What Constitutes a Kit?

By Doug Wallace, CPIM, Senior Consultant - Materials Management SME, Life Cycle Engineering

We often get asked what all is included in a kit, and specifically if a kit should be created for a job that only requires one part, such as a filter or belt. The short answer is yes!

When people think of kitting, they think primarily about parts, and that’s usually why the question comes up. But a kit should contain everything required to complete the job. That includes parts; specialty tools; a copy of the Work Order; any permits, drawings, route sheets/checklists or other documents; maybe even a repair ticket for repairable items, a return to stock ticket for unused parts, or a miscellaneous issue ticket in case additional parts are required.

The purpose of kitting is not just to gather parts. It’s to improve productivity and avoid unnecessary delays by making sure that the craftsman performing the work has everything he needs at the job site before the job is started. That can only happen if all the materials are gathered in advance of the estimated start date and inspected by the Planner before the job is scheduled to ensure that the kit is complete and accurate.

Even a single part should be kitted, whether by itself or with other materials. But as noted above, parts only make up a portion of what goes in a kit. In a mature Planning and Scheduling environment it is entirely possible to have kits that don’t contain any parts at all!

Doug Wallace is a Senior Consultant and Materials Management Subject Matter Expert for Life Cycle Engineering (LCE). In addition to his materials management expertise, Doug is knowledgeable in planning and scheduling and operator care best practices. He is also certified in Prosci’s Change Management methodology. Doug can be reached at dwallace@LCE.com.

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