Kitting and assembly are two terms that are often used interchangeably, although they actually refer to different processes. Kitting and assembly are used to improve efficiency in manufacturing or to package pre assembled products for consumer convenience.
What Is the Difference between Kitting and Assembly?
When determining the best production or fulfillment solution for your operation, you may want to evaluate the efficiencies that kitting and/or assembly can provide and learn the difference between the two.
Kitting
Kitting is a process that bundles two or more items together to create one single, ready-to-ship, or ready-to-use kit with a new single SKU. Kitting products together helps manufacturers when several components are required during a manufacturing process to have all the tools and materials needed at the right place and time to facilitate efficiency. Kitting helps inventory tracking by compiling all components into one new SKU to simplify inventory management.
Kitting is also used to satisfy end-user consumer needs with several components sold together as one kit. Many examples of this include subscription boxes, cosmetics, hardware, and direct mail kits, the list is endless.
Assembly
Assembly is a process that involves combining two or more separate components together to create one product that is then sold or used as a single item. Assembly lines are used in many fulfillment centers when products must be assembled in bulk. Assembly lines are common in production facilities and provide efficiency to manufacturers for mass production of various components from small items all the way up to automobiles.
Kitting and Assembly: In-House Or Outsourced Process?
Both kitting and assembly are processes that are commonly performed in-house, at the place of fulfillment or manufacture. Many companies, however, are realizing the benefits of outsourcing kitting & assembly to experienced providers.
Kitting and Assembly In-House
Companies that perform kitting and assembly as part of their own production process must allocate resources to support the in-house process or sub-process. Resources include the space to perform kitting and assembly processes, employees to perform the kitting which involves training and labor expense, and time allocated to manage the inventory and logistics of all products.
Kitting and Assembly Outsourced
Companies that outsource kitting and assembly processes can realize significant benefits when evaluating the process thoroughly and putting a cost to the time and effort of in-house operation and management. When production lines can simply pack parts in bulk and ship to a kitting provider, rather than take up their own floorspace to combine their own parts into a single unit, they can allocate that space to other production processes. This helps to grow their business and focus on their niche product market.
Partner with a Kitting and Assembly Provider
When evaluating kitting and assembly providers, look for a company with experience, attention to detail, capacity, a proven quality track record, and the willingness to partner with you for ongoing success. Peoria Production Solutions, PPS, has been providing kitting and assembly services for more than 80 years. With a large, state-of-the-art facility featuring 17 shipping and receiving bays, we have the capacity to dedicate kitting and assembly workstations to ensure an optimized flow of material.
PPS is committed to total customer satisfaction by investing in our staff with ongoing training and development and a focus on high-quality work processes. We enjoy extremely low turnover, and a dedicated team committed to providing efficient, quality production solutions with meticulous attention to detail. We provide kitting and assembly solutions for companies of all sizes, including some of the largest manufacturers in the country.
PPS offers high-quality kitting and assembly with decades of experience and a commitment to excellence. We practice lean operations, cross training, value stream mapping, full product traceability, and ISO:9001 certified processes. Contact us to learn more about improving your efficiencies by outsourcing kitting and assembly to a quality-minded, experienced kitting and assembly company.