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The Formulation phase is really the start of the season. This phase runs from May (just before school
ends) through August and sets the base or foundation for the following year. The FIRST Team planning timeline has 7 tasks during these months
- Recruit partner/sponsors
- Recruit community support
- Team Meetings
- Team Forum Participation
- Off-Season Events
- Community Awareness
- State/National Awareness
Which systems are the most active during this time? Recruit partners/sponsors, team meeting, team Forum seems to be the
Team System. Community, state, national awareness, off-season events are part of your outreach system. Sponsorships
are in your financial system. And all these systems really interact during this and all phases of the Robotics Program.
The next section discusses each of the systems and suggests activities that should be going on during the formulation phase.
Safety System
A safety plan should
not be just for the shop and during the construction phase. The FRC team handbook has excellent writeup on safety and covers safety in the workplace and while on travel.
But, a safety plan
should also encompass the whole year for team members. This includes looking at safety at home, at school, and out with
friends. The team may look at establishment of a "call-a-ride" program if they feel unsafe to drive home or riding with
other students and friends. We leave the "workplace" every night, we want to make sure that everyone come
back healthy and unhurt the next day.
The formulation phase
is a good start to review previous year's safety plan and determine what needs to be updated for the following year.
Appoint a Safety Captain as soon as you can during the formulation phase.
 TEAM SYSTEM
As soon as the current season is over and you have a team banquet, that would be a good time to "pass the batton"
from the team leaders that maybe graduating to the people that will be taking over. The new team members should
be in place to participate in the team forums and plan the summer events.
As in the planning timeline indicates the formulation phase is a good time to recruit and develop partners for
the following season. Make sure that you have school support, family support, and mentors lined up for the following
season. Have a great team foundation set up during the formulation and the event planning for the summer will
go smooth.
 Archive System
A good systems engineering approach will have archiving as a critical system and will need constant design and attention.
Before you allow the members leave for the season, they need to document their good experiences of being on the robotics team
and how robotics has had an effect on their future. They need to make suggestions of what may need to be improved for
next season. Before your graduating seniors leave, make sure you get their inputs and forwarding email and other contact
information. Keep in touch with your past members and let them know how your season went.
A lessons learned database should be set-up and shared with the other teams of FIRST posted in the forums or use a lessons
learned database that I am sure other teams have set up. Software should be well documented and archived for possible
future use. Designs that worked or did not work for certain tasks should be documented in a design notebook. A
future team may want to know a good way to pick up balls and will not have to always relearn what did not work (remember 6
weeks is a short time).
The formulation phase is great time to make sure archive records are backed up and kept in a safe place. Review
the archival system and make plans for any improvements.
Robot System
This phase should be putting the robot away in usable storage. It will surely be used during the formulation and
summer months ahead, especially during the summer outreach programs.
OUTREACH SYSTEM
The foundation phase is a great time to recruit your sponsorship.
Design your community outreach system to make opportunities to talk to your state and federal congressional representatives
about the FIRST program and your participation in it.
Plan events for media, elementary and middle school age demonstrations, maybe sponsor Lego and/or VEX teams.
Your outreach system during the foundation and planning phases could help in taking home some of the top prizes
during the competition phase.
Financial System
Do the final closeout of the books from the ending season and look at the budget for next season. Having a financial
officer in place during the formulation phase is important in order to help plan budgets and needs for the following year. The
budgets are high for robotics teams with construction costs and travel. Working with the outreach system, you can
plan on how to get sponsorships and other financial support.
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