FRC Blog - Get Ready to Make FIRST Choices

[Foster]

Originally Posted by BrendanB

Not a bad idea. First choice usually tapers off quickly in terms of highly useful items teams need during build season with the more valuable items going in the very early stages of Round 1. Then teams might be able to grab a few Round 2 items that might actually be useful once they get an idea of which direction they are going.

Might also allow Andymark to focus their first week on the initial rush of after kickoff orders for game specific items.

Just a reminder, these are free items that AM is storing, cataloging, entering into the FirstChoice System, picking, packing and shipping. So it makes sense that this happens well before kickoff. And it makes sense to do it after the week one rush is done so AM can get their real jobs done.

The takeaway from this post is 1) this is again free stuff, not your birthright, not paid for by your entry fee. 2)AM is adding extra work to their busiest time of the year to help support FRC 3) You should be sending thank you notes to AM even if you get one item for doing this.

[zcohen]

Originally Posted by Foster

The takeaway from this post is 1) this is again free stuff, not your birthright, not paid for by your entry fee. 2)AM is adding extra work to their busiest time of the year to help support FRC 3) You should be sending thank you notes to AM even if you get one item for doing this.

1) Since when was this free? I spend $5000 to get this stuff. The kickoff kits used to be much larger, with many of the things we've seen in FIRST Choice in them for everyone. As teams grew though they couldn't get the supplies for everyone and they set up this system. Yeah it allows for some cool new stuff, but at the loss of quite a few items that we used to get, so I would never say its free.
2) Did Andymark ever say that they do this for nothing? Maybe they had and if thats the case kudos to them (ignoring the probably huge tax writeoff they can get for this). If not though, it doesnt make much economic sense for a company of Andymark's size to deal with FIRST Choice for free. I'd be surprised if there wasn't some sort of monetary support so that they at least get close to breaking even.

[mwmac]

Originally Posted by zcohen

1) Since when was this free? I spend $5000 to get this stuff. The kickoff kits used to be much larger, with many of the things we've seen in FIRST Choice in them for everyone. As teams grew though they couldn't get the supplies for everyone and they set up this system. Yeah it allows for some cool new stuff, but at the loss of quite a few items that we used to get, so I would never say its free.
2) Did Andymark ever say that they do this for nothing? Maybe they had and if thats the case kudos to them (ignoring the probably huge tax writeoff they can get for this). If not though, it doesnt make much economic sense for a company of Andymark's size to deal with FIRST Choice for free. I'd be surprised if there wasn't some sort of monetary support so that they at least get close to breaking even.

Just a thought, before pressing submit reply, read what you write and ask if your post conveys your true thoughts. Ingratitude plus speculative musings based upon no information does not reflect a positive image.

[Taylor]

Originally Posted by zcohen

1) Since when was this free? I spend $5000 to get this stuff. The kickoff kits used to be much larger, with many of the things we've seen in FIRST Choice in them for everyone. As teams grew though they couldn't get the supplies for everyone and they set up this system. Yeah it allows for some cool new stuff, but at the loss of quite a few items that we used to get, so I would never say its free.

Okay, semantics. It's not free. But if you were to buy everything yourself, I'd bet you're getting close to a 75% discount overall.
Plus, I don't know about you, but our shelves are crammed with things we got in past KoPs that we never used (but might be useful later-?). Smaller KoPs with the freedom to choose among some of the more auxiliary parts help streamline our warehouse.

2) Did Andymark ever say that they do this for nothing? Maybe they had and if thats the case kudos to them (ignoring the probably huge tax writeoff they can get for this). If not though, it doesnt make much economic sense for a company of Andymark's size to deal with FIRST Choice for free. I'd be surprised if there wasn't some sort of monetary support so that they at least get close to breaking even.

The 'kickback' they get is that they get to say they are a Crown Supplier. This is a donation of their time, materials, manpower, website hosting and construction, and space. So, yes, kudos to them.

[Mark McLeod]

FIRST Choice - Update for 2015

FIRST Choice is hosted by our friends at AndyMark (for free!) and consists of an online menu of items available to 2015 FRC Teams.

AndyMark also contributes FTA's (a volunteer position, but they pay their employees to volunteer for FIRST) and other field support personnel for many events during the season. Andy and Mark really believe in and support the FIRST mission.
You can check their website for what everyone does.

