Page 190 - PCMI December 2017 Journal

PCMI Member Bene ts Enhancement Group Discussion
During the 2017 conferences held in Chicago and Como, a endees shared insight on PCMI member bene ts. They discussed a variety of topics and provided new ideas and sugges ons that could enhance the PCMI membership experience. What follows is a summary of the discussions. PCMI thanks the conference a endees for par cipa ng in this open discussion, and for sharing. PCMI will con nue to review, update and add services that increase membership value.
The conference a endees discussed the following:-
1. Metal "classi ed ad" program
2. Equipment "classi ed ad" program
3. Website features you would like to see
4. Short course availability
5. Market analysis and related tools
6. Academic sample packet
7. Publica ons
8. Other Sugges ons
Metal “Classi ed Ad” Program
PCMI conference a endees discussed a sugges on to post surplus metals they have for sale on the PCMI website. Some people felt this would be a wonderful bene t, because it will give members the op on to purchase smaller quan es of materials, poten ally from a nearby company, without needing to meet the minimum order quan ty with a tradi onal supplier. They could also share orders with other members.
Others liked the idea, but ques oned the logis cs and management of these lis ngs. Members would have to deal directly with one another, and a clear procedural system would need to be established to ensure that the lis ngs are updated.
PCMI Member Bene ts Enhancement Group Discussion Julia Dacey, PCMI Mee ngs & Program Assistant
Some groups men oned that interna onal transac ons would be di cult. These groups suggested PCMI encourage vendors with password protected metal exchange portals to share this informa on with members, rather than crea ng its own system.
Those who were opposed stated three major themes; many members work with specialized products and would not bene t from these lis ngs, metal suppliers may have issues with this service, and this could pose a technical challenge.
Equipment “classi ed ad” program
Conference a endees also discussed a sugges on to list equipment they have for sale on the PCMI website. Some groups felt this could be a great service for members, and should also be o ered to non-members for a fee.
Many did not see the value of these lis ngs because there are already a lot of vendors that sell used equipment. The opposed groups added that most etchers don’t replace their machines frequently, and many keep them for up to thirty years. These groups agreed it would be more bene cial to
add direct links on the website for all types of suppliers, including companies that refurbish used equipment.
Website Update Sugges ons
During the group discussion, a endees provided many sugges ons on how to update and improve the website. Many members saw the importance of keeping the pages updated with the newest informa on, and removing older items.
Many groups suggested that PCMI add a live website communica on forum where members can post any issues they are having, ques ons they have, or assistance they require. They added that this website forum should be set up so that users could iden fy others who have posted ques ons or answers about their issue.
Issue 130 December 2017 PCMI Journal Page 189