Kitting and Assembly – What It Is And Why You Need It.
Companies utilize kitting and assembly services to streamline order fulfillment and expedite product delivery. Kitting is the process of arranging separate items into a “kit.” More specifically, kitting is where a product requires a particular order and arrangement as they are packaged and shipped. A good example of items or products that benefit from kitting is subscription boxes and furniture that requires assembly. Assembly arranges the individual components in the packing box that make up the kit. Any company that sells ready-to-assemble products, subscription boxes, or bundled items can benefit from kitting and assembly services.
What does kitting and assembly service consist of?
- Construct custom packaging
- Select individual components for the kit
- Arrange items in packing boxes, standard, and custom
- Affix branded stickers/labels/barcodes to items
- Close package and prep for shipping
- Add promotional flyers, inserts, and assembly instructions
- Utilize and install custom dunnage to packing boxes
- Wrap items
- Inspect and seal the final box
- Update SKU to reflect “Kit” SKU in the inventory management system
- Add custom numbers, logos, and personalization to items or packaging
- Procurement of right-size packaging
- Combine multiple items in a single shipment to create a bundle
- Retail kitting to follow routing guides
- FBA Kitting
- Bottle re-labeling – small quantities
- Bag and tag apparel
- Construct medical kits prebuilt for immediate lab shipment.
Kitting vs. Bundling
Kitting and bundling are used interchangeably; they are slightly different. Bundling involves adding unrelated products into the same package. Bundles may include all varieties of a product or items that are often bought together but are not a kit. Bundled items can help keep shipping costs down and reduce carbon emissions. On the other hand, kitting requires a specific order and arrangement of those products within the container. Kitting service providers are highly skilled, detail-oriented, quality control experts. Some of the same components and elements are used for bundling and kitting, which is why they can be confused.
Common Items that Require Kitting and Assembly
- Subscription Boxes
- Furniture requiring assembly
- Promotional Sales Bundle
- Seasonal Gift Baskets
- Complimentary products received from multiple manufacturers.
- Medical kit components
Benefits of Using Kitting and Assembly Services
The time-consuming task of arranging, assembling, and packaging component parts is costly. Using kitting and assembly services of 3PL can save your business time and money. It is also worth mentioning that manufacturers may also offer kitting services. Here are some of the main benefits:
- Shorter order fulfillment times
- Offer more packaged promotions
- Easier time moving low-selling stock or dead stock
- Lower overhead costs from warehousing and labor
- Higher profit margins
- Access to cost-effective labor management
- Flexible package options
- Custom, sustainable, and memorable unboxing experiences
- Reduced cycle times
- Adaptable response to customer demand or preferences
- Access to economies of scale on packaging materials
Using a kitting and assembly team to prep your packages for maximum customer impact at Falcon Fulfillment, our highly-skilled teams take care in preparing your packages for maximum customer impact. One of our fortes is helping create successful subscription boxes requiring kitting. Let us manage the details of kitting and assembly for your eCommerce business. Get in touch with one of our agents today.
