Build one complete component list.
List the finished set, not just the cover artwork. List every item a recipient receives: booklet, card deck, folded insert, poster, divider, label, carton, sleeve, rule sheet or replacement piece. For each line, record the quantity per kit, finished size, artwork version, whether it is single- or double-sided, and where it belongs. A small item can be the one that makes a kit unusable if it is not counted.
A good list gives different people the same view of the set. The designer can see what needs files. The content owner can see the current version. The person checking a pack can see what should be inside. It is also the best way to spot a contradiction such as a box sized for an earlier deck count or a rules booklet that still refers to an old component.
Set the packing sequence while component files can still change.
Ask how someone will encounter the set. Does a welcome letter sit on top? Are cards divided by level? Does the instruction sheet need to be visible first? Does a booklet protect another item? Are there several language versions that must not be mixed? A packing order can affect labels, divider copy, box art and even the way a user understands the product once it is opened.
Draw a simple top-to-bottom or first-to-last sequence. Put it beside the component list. This is not a commitment that a particular storage, assembly or dispatch service will be supplied; those operational details must be confirmed for the specific project. It is a design and scope tool that keeps the physical set coherent.
Show the quantity for every item in the kit.
There are at least two quantities in a kit: the number of finished kits and the number of each component needed within them. Add sensible allowances only when they are agreed in the project scope, and keep any sample, replacement or market-version quantities separate from the main figure. A board game with one rules booklet and 60 cards per set needs a different check from a mailing pack with three leaflets in each envelope.
Where text, codes, names or addresses change between versions, pair the component list with a controlled data record. The Variable Data Printing Planning Guide explains why the data source, mapping and final approval need to be kept visible rather than treated as a last export.
Use a sample set to test the handover question.
A sample set can be valuable when it answers a real question: Does every component fit? Can an unfamiliar person identify the first action? Is the instruction still present after the item is unpacked? Does one version look too similar to another? Record the set version, contents and question being tested. A photograph of a neat pack is not the same as a documented decision about what the pack must include.
Separate project planning from fulfilment promises.
Storage, assembly, labelling, split delivery, data handling and dispatch can involve different operational choices. Do not assume that a print brief includes them. Describe the destination pattern and desired packing arrangement early, then obtain a written scope for the services, responsibilities and timing that are actually proposed. The result is clearer for both the people producing the kit and the people receiving it.