THE ROLE OF MASTER KITS IN ASSEMBLY OPERATIONS

In a JIT environment the production policy of having the right materia ls of the right quality of the right quantity available at the worksta tion must be operative. To ensure component availability, companies ar e returning to floor inventory systems which are creative, simple and cost effective, although they may appear to ignore some cost accountin g principles. The procedures relevant to master kitting exemplify seve ral MRP, JIT, FMS and group technology concepts for reducing total inv entory, reducing setups and changeover time and increasing productivit y, flexibility and service to customers be they inside or outside the plant or department.