piano purchase

[Fred Sturm]

Hi all,
	Last fall I posted quite a bit about the problem of piano purchase at a 
state institution, and eventually outlined the process I developed based on 
feedback from this list and a listserv of music administrators. To 
summarize, we named specific models of piano and invited vendors to submit 
bids to provide those pianos, also offering them the opportunity to submit 
other models they thought were comparable. Decision was advertised to be 
based 60% on quality as determined by individual audition, 40% on price.
	We evaluated each individual piano offered, with each member of a three 
member committee going individually to each store and rating each piano on 
an evaluation sheet (with numerical ratings). Prices were rated on an equal 
scale (quality was compiled on a 0-12 scale, so price ranges were rated 
similarly 0 - 12, with $500 increments for small and medium uprights, $750 
for large uprights: IOW, $3000 - 3500 = 12; $3501 - 4000 = 11; $4001 - 4500 
= 10, etc). The average quality rating was multiplied by 0.6, price rating 
by 0.4, and those two numbers added together gave the composite rating for 
each instrument (I put together a fairly simple spreadsheet to do the math 
and present it to the purchasing department).
	I am happy to report that this went very smoothly. Purchasing was happy, 
the vendors were happy, and the committee - well the consensus was that we 
accepted the results (even though we disagreed quite a bit on individual 
pianos). For those curious, we decided on 3 Yamaha P-22's and a Petrof 131. 
A lot of trouble for 4 uprights, but worthwhile over the long haul, I 
think, in establishing a process. Next year we'll enter the realm of 
grands, and it will start to matter more.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico