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Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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In Technopolis we do the following: 
-we define the total number of interactives by calculating how many people can be "interactive": at the same moment (no matter what type of interactive) =total number of interactives (is ca 500 in our place when I include temprary exhibitions and childrens area)
-each interactive that is non functional and on the floor counts as "out of order" = number of broken exhibits
-each interactive which is non functional and in the workshop for repair is not taken into acount =number in workshop

the % working exhibits is calculated as 100-100*[(number of broken exhibits)/(total number of interactives-number in workshop)]
The minimum % of working exhibits has to be 97% at all times.

Those are calculated each day


We have a workshop (with 7 people), their task is:
-repair broken exhibits
-improve existing exhibits
-make new exhibits
-small repairs and maintenance work of building
-preparation and installation of our travelling exhibitions

So they are busy all the time, not just waiting in case something breaks down.
Repairs always get priority over the other tasks, this off course means that is is extremely difficult to make a time schedule for the other tasks.
A major problem is spare parts: we cannot have a stock of everything, luckily there are some shops close buy where we can just go to and buy stuff and there are some companies who deliver within 24 hours.
Sometimes we need outside help for a repair, that usually takes longer.
Sometimes we allocate part of the team to a specific task in order to make the deadlines.


kind regards,

Patricia

Patricia Verheyden
Manager of exhibits
Technopolis, the Flemish Science Center
Technologielaan, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium
tel. + 32 15 34 20 20; fax + 32 15 34 20 10
mailto:[log in to unmask]     http://www.technopolis.be


The above-mentioned messages/text and annexes do not commit F.T.I  or Technopolis in any way, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing or unless afterwards confirmed in a letter, duly signed according to the legal requirements. Neither can F.T.I  or Technopolis be hold liable in law on the basis of the content of these messages/text and annexes.



-----Oorspronkelijk bericht-----
Van: Informal Science Education Network
[mailto:[log in to unmask]]Namens Sean Gaffaney
Verzonden: vrijdag 7 maart 2008 15:40
Aan: [log in to unmask]
Onderwerp: Percentage of working interactives


ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Dear all,

In the eternal quest for a foolproof and meaningful method of measuring 
performance of interactives I would like to know two things:

1. How do folks measure the percentage uptime of their interactives i.e. if you 
say they are up 95% of the time how do you actually know?

2. What repair strategies do you employ i.e. do you have staff waiting for a 
breakdown?

We are examining the whole question of what does a statement of " we will 
have 95% of our interactives working at all times" really mean and is there any 
way of having a robust method of determining it??? So any ideas from other 
places would be gratefully accepted.

Cheers

Sean Gaffaney
Head of Gallery and New Developments
Museum of Science and Industry
Manchester UK
email: [log in to unmask]

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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.

Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.

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