Bill of Materials Template
 

Hey everybody-
We've been keeping our Bill of Materials up to date throughout the season, one that we created ourselves. In the past few years we've use the same one and been praised by inspectors for its organization. The question I'm asking is does FIRST require that you use their template or can you use your own? We're looking to avoid surprises come March. Thanks!

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

(emphasis mine)

I think that's as clear as it can be. Use their template, or it doesn't count. Also note that they don't want it in print this year:

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Just to add...
From Q&A - Section 8 - The Robot (2010) > Budget Constraints (2010)
at: http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=14420

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Thanks!

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Anyone else think it's a little silly to break it down by subsystem? Many subsystems often use the same parts and materials.

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Right now it works for our team to have it by subsystem - for the most part. This allows each of our sub-teams to have their own page, and minimizes omissions.

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Bring multiple printouts anyways. It will help if there needs to be a discussion.

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Agreed. How many times do I have to list the same components that I bought from AndyMark or raw materials just because they're in a different system.

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

This document doesn't even begin to have enough space to list everything we use... or the number of subsystems we have.

It is indeed unfortunate that the GDC is using the same form as years past when they KNOW they are asking for MUCH more information this year because we have to add in everything from the kit on the robot as well as any additional parts.

Remember that you have to list EVERY PART ( exclusive of any fastener that was less than $1.00) on the BOM this year.!!

I would imagine that somehow FIRST seems to think they can use this data to figure out what everyone is using from the kit of parts.

It would have made much more sense to send out a checkoff form to each team to send in with all of the KOP pieces used and make us send this in too.

They are going to have a miserable time trying to figure out 1800+ forms if they truly want this data to analyze KOP usage for next year's kit.

If, indeed, this is what they want the data for.... they are going to serioiusly miscalculate the kit usage. Many of us use kit parts to do prototyping or to build a prototype kitbot... or for other reasons associated with the game.
These uses of KOP items will not show in this assessment...yet they are vital to the experience each team has in the competition.

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Wow, that is a great point. Step in the right direction though. Any thoughts on the appropriate way to cover the items in the category you just mentioned?

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

If a team uses the compressor on their robot as ballast that will be counted by the current system, but probably shouldn't be. If teams use the KOP frame for a practice/prototype robot those parts aren't being counted by the current system and they probably should be.

I believe a checklist type form (perhaps even a web form of some sort for easy data collection) as Bob suggested is a great way to collect data about KOP usage. This would allow the mentor filling out the form to decide if they "used" the part or not.

This should make the data more usable for FIRST by not having to sort through all the different names a certain Kit part was given by different teams (it seems like this alone would make getting usage data out of these forms a monumental task) and will also allow non-competition robot uses of KOP items to be included.

If FIRST wants to differentiate, they could even make separate checkboxes for whether the part was used on the competition robot or whether the team used it in some other manner.

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Thus the question of whether you're allowed to modify the template by adding additional subsystems and rows or changing column widths. Since you are able to do so, it should be trivial to fit all your components on the template.
You mean you haven't been including the Kit items in your BOM? We've been doing that for years now just so we can accurately account for everything on our robot if anyone asks. It rather simplifies things to have it all on one BOM so you don't have to remember how many Jags you paid for vs. how many are Kit items. And honestly, it's not like it's adding THAT much to your BOM. Every listable, usable item in the kit comes out to about 130. And that assumes you're breaking the toughbox etc down into its constituent components. So I don't think asking teams to count up the kit items on their robots is really that onerous of a request.

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

Well,
Question one: How does FIRST account for use of other parts...
I don't know.... the BOM is not built to do it.
Perhaps a survey after the season?

As to including everything from the robot on the BOM
We do our own accounting in a much more organized way than the BOM provides.

We build 2 robots usually and also additional testing apparatus that uses BOM parts and others.

Our accounting methods are not the same....

We have NEVER included KOP parts on the BOM because in the directions it said you didn't have to... We felt it was a needless complication when the BOM was supposed to be for the inspectors to see if you met the $$$ limit...and to also review any non-KOP pieces for possible rules infringements... it has always been my opinion that I don't want to muddle the BOM with non-essential information so that it is easier for the inspectors to use...

Now there is, presumably, another use for the BOM... so this is different...

We, of course, have our OWN weight/cost/part count and measurement spread sheets that help us .... the BOM is not well suited to what we want to do ...

Point of order here, I was not complaining about doing the BOM it is really no big deal to most teams that already keep track of this information... I was just bringing up the issues of post season use... it is going to be difficult for FIRST to use this... see the above comments....I really like the check-off way of doing it... maybe next year...

thanks
R

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

This is my first shot at a FIRST BOM. The given sheet does not inspire me with confidence that there are more than mundane Excel skills in Manchester, NH.

I filled in the team number and get it formatted as a dollar amount. Not that the $2170 dollars would be turned down if offered. :)

On to the date, I enter the Excel function now() so that the date displayed will turn into the latest time I save the workbook. I get a decidedly non-date display for the result.

I can reformat both cells, but why weren't they set in the template? The sheet's date should be automatic by default. I'm always put off by Captain Kirk starting off his logs by quoting the stardate; as if 25th century computers had lost the ability to compute it?

I made a couple of obvious column width adjustments too. Doesn't the description deserve to be wider?

On one of the blank sheets in the workbook, I pasted the GDC answers to a couple of the more pertinent questions form the forum topics; renaming it to GDC clarifications.

Does anyone have a partly filled in sheet they can share so we can see how things should go? Does anyone know if the inspector(s) expect to keep the flash drive on which the BOM is submitted? I saw that there was one in the KOP. I have urged the team members to backup their programs onto it at agonizingly regular intervals. It seems that computer users must be stung by lost data to believe they need to make alternate copies at regular intervals. aaaah well.

Re: Bill of Materials Template
 

That flash drive contained the restore files for your classmate PC.

I was kind of hoping that the BOM template would include all the KOP items already listed....oh well.