The invention relates to a method of preparing a setup kit for at least one placement machine, wherein the placement machine serves for the placement of components on/at assemblies, and wherein those components that are required for the assemblies for a plurality of different assemblies to be manufactured are determined by means of the placement machine; possible setup kits for the placement machine are prepared iteratively from the determined components, with each setup kit comprising a plurality of components; an optimized setup kit is selected from the setup kits by means of an electronic processing device in the method.