nothing to report, unchanged from 2 weeks ago. Approx 6.5k in daily account, 20k in cash on hand total, split between legal account, savings account, teams account. Cashflow slightly down from previous month - analysis of capex sheet required and new projects looked at.
Motion by murray to accept treasurer’s report.
Nothing to report.
Ryan Marple
Work has been underway to complete interlock for green lathe. Ryan has asked for a fund when work is completed in order to have an electrician sign off on work.
Metalshop Tasks update: Accessibility of tools - removing junk and moving to quarantine zone - if moved into quarantine zone and not accessed, safe to remove.
Ben + phil are working on video inductions of lathe and mill - writing scripts and will complete filming. ETA over the next month or two.
Roadblocks: Mass flow sensors required to get flow metering / monitoring for gas usage.
New acquisitions: angle grinder.
Alex - Forge. Meeting 1.5 weeks ago to update plan. See forum for detailed plan.
Ongoing projects: Zac / Markus has updated wiki pages for assorted equipment. Works ongoing for documentation.
Swage block stand is very close to completion - approx 1 week of work required to be available for use.
Ratchet staps for canvas cover (to complete roof waterproofing) have been purchased and sewing / canvas work to be advised.
Scrap steel storage rack has been modelled and availability of scrap is being assessed.
New power hammer cable - no more voltage drops! Some more troubleshooting required to return machine to use, but no more electrical problems.
Forge members will pay for fuel consumables to forge account using payid - gas consumables may exceed allocated budget per month.
Ale Planned work - all machines Working, Accessible, Documented. Pantorouter added to induction schedule.
Capex planned - sheeting removed + laying framing for hand-tool area. Approx $700. Existing funding via woodshop savings, will turn to capex for finishing.
Ryan has made some progress on automation of blast gates for dust extraction.
Digifab: No team. May be merged with electronics.
Ryan (old secretary) working on budget for possible combined digifab / electronics team.
Kyia.
Plan: labelling / organising all items to allow members to use space and replacing dyesub printer in order to participate in big open day.
Mechanical - Pourchased sandblaster + parts washer. Parts washer open for business. Sandblaster requires exhaust. Josh wood has donated some hand tools, old / end of life tools are in “free” box on bench.
Consumables such as towels will be purchased.
Planned works: to be updated from monthly meeting, a lot of tasks (eg doors, lighting, etc) have been completed.
Planned classes: pushbike maintenance.
Will require Project Manager individual for update to space-wide projects. Call for Projects Manager volunteers.
Large project on the go:
YAG refurb (metalshop)
Magnabend (metalshop)
Tasks - Scott - Forum post of positions / roles approved but not filled by AGM.
Murray
Call for alignment / standardisation of all team leaders in order to move / work forwards. Aligning all teams to work toward a unified goal for the space. Murray also shared “Better thinking” doc / mission statement (see attached).
Murray also shared the “What are we” document (see attached) - bullet points below:
Do-ocracy Member built Community of makers
Murray proposed we be more “business-like” in our approach to doing things. FIrm timelines to work towards - We will 100% be on this site after 2031, almost certainly sooner.
Stakeholders: Members Committee representatives Landlord Public Sponsors? (potential business relationships, etc) Partnerships? (subspace, headspace etc)
Discussion around potential stakeholders.
Business philosophy document shared by murray (see attached) and brief discussion/explanation. Discussion around improving our process and thinking and goals for more “above the line” strategy.
Long term organisational goals (see attached)
Exit this site by 5 years (either relocation or closure)
Discussion around how we would fulfill that goal by increasing income
Discussion around commercial realestate rates.
Discussion around good luck for our current lease / outgoings.
Murray proposes increasing membership by 50% year on year in order to hit target for commercial property lease or complex business arrangement.
Each member added to the books adds pure profit to margin.
Josh discussed capex vs. savings and supports 50% year on year and points out we’re not good at marketing and retention.
Murray: Tools now exist to notify churn away of members. Revolving door / lack of long term members raised as problem. Suggests focussing on onboarding experience / retention experience, and managing expectations of what the space promises vs. what can be delivered.
Murray called upon team leaders to identify what can be done by each team for their own spaces, and overall, to improve deliverables to new members and improve retention. To put bluntly, if we do not improve retention and new signups by quoted stats, the organsiation will not exist in 5 years.
Josh: highlighted progress made and encouraged continued momentum to continue smoothness of onboarding, induction, and speeding up transition from new member to on the tools.
Josh: reinforced message on induction process, ensuring all members / team leaders to know the process and ensure documentation is up to date.
Murray: Highlighted inconsistency / process improvement on volunteer/student rates. In order to improve this process, would request team meetings be synchronised.
Murray: Query on which teams are not using wiki to centralise documentation.
Josh: Pointed out wiki is full of “TBA” and “coming soon” entries. Teams should populate wiki with documentation, meeitng minutes etc.
Kyia: query about meeting minutes / agenda noting on wiki. Murray clarified agenda can be done on forum, but finjalised meeting minutes should be lodged on wiki. To be revisited when 100-200 meeting minutes lodged on wiki.
