The complete kit: Modeling the managerial approach

One of the fundamentals of good operations management practices is the "complete kit" concept, which suggests that work should not start until all the items required for completion of a job are available. These items (the kit) include components, tools, drawings and information. Starting a job with an incomplete kit means more labor time to finish the job, longer lead time, more work in process, reduction of throughput, poor quality and impairment of due date performance. This paper analyses the various facets of the complete kit approach by an analytical model that shows when it is preferable to use this concept. The tendency of practitioners to work with incomplete kits is explained using the prisoner's dilemma.