- keep the options as simple as possible
While it is good to present a range of options when discussing a possible GB, for the actual GB that should be nailed down to a single option. Most of the mistakes I've made, and a lot of the administrative hassle, have been a result of options that only a few people took up. For a "kit" GB it is probably wise to use a well-proven BOM, if one gets into the realm of exotic components things may get bogged down as everyone has their favourites and they're all expensive! IMO it's better to stick to "known good" parts, and not too expensive - then no-one has to pay for an fancy part that they are going to replace with something else. - the more complex the BOM, the longer it'll take
The fairly complex BOM of the HackerNAP (albeit nothing like the Starfish BOM) affected the duration of the GB in several ways - the component order had to be split amongst several suppliers, and by the the time the orders were placed some suppliers had run out of stock and the orders couldn't be completed until more parts had arrived from the manufacturers. In the HackerNAP GB example just one part held up the project by a month. - add some contingency to the asking price
Supplier prices can change between setting the GB price and placing the orders, Paypal charges and currency conversions may result in the GB receiving less than someone throught they were paying, and the process of posting-out is also a bit unpredictable. And components do get lost or forgotten and need to be re-sent. It's much better to have a small surplus at the end of the GB, than the organiser(s) being out of pocket. The surplus should be passed to PFM, of course!
For the HackerNAP components GB the asking price was set at 5% above the budgeted cost of components + postage ("2nd class small packet" was used for most of the mailing). The GB ended up with a 1% surplus.
In a single component GB there is less that could go wrong, so a contingency amount of about 2.5% would be appropriate. - expect 10% extras
I didn't know whether this idea would work out in practice, but we ended up ordering 10% more of everything than had been requested by the original GB members. The original idea was to be able to replace kits lost in the post, or make up the number of components where there had been counting errors (e.g if someone received an extra part, I could say "keep it" rather than having to ask for it to be sent on to the person who should have received it). - finishing up
At the end of the GB, whatever remains can be sold off - in the case of the HackerNAP component GB, the 10% extra figure worked out just right, with request for 10 extra kits coming in after the GB had got underway. However it's only possible to actually sell them off once the original GB members have received their goods, because that's when it is possible to work out what parts are left, and the financial status of the GB. As there won't be any spares left, those last kits must be sent out with shipping insurance (e.g. Royal Mail Special Delivery) and the postage cost will be higher. It may be necessary to increase the price of those last few items, to make the books balance (and because the postage is more expensive). Pass on any left-over money to PFM (use the Donate button on the menu bar) - teamwork
For big GBs this needs to be explored in greater depth. Uzinusa provided lots of help, insight, and the occasional shoulder to cry on for the HackerNAP components GB. However it would probably have been good to have organised a team as a pipeline: book-keeping, purchasing, sorting, and shipping. The sorting and shipping would have to be done in the same area or location.
All comments very welcome as the above is just one opinion on the matter!
