[BrendanB]

Something to consider when working with an outside company making parts is determining to what quantity of parts and how long they can support you. Some companies can support as many parts as a team needs and for however long into the season you need them which is good to know if you might need replacements or redesign something. Other companies can only support teams once or in small batches of parts so some teams have multiple shops who help them out but to the casual observer it looks like all the fancy parts came from one shop.

Good communication with your sponsors can lead to a long, successful relationship.

Once you know what is out there and what you have in your control (in house such as machines, knowledge, and finances for COTS parts) evaluate where those resources would be best used. Most teams use their sponsors to develop custom drivebases while others utilize their sponsors for manipulators and upper assemblies.

Good luck!