Team Organization

The Team

A team utilizes a specific team structure to promote efficiency and effectiveness. Organization instills order and a professional spirit that aids team members in completing their tasks. Partnerships between members lead to quick and efficient problem solving. To this end, LASA Robotics elected two high-level managerial positions: the business owner and project manager. These team members are responsible for the team meeting all of its deadlines and staying on schedule, respectively. After these two positions were filled, the team divided into five main interdependent subteams, each with one team leader. The five subteams are: robot, notebook, display, promotion and marketing, and auxiliary.

Team Structure

Though the entire team works at the initial design of the robot, the Robot subteam takes over the tasks of refining, manufacturing, and assembling the robot. This group is responsible for keeping up to date with allowed parts and quantities, organizing the team drive-off to select the robot operators for the competition, and training the selected robot operators in the proper use of the robot. The field team works under the robot heading and constructs essential field structures in time for driver practice.

The Notebook subteam coordinates activities relating to the design of the Engineering Notebook for the BEST Award. This group is responsible for documenting the team's design process, keeping detailed meeting minutes, tracking each main group through the use of Gantt charts, researching the game theme, tracking the rules, and composing the final notebook. This group works closely with all the other subteams.

The Display subteam designs and creates a unique table display for the BEST Award. It is responsible for organizing the documentation of the team's outreach and promotion activities, as well as, preparing the team for presenting the table display.

The Promotion and Marketing subteam is responsible for thinking of and executing team promotion opportunities. They also brainstorm fundraising activities, such as jewelry sales. The spirit subteam operates under promotion and marketing. It manages the design and construction of all graphic materials used for competition and promotion activities.

The Auxiliary subteams include all of the specialized and complimentary subteams that contribute to the other four. The Animation and CAD team creates CAD drawings of the robot and candidate designs for the Engineering Notebook and robot construction. It also creates animations of the robot for the robot subteam and team promotion. Photography and Videography assist all the other subteams by providing documentation of the team's designs and activities. The website subteam composes the website submission for competition and maintains the team website.

Team Timelines

To help with organization of tasks and time management, each team leader is required to submit weekly goals which the Notebook team uses to create Gantt charts. Gantt charts track the projected versus actual timelines and are useful for organizing time consuming projects composed of many different subtasks. In addition to the Gantt charts, master calendars are also created. These show the weekly goals that the team leaders create in a way that is easy for the team members to use. They also present all other team activities and deadlines, so confusion over dates and timelines is minimized.