Kitting, also known as kit preparation, is the process of grouping and packaging together different components or parts to create a complete kit or set.
Through items like subscription boxes, the modern consumer has brought the need for warehouse kitting to the forefront of fulfillment centers.
However, subscriptions are far from the only time your warehouse should utilize kitting.
In a warehouse environment, kitting streamlines multi-order fulfillment and shipping by assembling all the necessary items for an order into a kit before sending it out.
Let’s take a look at how a team like GFS Logistics in Dallas, TX approaches the kitting process and how we can help you fulfill all of your orders that require this helpful process.
Receiving and Storing Components
The various components, parts, and materials needed for the kits first arrive at the warehouse and are received and put away in their designated storage locations.
Proper organization of the warehouse and storage areas is crucial so components can be easily accessed during kitting. This is where our effective warehouse management comes into play, and we place your items in the most efficient and accessible locations for any pending kits.
Picking Components
Based on the required contents of each kit, our pickers retrieve the necessary components from inventory and bring them to the kitting station.
We implement a robust warehouse management system that allows for barcode scanning and swift product tracing that can help optimize the picking process.
Organized Assembly and Packaging
At the kitting station, the components are picked and packed into complete kits. Once assembly is complete, we place the kit into bags, boxes, or other packaging to keep the contents organized and protected.
We Label Kits So You Can Track Fulfillment
It’s important that you are able to track your products from the moment they leave the warehouse. Before your shipment leaves our warehouse, labels with kit IDs, barcodes, and other information are applied to the packaged kits for identification and tracking purposes.
This connects the physical kit to the digital order information in the WMS and lets you know where your shipment is on every leg of its journey.
Moving Completed Kits
Once labeling is complete, the finished kits move on to the next step: storage, order sorting, or shipping. From there, it all ends up in your happy consumer’s hands.
What Are the Benefits of Kitting?
Several key benefits come with implementing a kitting system. With kitting you experience improved efficiency, meaning there is less time wasted picking incomplete orders.
Faster processing always keeps your customers satisfied.
Aside from faster processing, kitting can ensure greater fulfillment accuracy.
Kits assembled at dedicated stations have fewer errors than picking directly into orders. This means your brand saves money on costly reverse logistics.
Kitting also reduces labor costs as there is less time spent per order as the kit travels through a kitting station where a set number of employees is stationed.
What Industries Utilize Kitting?
Kitting is used across many different industries and warehouse operations. Let’s take a look at some of the industries we help with at our 1.6 million square foot Dallas warehouse.
Manufacturing
In manufacturing, kits may contain components, fasteners, tools, and sub-assemblies needed for production. Kitting these items helps get what teams need in one delivery and improves the workflow on the manufacturing floor.
Retail
Retail operations may pre-kit together products that are frequently purchased together or components of a product that must be assembled for special events like holiday bundles (I.e. Christmas makeup bundles).
Repair Kitting
Spare parts, tools, and instructions can be kitted together into repair kits to be used for equipment maintenance and field service calls. This ensures technicians have everything they need in one package.
E-commerce Order Fulfillment
E-commerce order kitting helps group all items in a customer order together for more efficient picking, packing, and shipping.
Subscription box companies like StitchFix and Dungeon in a Box use kitting to customize each box to the recipient, maximizing efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Improve Accuracy, Fulfill Greater with GFS Logistics
With an optimized kitting process and reliable logistics team, brands can feel confident in warehouse order accuracy, productivity, and ability to get finished orders out the door faster.
At GFS Logistics in Dallas, we believe proper planning and execution are key to realizing the full benefits of kitting that’s why we’ve made it one of our specialty logistics services.
Ready to send out the kit of the season? Contact us today to learn more about our services.
