yeah, I know.

One thing I usually do with my corporations that offer contracts, is to keep the total contracted amount to about 90-95% of the monthly production. I still keep the reserved amount to more than 100% (usually 200%).

This is because if something happens (temporary manpower shortage for example) and production dips, I have a reserve to draw from so contracts don't fail.

You may think that failed contracts aren't a big issue since there are no economic penalties incurred. However, as we get ever deeper integrated via these contracts, shortages can start a chain-reaction of reduced production if the worldmarket of the needed products are also in undersupply.

Eventhough it will pass, it can take months to recover full production, which will lose all of us much money.

So, be sure not to overcontract or under-reserve goods. At least not production inputs (never mind the daily ba

I dont know....a shortage of bananas could be cataclysmic.