NE

Returns TRUE if the first number does not equal the second number, otherwise FALSE

Syntax:

NE(numberOne, numberTwo)

You could use "<>" instead, either way works.

Example:

If numberOne contains 2 and numberTwo contains 2:

NE(2, 2) or 2 <> 2

returns FALSE

If numberOne contains 3 and numberTwo contains 2:

NE(3, 2) or 3 <> 2

returns TRUE

numberOne:

numberTwo:

Result:

FALSE

Application:

Inventory Management

Imagine you are managing the inventory for a small electronics store. You have a spreadsheet to track your products. You need to quickly identify which products have a stock level that is not equal to their reorder point. This allows you to see which products you need to consider reordering, as well as those that might be overstocked.

Here is a table representing your inventory data:

	Product ID	Product Name	Stock Level	Reorder Point
	A	B	C	D
1	P001	Wireless Mouse	50	25
2	P002	Keyboard	10	10
3	P003	USB Hub	15	20
4	P004	Monitor	5	5
5	P005	Web Camera	30	15

If Stock Level is not equal to Reorder Point, then the Status is 'Needs Review'. Otherwise, the Status is 'Balanced'.

Using the NE function, the formula for the Status column would look something like this in a spreadsheet:

IF(NE(C2, D2), "Needs Review", "Balanced")

Let's apply this formula to each row:

Row 2 (P001): NE(50, 25) is TRUE. The status becomes "Needs Review". This product has more stock than its reorder point, which is good, but it still needs to be reviewed to ensure it's not overstocked.
Row 3 (P002): NE(10, 10) is FALSE. The status becomes "Balanced". The stock level matches the reorder point, so no immediate action is needed.
Row 4 (P003): NE(15, 20) is TRUE. The status becomes "Needs Review". The stock level is below the reorder point, so this product should be reordered.
Row 5 (P004): NE(5, 5) is FALSE. The status becomes "Balanced".
Row 6 (P005): NE(30, 15) is TRUE. The status becomes "Needs Review".

Here is the updated table with the new Status column based on the NE function logic:

	Product ID	Product Name	Stock Level	Reorder Point	Status
	A	B	C	D	E
1	P001	Wireless Mouse	50	25	Needs Review
2	P002	Keyboard	10	10	Balanced
3	P003	USB Hub	15	20	Needs Review
4	P004	Monitor	5	5	Balanced
5	P005	Web Camera	30	15	Needs Review