Listening to your customers is important in any business. Our customers told us that they wanted an easy system to put all of the products they needed together with minimal waste. After surveying many, and different, manufacturers and assemblers we decided to try kitting. So, what is kitting? Kitting is having all of your products customised to your needs, in one easy to access case, ready to install on your vehicle or project.
How it works
After engineering has passed on their requirements to purchasing to complete a project, the products that make up the kit are placed together in their own separate compartments. The assembler then knows exactly what is required for each individual job and if there is anything left over, we could have a problem! This ensures that all people in the chain have accountability and are interested in making the correct decisions.
Could it work for me?
When a production will include many and varied smaller items (such as fasteners, hinges, latches, etc.…) to have them all in one kit or case will make it so easy for all people in the supply chain. In our busy worlds we can sometimes not be able to devote the time needed to get our products and services right and to schedule. Production time frames are always tight and all customers are looking for cost reductions. Wouldn’t it be terrific if there was a program that would help with this?
Can a kit save me time and production costs?
Production workers are always looking for a product on the assembly line. There is a risk that the products required to start construction are not available or are needed to be sourced from the warehouse. By putting all of the products required to do a particular job and delivering these in one “kit”…at one time, no-one needs to chase items on-site avoiding disruptions and downtime. The purchasing team will only need to order what they require for a “cell” to be completed. Without the need to buy box quantities or more than is required, costs are reduced immediately. Waste is never an easy thing to explain away and to have exactly what you require saves the cost of overspending. It also allows the purchasing team to get all their requirements from one spot thus reducing cost as the increase in purchasing power with the supplier makes you more important.
The Varley Group in Australia have embraced the kitting concept; please visit this link to see the end result of kitting for you http://www.varleygroup.com/site/vsv-gallery
The production process can be made easier by kitting, and kits can be summed up as what you need is delivered right to your work cell, there is no waste and everything is in its place!
