You are correct, this is a broad and complex subject. I won't pretend that a quick response on this forum can be comprehensive, but here are a few tips and ideas:
1. Purchase technical equipment under a Capital budget. Depreciate on a ~3 year cycle. We do not expect that any hardware device used heavily - and particularly anything that the public actually touches - will last beyond 3 years.
2. Loop in your accounting department on the planning for both ongoing maintenance and replacement. We craft a 3-4 year cost plan, working with accounting, so that we can anticipate any "waves" of hardware replacement in the coming years. Sometimes accounting will weigh in on specific best times to buy in terms of budget details. Working closely with accounting and procurement is a win-win.
3. Depending on usage and fragility of a device, plan for some percentage of failure each year - keep a small stock of replacements on hand to swap in. For example, if you are talking about smaller, handheld touchscreen devices, you are going to lose 5-10% per year. If it's a display hung on a wall (not a touch screen) you'll probably have better luck but still want to replace every 3-4 years.
4. Staffing: depends. If you have tech support on staff, train them and ask them to support. If not, make other plans (hire, outsource, etc.)
5. Choosing brand and model: good luck with this one. First of all, everyone has opinions - often contradictory. Second of all, your mileage may vary. We try to stick to widely-available models at reasonable costs - these are the most-predictable in terms of performance and life span, easily replaced, and most staff know how to service them. Every time you choose something proprietary or unique, you've got more complexity on your hands and a much harder task when it comes to service, upgrade and repair.
6. Go with the cheapest options and you'll end up buying twice. It's an old adage, but still applies.
All the best,
Douglas
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Douglas Hegley
Director of Media & Technology
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Minneapolis MN
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-31-2017 08:38 AM
From: Linda Norris
Subject: Ongoing Exhibition Technology Costs
Hi Everyone--
I realize this is a really broad, open-ended question and fully expect a range of answers, but I'm looking to learn more about how museums budget for ongoing costs for technology-heavy exhibitions. Based on a percentage of initial cost? Are replacement periods for equipment and the entire experience planned in advance? Planning for additional staff positions? Anything else a museum should be thinking about?
Thanks so much--please feel free to respond on or off list.
Best,
Linda