Wiardgroup

Hello Everybody,

I am just finishing the third to last order from 2007.

I finally looked at orders from 2008, and again there is 2 years or more of assembly 
booked in a single year. My prices must be set too low. But still, $800 for a VCO whose 
BASIC functionality can be replicated by a rack of cheap modules for half the price?

This was never anticipated in the design of the modules, or the design of the assembly 
process, or the design of the business model, or what the future was SUPPOSED to be like. 
Success is going to put Wiard out of business, if I don't manage it realistically.

I always operate in good faith. If I talked to you on the telephone, and guessed at a 
delivery period, that was the reality at that moment. The fact that next week, 18 months 
work of business came in one week, who could anticipate that?

Wiard is based on and "old world" hand crafting methodology. There is basically no way to 
increase production, without changing the product into something different. European's 
have no problem with this, but it drives some American's into hissy fits.

At Wiard we use EE volunteers as technicians. This kind of assembly is an art form. Anyone 
who possesses the skill level to do it is unaffordable to the business. There is no practical 
method to increase production, again without redesigning the entire thing.

I am going to have to contact each individual and negotiate with them. I haven't deposited 
the down payments yet, so returning them is no problem (for the most part).

Here is the adjustment to business practice. I can only offer six modules per person, per 
year. You have to be willing to wait as long as it takes, no more delivery dates or promises. 
No more multi-rack orders. All module modifications after today are $100 per module.

Also, this is not a conspiracy to prevent access. I am ten years older than when I started. I 
am not physically or psychologically capable of the marathon bench sessions which were 
routine in the early years. And I am NOT willing to die for my art. That is just stupid.

Barack Obama say's American's must learn to live within their means. I think this also 
applies to your physical means. Acting like your 40 when your 52 may be Macho, but 2 
days of bed rest afterwards is not Macho. It's also stupid, and sure wrecks your weekends.

Nobody panic! Wiard is not going out of business. I am adjusting the business practice to 
fit the current state of affairs. <humor>And I am not even asking for a Government 
bailout to do it.</humor>

I'm not going to spoil anyones Christmas, we will work something out to each customer's 
satisfaction.

With gratitude for the uber-fantastic support, and humility for my limitations,

Grant Richter
Wiard Synthesizer

goodness gracious!
this'll probably get this month's posting count up over November's
count of 12.
-doc

From: "drmabuce"
Date: Mon, 08 Dec 2008 22:30:42 -0000
To: <wiardgroup@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [wiardgroup] Re: Adjustment to business practice (humility of age).

excellent! but what a waste of time for you.
but really like Livewire has done have someone else stuff those boards and
turn 'em out quickly the you tweak and tune to spec, less solder fumes for
you...= longer life, more modules, and more original DESIGNS!!
in '99 your rejected my 50% payment I tried to send, as you said it would be
more than a month or so. So, sadly I still have no 300 series Wiard.
sad.
-p

Hi Phil,

I remember.

> in '99 your rejected my 50% payment I tried to send, as you said it would be
> more than a month or so. So, sadly I still have no 300 series Wiard.
> sad.
> -p
>

With all due respect to your feelings, Wiard would never "reject" anybody (but see note 
below). If I don't feel I can fulfill my obligations in a timely manner, then your request for 
quotation (RFQ), will be respectfully declined with a "No Bid". This is all according the the 
Universal Commercial Code (UCC), It is to protect the customer from being taken 
advantage of.

I am sorry that I handled the matter so clumsily that it felt like a rejection. I was REALLY 
green in 1999. Wiard has always operated in the customers best interest. Ask the 
hundreds who called looking for "Moogs" whom I gave Paul Schrieber's telephone number.  

I am sorry if your feelings were bruised by my lack of diplomacy at the time. It was 
unintentional.

Grant Richter

Legal Footnote: It is illegal to form a contract with someone whom the vendor believes is 
in the middle of a metal health crisis. This of course, does NOT apply to Phil's case, but I 
have had to use that clause twice in ten years. Schizophrenia can not be treated with 
acupuncture or electronic music therapy, though schizophrenics will always come up with 
the most outlandish self treatments, which they are sure will "cure" them. It's part of the 
delusional state. That is the ONLY case were the word "rejected" might apply. Again this is 
part of the UCC and designed to protect the customers best interest.

> but really like Livewire has done have someone else stuff those boards and
> turn 'em out quickly the you tweak and tune to spec, less solder fumes for
> you...= longer life, more modules, and more original DESIGNS!!

Based on quotations, if I used external vendors for everything, after the vendors were all 
paid, what's left would be about $30 per module or $180 per instrument. Which would be my 
cut for final assembly, test, calibration, packing, and driving them to the shipper.

Hard to do R&D on a budget like that.

Remember, when you use external vendors, you multiply your overhead by the amount of 
vendors, since you are now paying overhead to each vendor, plus your own overhead.

Oops, hard learned business lesson leaked out...

Gotta switch to decafe ;^)