Students ordering parts

[Jay H 237]

On Team 237 a few head mentors have the team credit card and do the ordering. They will also contact suppliers along with most of the other mentors, as some of us have connections with some of them. I'm a mentor but don't hold the card BUT I do work professionally in the robotics and automation field so I do check into parts at times with some specific suppliers I deal with, I pass the info along to the ones who actually buy to order. A few times I may be able to get free samples or a donation that I just handle myself with those I know in the industry.

I'm somewhat against having the students do direct ordering, it has to be done professionally, I'm not saying they can't but it would have to watched closely. You also want to be taken seriously and a supplier may not do that with a 14 year old. I'm not trying to bash, just saying how it is.

My team gets no monetary support from the school, all funds are raised or donations. The school has no say in anything we order. Atleast two mentors keep an eye on what's ordered, cost and the funds we have. Sometimes we may look for a cheaper alternate part from another supplier. It does pay to shop around at times.

[maxnz]

Our team is small enough that people just tell me what we need, I run it past the head build coach, then send a detailed email with everything we need, the exact website to buy it from and why we need it to the head marketing coach, who has the credit card.

[IG100MagnaGuard]

Our team uses a google spreadsheet for parts ordering. We enter the parts we need along with links, quantities, and part numbers. When it comes to actually ordering the students do not have access to the account (so there is a safety net), but almost all orders are handled and researched by the students (except when the coach wants to order earplugs or something).
It might not be the most efficient system, but it is very empowering to the students.

[asid61]

It varies. Most of the time members order the parts and get reimbursed by the team, although minor purchases need to be reviewed by the Engineering Lead. Mentors review the purchase if it's a major one, and often make large orders on their own.