[Team3844]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

FIRST Choice - Update for 2015
AndyMark also contributes FTA's (a volunteer position, but they pay their employees to volunteer for FIRST) and other field support personnel for many events during the season. Andy and Mark really believe in and support the FIRST mission.
You can check their website for what everyone does.

We host an off-season event using an Andymark field. they only charge us $100 for the FTA that they send down to help setup and run the event, last year they sent 2 for that price. The FTA they send is always great and they go way beyond what you would think to help have a good event. We use Andymark for as much of our robot purchasing as we can. It pains me when we have to purchase from Vex.

[Foster]

Originally Posted by Team3844

It pains me when we have to purchase from Vex.

That's sad. VEX does a ton of things each year to help teams. Their staff and parts are first rate (pun intended).

You should be going "Love AM, lets buy there. Sigh AM is out, let me look at VEX they support us too. Really, No stock?. Hey RC at Westcoast? In stock! Ship it" Yay us, doged the weird overseas groups and E-Bay. "

I have a serious robot crush on AM and VEX (the restraining order gets lifted next month). I'm excited to see new suppliers that are robot friendly, I try to make sure they are all aound next year.

[Jimmy Nichols]

Originally Posted by Foster

That's sad. VEX does a ton of things each year to help teams. Their staff and parts are first rate (pun intended).

You should be going "Love AM, lets buy there. Sigh AM is out, let me look at VEX they support us too. Really, No stock?. Hey RC at Westcoast? In stock! Ship it" Yay us, doged the weird overseas groups and E-Bay. "

I have a serious robot crush on AM and VEX (the restraining order gets lifted next month). I'm excited to see new suppliers that are robot friendly, I try to make sure they are all aound next year.

Same here, I go AM first, as if it gets out the door in the morning I usually have it the next afternoon. Vex takes longer, obviously, so they are my second choice.

[feverittm]

Has anyone been able to figure if/when FC will open for "window shopping"? Will we have to just wait until the 19th to even see what might be available?

I guess it isn't a really big deal with 'wish lists', but it was nice last year being able to just look at what might be there and do some early planning.

[Taylor]

http://isFIRSTChoiceavailableyet.com

Somebody make that a thing

[Nemo]

FIRST Choice is awesome. That plus the product donation vouchers means teams have flexibility. The generous AndyMark PDV vs kitbot option is especially helpful. This type of system is a lot more efficient at getting the donated resources to teams that will use them than a one-size-fits-all KOP.

[Team3844]

I let the opt out period get past us this year.
We really need the Andymark voucher for parts shopping after kickoff.
One of the teams we work with locally has offered to buy the KOP chassis to use in a summer camp program. I hope it works out or we will be stripping our 14 and 15 bots.

[mrnoble]

Originally Posted by Team3844

I let the opt out period get past us this year.
We really need the Andymark voucher for parts shopping after kickoff.
One of the teams we work with locally has offered to buy the KOP chassis to use in a summer camp program. I hope it works out or we will be stripping our 14 and 15 bots.

Wait, what? I've been on TIMS several times a week to make sure we are up to date, but I never saw anything about opting out yet. I thought that was the November 19th thing. Am I wrong? That would stink.

[Mark McLeod]

Originally Posted by Team3844

We host an off-season event using an Andymark field. they only charge us $100 for the FTA that they send down to help setup and run the event, last year they sent 2 for that price. The FTA they send is always great and they go way beyond what you would think to help have a good event. We use Andymark for as much of our robot purchasing as we can. It pains me when we have to purchase from Vex.

The $100 for the FTA is probably just to put them up in a hotel room and two fit in a room as easily as one does.
Transportation is the field truck.

[Jimmy Nichols]

Originally Posted by Mark McLeod

The $100 for the FTA is probably just to put them up in a hotel room and two fit in a room as easily as one does.
Transportation is the field truck.

The truck stays for the event, so usually the hotel costs for the driver is figured in with the overall costs. To provide an FTA is a separate $100 cost. The events I have organized and been involved with we have a local FTA run and we aren't charged this $100 fee, even though one of their FTA's is usually the person who drives the truck out anyway.