This article was originally published on April 6, 2021 and updated on 3/28/2023
Kitting is a process that involves grouping together individual products that are either sold together or used together into one assembled kit.
What is Kitting?
Kitting is an inventory management technique that is often used by retailers, especially e-commerce and online marketplace companies. Kitting can also be used in manufacturing and provides many benefits to workers and companies with streamlined operations.
Kitting involves taking multiple products with individual SKU numbers and combining them into one kit, which creates only one new SKU for the assembled kit. This can drastically improve productivity within a company as the need to scan several different items is eliminated and all information is contained in one kit with one SKU.
Kitting in Warehouses
Kitting provides many benefits for warehouse operations and can be performed in-house with employees performing manual labor or can be outsourced to a kitting provider. Oftentimes, outsourcing to a kitting service provider provides greater benefits and frees up internal resources. Kitting in warehouses helps to streamline picking, packing, and shipping operations with similar items packed and sold together and stored in one kit with one SKU. Kitting performed for warehouse, e-commerce, or 3PL operations allows companies to quickly ship kitted items immediately upon order without the need to create kits prior to sale.
Kitting in Manufacturing
Kitting is also popular in many manufacturing applications, particularly processes where workers need to assemble specific products as part of their work process. Workers that need specific tools to do their job, or require a variety of components to assemble as part of an assembly line process or work process, benefit by having all needed items readily available in a convenient kit. Kitting in manufacturing significantly helps to improve productivity and can benefit many companies with limited floor space by eliminating the need to store many individual items.
Kitting comes in handy when producing customized products, such as the assembly of machinery and equipment or appliances, for example, that contain different colors or different features. Each kit could have the necessary components delivered to the right workstation at the right time. Kitting helps to optimize employee time for maximum efficiency and improve order fulfillment and efficient production processes.
Contract Kitting Providers Offer Many Advantages
One of the greatest advantages of working with a contract kitting provider, instead of performing kitting in-house, whether a retailer or manufacturer, is the ability to focus on your niche activity instead of dedicating resources to kitting. A contract kitting provider has experience in the kitting process to provide high-quality kitting and assembly and to meet delivery schedules.
Peoria Production Solutions, PPS, provides contract kitting services to all types of businesses in a variety of industries. We offer secondary production solutions such as kitting and assembly, including electronic kit assembly and kitting of many types of products and items. PPS has been providing kitting and assembly as well as secondary packaging and many other production solutions to help companies meet their productivity goals and delivery schedules for more than 80 years.
PPS is an ISO9001:2015 registered kitting and assembly provider, following strict quality policies practiced throughout the organization with top-down management involvement. We invest in our staff with training, cross-training, and employee appreciation programs to recognize our skilled workforce who provide exceptional services with meticulous attention to detail.
PPS is a fully self-sustaining, not-for-profit organization committed to our customers and our staff. We utilize automated equipment in our state-of-the-art facility with more than 17 shipping and receiving bays and a streamlined flow of goods to ensure full accountability of customer-supplied material. Contact us to learn more about our kitting and assembly services and how we can help to improve your warehouse or manufacturing operation with high-quality contract kitting.