I’m wondering how many unique member visits to DMS take place each week. I know that when I go to the Space, I see most of the same faces each time, but I’d like better numbers that include times when I’m not present. In short, I’m wondering exactly what the utilization of DMS space actually is? I’m sure we don’t have 900 different people visiting the DMS property each week.
Do the chips show when they are used and whose chip?
Some folks may join to make a certain project and then wander off for other things, until they want to do something new.
I am hoping that things like push for more creative arts classes/activities could be a help also
I’ve been wondering that, myself.
It would be nice to know what the actual usage is of each area at DMS. That sort of thing would be useful for funding allocations. What is giving DMS its biggest bang for the buck?
I’m pretty sure that most people join DMS because it looks interesting, but then never actually work on anything. Several of the people I’ve talked to joined just to do one project.
As for myself, I joined to learn new skills that I “always wanted to learn” and, hopefully, will stay here to put them to use for myself on some things I’ve “always wanted to do” with equipment I have no room (nor $$) for…
I would think getting a door count would be fairly straightforward, assuming everyone scans in at least once during a particular visit. Figuring out which areas they use, though, would be much tougher unless they are present for a specific event, at which there generally is a “sign in sheet”. Speaking of which, they need to be taken electronic, but that’s another discussion, which I"m sure has been had before. At any rate, if you have sign in sheets, for classes or other organized activities, and if those were made electronic especially, getting figures for that would be fairly straight forward and, in my opinion, helpful.
If any of the “scan to start” badge scanning for equipment use gets traction and goes anywhere, that’d make tracking actual usage much easier, but it still wouldn’t tell you if people brought their own stuff in to work on the laser, for example.
Another way to gather data might be a poll. Just ask people to fill out (preferably, in my opinion, electronically) a survey about why they joined and what they find most useful. Some people lie. Some people lie to themselves. But most of us I would expect to be honest, straightforward, and well-intentioned with such a happening…
I believe Alex, Stan and Andrew ran these numbers a few months ago. I had provided them anonymized data.
Consider that that may be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Maybe the areas with the highest usage are the ones that are the best-equipped.
Chris
I would hope so. The Board has allocated several thousands of dollars to various committees (in addition to thousands more that the committees raised on their own). I would hope all that money somehow pays for itself in usage.