new formula, (long)

[Fred Sturm]

Wimblees@aol.com wrote:
> 
> That is why I put the "setting" factor in there. The factors are
> examples. One could have a concert piano that needs 100 tunings per
> year, but very little additional work, could get a "setting" factor of
> 2. (Not a likely situation, but it could happen). By the same token,
> you could have a basket case type grand piano in a practice room that
> needs 26 tunings a year, and also a "setting" factor of 5, because it
> needs high level attention.
> 
Wim,
	As you explain it, this seems to be a very arbitrary way to assign
values. If 5 represents a "concert/recital hall setting", then how can
you assign a concert piano a setting of 2? Based on "experience?" How is
that going to impress the administrator?
	It is certainly possible to go through ones inventory and decide how
many hours to assign to each piano. If that works for you, by all means
do it. I do something similar with a relatively large private school I
service. Works great. I wouldn't even consider using the Guidelines
formula there. Performance hall gets so many hours/services, classrooms
so many, offices, practice rooms, each a different value. On that basis
an annual budget is arrived at. (And ends up being cut, but it's the
starting point anyway).

> I feel the formlua is a bridge between just saying an institution with
> 40 - 60 pianos needs one full time tech, and the complicated formula
> the committee deviced.
> 
> If there is one thing I would like to see with workload formula is not
> so much the number of techs needed, but the number of hours per
> week/year, it takes to take of the pianos. As I mentioned, I think
> administrators are geared more towards a time factor, than just a
> number of techs needed. Although it comes out the same, it would be
> easier to say the job requires 45 hours per week, as opposed to
> needing 1.2 technicians to do the work.
> 
	It's pretty simple to convert the current formula to hours, either per
year or per week. Over-simplifying, a rule of thumb is a 40 hr week and
a couple weeks off, so 1 fte = 2000 hrs per year. (Variations based on
holiday days off, shorter work weeks, etc can easily be substituted). So
if the formula predicts your situation requires .78 fte, multiply that
by 40 hrs/wk or by 2000 hrs/yr. You'll get 31.2 hrs/wk or 1560 hrs/yr.
Nothing easier. Well, maybe chugging a quick beer, or falling off a
piano stool <g>. 
	The Steinway Guidelines use individual services and times per piano
pretty extensively. I think anyone who wants to make a presentation to
an administrator should take advantage of both CAUT and Steinway - two
different approaches.

Regards,
Fred