For the BoM, how EXACT does it need to be… I was sick the last few times my team met, and some one else was asked to do the BOM (and ignored it). I was just informed that we need a BoM, and that it was not done… And our robot is shipped, but we do have ALL of our recipts. But about the nuts and bolts and things, how exact does everything need to be?
And what does it mean by subsystem?!?
Any part under a dollar is not counted in the BoM. This includes pretty much all standard screws and nuts and bolts and stuff.
-Vivek
Edit: A subsystem is like drivetrain, or manipulator.
Edit: On a side note, you need to include KoP Items, they just don’t count in the weight.
I’m assuming you mean “cost” not “weight”. KoP items do not count towards the cost limit. They do, however, count towards the weight of your robot 
Many teams start their BoM at the beginning of the year and also use it for their weight budget. It is a good tool to use to help keep you under budget and under weight. Don’t panic if you haven’t done any of that. You don’t need a fancy BoM with all that info for inspection
You do not have to use the template provided by FIRST. You are not required to list KOP items in your BoM nor are you required to list the weight of items. You also don’t have to list things by subsystem.
You can start with a simple BoM just listing the parts that you purchased and used. Any raw stock should be listed in it’s purchased uncut state.
Be prepared to answer the inspectors questions about where purchased parts are in your robot.
Next year make it someones job to start a BoM at the beginning of the year and keep track of it. It will make your build season run smother.
Ahh i dont know what i would do without you guys… but I’m still not getting the ‘subsystem’ stuff… It’s been a long day and im a little slow righ tnow
One subsystem would be the robot chassis, another might be the ball manipulator arm, another might be the electronics, another might be the pneumatics system.
As IndySam said, you don’t need to list everything by subsystem, but doing so might make it easier for you to keep track of where you are when you’re working on the BOM.
And what does it mean by raw Material?? (i know im asking a lot of questions… i just dont want to mess it up!)
Raw material might be a 10 foot piece of 1/2" diameter 1/16" thick round aluminum tubing.
So something you need to cut or alter correct?
Yeah, it could be…but again don’t get too caught up in the wording, you basically just need to list all the parts and materials you bought and used on the robot. Sometimes there’s just a part number and the name of the company that made it, and the price and quantity. Other items will be made of raw material, and won’t have a part number. Do the best you can with the information you have, and be as complete as possible.
<R21> says that we are not required to put the KoP Items in the BoM… Did I read that correct?
Be careful to watch your overall total, but don’t go too crazy.
We helped some teams write their BOM in Maryland a few years back, and because they had so much to spare budget wise, we just put the full price of a sheet of Lexan (at 300 dollars a sheet) when they only used a piece that was 12 in. x 12 in. and they still came in way under budget.
Bottom line is when making your BOM, make sure you list everything you used, and the price, but you probably don’t need to account for every single penny as long as you’re approximately there.
Just be sure to be fair with the pricing.
For example, if you don’t know how much that box of screws cost (even if they were really only 2 dollars a box) throw it in as 5 dollars.
Better to over estimate, and be off a bit, than to say your robot only cost you 200 dollars total to make because you underestimated prices by a lot.
heh, yeah I mean weight. I wish they didn’t count toward the weight…
-Vivek
Edit: apparently you do not need to include kop items in list. Sorry about that.
do you have to list the weight, or is that just if you buy the material by the pound.
Listing the weight is often a helpful thing to do during build season. It allows you to track the weight of your robot through the weight of components on the robot.
The weight is an optional item and is rather pointless to fill out at this point in the season, a lot of work for no real benefit.