Alex: pointed out meeting minutes repos aren’t well populated/functional right now.
Josh: proposed spinning discussion into discord about wiki / meeting minutes.
Murray: Brought forward/highlighted SWOT analysis techniques (link attached) - proposed all teams start addressing SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) both on individual teams and organisationally.
by josh - all teams work towards and report on:
Improve vibrancy of tuesday nights Improve onboarding smoothness of new members, shorten time between joining and on-the-tools Improve retention
Josh queried newest member on their pain points - number 1, inductions. Takes longer than expected. Do-ocracy mindset also includes personal development / induction work. Discussion around how to achieve that - not feasible to have fulltime member.
Josh raised popularity of classes vs. availability of classes. Volunteers are often occupied by regular HSBNE admin.
Josh proposed each team start to seek out external entitles to build a relationship with - eg, classes run by outside orgs at our space in a quid-pro-quo arrangement - we provide space / tools, external agencies provide expertise, and both parties bring classroom attendees.
Alex: pointed out the difficulties in attracting external entities to run classes. Catch 22 of running classes to convert to memberships, vs. bringing members to classes. Allowing a smaller cut of teacher resources who charge for classes vs. regaining costs by class participants. Josh would accept 0 profit on classes in order to drive new memberships.
Murray pointed out each team could run 2 classes/year. Josh proposes each team runs 1 class/month with external asset.
Tom bates proposed a model where other makerspaces have recruited members from classes - eg, complete a class, get access to certain tools/resources during open nights.
Murray: reinforced teams usage of wiki for all documentation, or to bring improvements to committee in general. Wiki should be single source of truth for new memberships regarding inductions/classes/etc.
Tom bates: points out/highlights volunteers are best effort. Discussion to follow on forum proposal - eg, every second saturday is “classes day” - similar to open day but more structured.
Alex: proposal for inductions per area - eg, second saturday is “woodshop induction” day where most woodshop tool inductions are open.
Josh: proposed a model where open days/second saturdays are “basic inductions” for entire site.
Josh: highlights policy where teams are supposed to be putting forward schedule for inductions. Currently relaxed enforcement to avoid pushback. Strongly encouraged for teams to nominate a specific 1/2/3/4 saturday of the month and split meetings across those days.
Alex: this should also tie in with new member inductions / meet the teams.
Josh: all good ideas proposed, forums to discuss.
Ale: pointed out it’s possible to be inducted on every tool in the woodshop in 1 month.
Alex: feedback received that it’s a long process in general to be inducted on all machines.
Josh: pointed out process is inconsistent between teams - woodhsop runs on one process, metalshop runs on another.
Alex: suggests that woodshop have a consistent schedule for inductions. Ale rejected this idea, stating that it’s not possible due to scheduling conflicts for each party. Discussion to be spun out to forum thread.
Murray: Painting booth to work with mechanical to work on complex plan.
Blockers: container is not ours.
Difficulties: Dust, sheeting, reversability of work, power and heat management. Major blocker is power.
Available for use provided it’s returned to original / like for like state.
Major blockers: power and heat management.
Josh: requested mud map / quick sketch on how to manage layout of container, and high level proposal on power/thermal management.
Action item for Raf: See above re request from josh.
josh highlighted difficulty of power management in general - poor management of power at site via landlord.
Josh called AGL to request more power (amps) - energex will calculate ability to supply and proceeds with work order, which flows down to AGL and meter sub-contractor. Approx $2000+500. Application has been put in and is in progress with energex. One document lodged with energex, 2nd document required - every item that requires power + it’s wattage.
Ale: queried which team is “in charge” of this energex project.
Josh: pointed out hot works is an empty role right now.
Ale: pointed out hot works area doesn’t have a team leader whereas paint booth does.
Murray: pointed out that exisitng power envelope needs to be documented in order to drive expansion in order to drive new large power consuming tools.
Murray: action item for each team: document “significant” power consumption devices. Teams to use best judgement on definition of “signifcant”
Action Item: Raf to supply costings for spray booth / hot works work.
Ale queried timeframe to bring spray booth / hot works / etc online. Estimated by the end of the year.
Josh: discussions ongoing around getting in to TAFE campus across the road. Smallest of toe-holds. Discussion ongoing.
Josh: reached out to pro-bono law firm in order to get lawyer to review lease contract renewal.
Capex sheet priority put forward by josh: (see attached) https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aPGE07BZtr6IlNqCkHwEZvENFaJgMh8NtUTYXgLfdPY/edit#gid=0
Josh queries large projects - Ryan m put forward gas monitoring should be prioritised as this would allow tracking / invoicing. Approx $1k. Approved by committee.
Yag budget: 1k consumables, 3k controllers. Consumalkes are bulbs, mirrors etc. Bulbs are due for replacement. low criticality of current consumables because bulbs have been sourced. Yag Capex pushed back.
Kyia: queried date of big open day. Estimated a month or so. Dyesub printer will be put forward for next meeting, estimated $3-400. Approved.
Raf asked if $1k for toolbox would improve accessibility. Approved.
Discussions around: Gas monitoring Dye sub printer Toolbox project Yag consumables Yag brain