I think a lot of teams underestimate the usefulness of their crate. Making a good crate with some foldout shelves can do wonders for your pit organization.
Crates are also good for electrical organization. You can put a single plug into the back of your crate and then have the actual power strips be mounted to the inside of the crate. Keeping wires from being underfoot is very useful.
http://www.chiefdelphi.com/media/photos/29591
This is my high school team in 2007 and their pit setup, (which dates back to my time in high school). The system has served the team well. The metal (unless it has been recut) should still be designed for the 8' by 8' pit area form factor which explains why things appear to expand outside the bars.
Team 360 has in the past been very open about the design (especially that of the crate: I think they actually have the thing CADed someplace for other teams to look at). They just want credit for the idea and for you to let them know you're trying it.