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Conversation #2: Policy Change on Missing Reviews and Recommendations as an Official RoadTester

rscasny

Today, I had to audit 11 roadtests conducted this year, spanning about 50 roadtesters. For some roadtests there was 100% compliance on posting a review, which is leaps and bounds better than last year.

 

This is much appreciated. I realize doing a review is sometimes a painstaking job and I am honestly impressed by the efforts of many of our roadtesters. Yet, for some roadtests, there is still less than 50% compliance. I reviewed those closely. One variable popped out quite clearly: If a roadtester has not logged into the community recently, it is very unlikely he will complete a review. For these roadtesters, this happened 100% of the time with roadtesters who have not logged in more than 2 months ago.

 

These individuals were selected based upon their application, experience and ideas for the roadtest. But the logging-in correlation is too high to disregard it. We could have awarded the products to someone else who would have completed the review.

 

So, I feel compelled now to include in my recommendations to the supplier the last log-in of whom I am recommending. I'm sure some members will disagree with me and that's why I have started this discussion. I surely want to be fair. I understand that some people may not have logged in because of illness (I was out a week for surgery last month; it happens to every body at some point in time). But when someone hasn't logged in for 6 or as long as 8 months months, that's another story. My goal here is to award people who genuinely want to write the review.

 

Sincerely,

 

Randall Scasny

RoadTest Program Manager

  • Hi Randall,

     

    Thanks to you, Daniel and the entire team for all you do. Also for the webinars to educate us, that can't be easy to arrange and run.

  • Hi Randall,

    one question, did you compare those login dates with the roadtest application close date or the current date?

  • Hello Randall,

     

    I am probably one of these ones, in this last period. By a certain point of view, I have notified you I had problems that caused delays on everything during these last weeks and I am slowly returning to be fully operational. But from another point of view, I am anyway worried as I am aware you are facing with companies and the personal problems do not matter so much.

    I am sorry for this and I will avoid for a while in the future to submit proposals for my next roadtests, I don't like to disattend the expectations. The point is that all of us that in one way or another are involved seriously in the road test group and in the community are - almost obviously - always the only ones commenting these posts. This is a pity but I think there should be a way to lock this behavior. Personally, I appreciate how much gently you and the RoadTesters staff at E14 are kind managing the entire process including - sic - also the wrong situations. Maybe we should find some way to avoid this with some more rigid approach?

     

    Enrico

  • in reply to Workshopshed

    I'm curious about this one too. I've seen applications are open for around 2 to 3 months, if someone has not logged in to E14 for about 6 months, how did they apply?

  • Randall

     

    Your job must hair pulling sometimes. I'm going to speak about my Roadtest I was given this year, the Arduino 101. I feel bad that the review has been posted yet. We have been in contact about my problems and hopefully these will be rectified.

     

    There are so many of the Roadtest I would really like to apply for, but feel I could not do the product justice.

     

    Soldier on and do what you have to do.

  • in reply to Workshopshed

    Hi Andy.

     

    For most of the ones I looked at yesterday,

     

    Here's some examples that are typical:

     

    image

     

    Everyone of these has been contacted for a follow up. Some got more than 1 follow up.

    Some roadtests stop logging in early relative to the review due date. Some late and some in the middle.

     

    Randall

     

     

     

  • And if you think about it. 2 months is more than the average enrollment

    time so it would indicate there just waiting for cool gear to grab ( 

    sorry. I know you don't all fall into that view but we have seen alot of it

    over the years)

    I have noted in the past that some members only ever come in on line for

    the road test and even if they submit some kind of entry. You don't see

    them till the next one

  • in reply to powderjockey

    Scott,

     

    You are have been keeping in contact with me. I think there were some problems (not in your control) along the way. But keeping in contact with me where I know things will be late is quite okay. I know our roadtesters have other jobs, or they're students. But receiving the part and then dropping out and not responding to our follow ups is my concern.

     

    If any roadtester drops me a line and says I am having a problem or I got sick or my kids need help with math homework is again quite fine. I've even had one roadtester who said he had to go on a remote job. I told the supplier, who was fine with it. then we re-adjust the deadlines.

     

    Randall

  • in reply to balearicdynamics

    Enrico,

     

    You definitely are not a problem. I know you do consulting work and have a business and you participate a lot. You often communicate with me and we re-adjust the due dates. That's quite okay. You have been responsive when my assistant Dan has followed up with you. But the group I am concerned about never even give me the professional courtesy to tell me that for such and such reasons they cannot make the deadline. This is okay. If there is a field failure, that will delay it. If there's something not right about the documentation and/or support, another delay. But that's the life of an engineer. things don't always go as planned. But a quick email or message is all you need to send me.

     

    Good engineering is as much about communicating well as it is about designing hacker-proof stuff. I know you know that. But perhaps engineers who are early in their careers need to hone those communication skills a bit more. IMO

     

    Randall

  • in reply to luislabmo

    Good question. Thanks for asking.

     

    There are a couple of reasons.

     

    First off, I've had some suppliers ask for the enrollment period to be extended. Sometimes this is due to them wanting to re-sync with their own internal promotions. I've had a supplier want to re-start an enrollment; in one case they wanted to roadtest a different model.

     

    Sometimes we have not seen as many applicants as we would have liked. Part of my job is to make sure the suppliers have enough applications. If there are 5 units offered and only 5 or 10 applicants, the supplier may ask for it to be extended.

     

    From my point of view, the number is not significant. The quality of the application is critical. You will not win if you only send a 1-sentence application, which is often done. Put some heart and soul into a roadtest application, and it will rise to the top.

     

    Randall