A memorandum from Daniel T. Koenig to Bruce Stevens, dated with this day, describes a number of challenges the new factory manager is facing: “foggy information as to how pianos are built, and we now build pianos by folklore rather than skills […] gradual rise in annoying quality defects over the years getting out into the market place. […] The cultural makeup of the work force has changed, particularly there is no longer a reverence or even a concept of the apprentice system.”

In the same memorandum Daniel T. Koenig offers the possible solution: to “evolve into a documented methods driven and controlled manufacturing operation as quickly as possible in order to meet our goals […] the highest possible quality, fair price, market share and profit levels”.