Quote:
R 4.1:
A VENDOR is a legitimate business source for COTS items that satisfies all of the following criteria:
C. must be able to ship any general (i.e., non-FIRST unique) product within five business days of receiving a valid purchase request. It is recognized that certain unusual circumstances (such as 1,000 FIRST Teams all ordering the same part at once from the same VENDOR) may cause atypical delays in shipping due to backorders for even the largest VENDORs. Such delays due to higher-than normal order rates are excused.
D. should maintain sufficient stock or production capability to fill Teams’ orders within a reasonable period during the season (less than 1 week). (Note that this criterion may not apply to custom-built items from a source that is both a VENDOR and a fabricator. For example, a VENDOR may sell flexible belting that the Team wishes to procure to use as treads on their drive system. The VENDOR cuts the belting to a custom length from standard shelf stock that is typically available, welds it into a loop to make a tread, and ships it to a Team. The fabrication of the tread takes the VENDOR two weeks. This would be considered a FABRICATED ITEM, and the two weeks ship time is acceptable.) Alternately, the Team may decide to fabricate the treads themselves. To satisfy this criterion, the VENDOR would just have to ship a length of belting from shelf stock (i.e. a COTS item) to the Team within five business days and leave the welding of the cuts to the Team.)
[Blue Box]The intent of this definition it to be as inclusive as possible to permit access to all legitimate sources, while preventing ad hoc organizations from providing special-purpose products to a limited subset of Teams in an attempt to circumvent the cost accounting rules. FIRST desires to permit Teams to have the broadest choice of legitimate sources possible, and to obtain COTS items from the sources that provide them with the best prices and level of service available. Teams also need to protect against long delays in availability of parts that will impact their ability to complete their ROBOT. The FRC build season is brief, so the VENDOR must be able to get their product, particularly FIRST unique items, to a Team in a timely manner.
[/Blue Box]
|
I find this interesting. Bimba takes more than 2 weeks to ship(they're taking over 3 on our cylinders), so that appears to be "unacceptable" even if they have to custom make the part. Also, if the manufacturer is custom-making a part for a team, it appears to be a "manufactured item" so it might not be exempt from withholding. This rule appears to state that any cylinders bimba has to make custom and by consequence, have not yet shipped, are part of your witholding allowance. It also might be that they are totally illegal.
I don't think they fit under the category of "a bunch of teams want to buy stuff at once" because most teams probably want slightly (or completely) different parts. Also, Bimba is a pretty big company, so FIRST orders can't be much "higher than normal"
However, this doesn't really fit with the stated intent of the rule per the blue box, I just think its funny to call bimba a non-legitimate business. Its sounds like they're some guy on the street selling pneumatic cylinders. I really believe that bimba cylinders are legal and that they aren't part of witholding.
I realize I'm probably lawyering the rules a little too hard, but on the other hand, the rules are pretty clear here.