Step-by-step workflow guide

Build kits with the correct parts

Gather the correct components for a kit and resolve shortages or wrong versions before declaring it complete.

Implementation effort: Moderate · Reviewed July 2026Not sure about a term? Open the plain-English glossary
Run the diagnostic
What this fixes

Kitting failures move later as line stoppages, missing components, wrong revisions, and expensive corrections.

Works well whenHigh-mix component sets
Usually a poor fit whenSingle-component work with obvious identity
Example

A ten-part service kit cannot close until all ten correct part versions are scanned into the kit tote.

When this method works well—and when it does not

Works well when

  • High-mix component sets
  • Sequence- or revision-sensitive work
  • Repeatable kit families
  • Operations where training and verification matter

Usually a poor fit when

  • Single-component work with obvious identity
  • Complex assembly requiring engineering work instructions beyond location guidance
  • No reliable bill of materials or revision control

Show exactly what happens at each step

Write down actions that someone can see or confirm: what the worker does, what moves, who owns the next step, and what happens if something goes wrong.

Before: common problem process
  1. 1Print bill of materials
  2. 2Search bins
  3. 3Check mentally
  4. 4Send kit
After: better-controlled process
  1. 1Identify kit
  2. 2Guide components
  3. 3Confirm quantity
  4. 4Resolve shortage
  5. 5Close complete kit

Get these basics right before adding technology

  • One named person owns the process, and everyone agrees what one task includes
  • Current time, accuracy, problem, and volume numbers collected using written rules
  • One named person corrects product and location information
  • A written backup method and a clear path for getting help
Fix this first

If workers cannot reliably identify the item, order, or location, correct that problem before expecting new guidance equipment to improve accuracy.

Step-by-step procedure

  1. 01

    Freeze the applicable bill of materials/revision

  2. 02

    Present one kit or controlled batch

  3. 03

    Guide and confirm each required component

  4. 04

    Handle shortages without falsely closing the kit

  5. 05

    Record completion and ownership of correction work

Information the process must track

For each task, decide what item or order is being worked, where it comes from, where it goes, how much is expected, how the worker confirms completion, what happens when something goes wrong, and which system records the final result.

Technical notes for the warehouse software or IT team

Use one unique task ID. Re-sending the same message should not create a duplicate move or pick. Keep a way to compare records and repair differences when messages are delayed, repeated, or missed.

Decide what workers should do when something goes wrong

What the worker seesWhat the worker should do
Wrong revision is picked

Make revision/lot eligibility part of source selection and confirmation.

Kit waits for one shortage

Create partial-kit status and explicit shortage recovery.

Workers confirm without picking

Change confirmation placement, check sequence, and use item verification where needed.

Numbers to watch

Kits/labor-hourFirst-pass kit completenessWrong-component rateShortage wait timeTraining timeLater kit-caused stoppage

Before the test starts, write down what is counted, what it is divided by, when the clock starts and stops, what is excluded, and where the data comes from. Keep those rules the same through the test.

Test it on a small scale before a full rollout

Trial steps

  1. Choose one realistic area, shift, and order mix
  2. Watch the current method long enough to include normal work and a busy period
  3. Test the new method using exactly the same measurement rules
  4. Review every problem and worker workaround before expanding the change

What must be true before rollout

  • The target output is maintained for one full, realistic shift
  • Accuracy and problem recovery meet the written target
  • New workers can follow the process without unwritten tips from experienced workers
  • The backup method works, and the team can return cleanly to the normal process

Voodoo is one possible way to guide the work—not the answer to every problem.

Where it may help

Kitting and sequencing are strong Voodoo fits for visible step guidance, quantities, icons, arrows, and acknowledgements.

See how Voodoo works

When to choose something else

Displays should not replace controlled bill of materials/revision logic or detailed safety-critical assembly instructions.

Read how recommendations are made

Use these calculators to check the numbers