Unpacking Assembly: What Does Kitting Mean?

(Updated 2023) Ours is an industry of jargon, as any of you who've ever had an extended conversation with a logistics professional probably know (hopefully we're not too guilty of that). The concept of full kitting is one of those terms!

Filled with shipping acronyms, technological terms, and transportation abbreviations, understanding our world can sometimes require a good look a Google... unless you read this blog!

We want you to understand exactly what we're talking about, even when it requires using industry shorthand to explain a complete process.

That's why we're starting out 'Unpacking...' series of posts, which will feature a quick, plain English explanation of a term from our industry.

Today is seems fitting to start on the assembly line, to explain what we mean when we refer to 'kitting.'

What Is Kitting?

Kitting. It might not be a term you come across in your everyday conversations, but it plays a crucial role in the supply chain and order fulfillment process. Simply put, kitting is the process of assembling individual products into a ready-to-ship set or 'kit'. These kits could range from gift boxes and promotional bundles to anything that necessitates assembling distinct items together. They don't have to be complex - think a set of skin-care products or even a pack of multi-flavored candy bars.

There's a lot more value in kitting than initially meets the eye. It brings convenience to the customer's doorstep and adds value to the otherwise routine order packing and fulfillment process. Imagine opening up a beautifully packaged gift set compared to individual items tossed into a box, and you'll see what this means. Additionally, crafting these kits saves valuable time as it prevents the need for gathering various products from different suppliers.

Benefits of Kitting

Kitting services benefit businesses in a number of ways:

1. Adds value to the standard order packing and fulfillment process, creating more attractive product packaging and other elements that end customers enjoy.
2. Saves time on bringing together products that consist of many parts, especially when those parts come from multiple suppliers.
3. It brings several goals together in one when product fulfillment is also used to add promotional literature like catalogs or coupons.
4. It provides a quick and easy way to broaden your product range, by bringing existing items that complement each other together in a new.
5. Kits can be created at a location closer to the distribution point, minimizing handling errors and the potential for breakage.

The Kitting Process, Explained

So how does this process actually work? To get a more profound understanding, let’s walk through the kitting process for a cosmetics company:

1. Product Selection: Firstly, individual products must be selected that make sense together (for example, a face cleanser, toner, and moisturizer, or a variety of makeup items).
2. Kit Design: Once the individual products have been determined, the team will spend time determining the layout of the kit. Depending on the type of cosmetic products selected, it could involve designing how products will be arranged in the box, the type of packaging materials to be used, and other aesthetic aspects designed to create an appealing look and feel.
3. Receiving and Storing of Products: The individual items of the kit are received from the brand and stored separately in the warehouse following proper inventory management practices.
4. Kit Assembly: When an order is placed for pre-made kits, assembly begins. As per the kit design, each product is picked from its storage area and placed together. This might involve securing products to prevent damage, including additional inserts (like instructions or promotional material), properly organizing the items, and closing the kit.
5. Packaging and Labelling: Once the kit is assembled, it needs to be packaged properly for shipment. It's essential to use materials keeping the fragility of cosmetics in consideration to minimize potential damage. Labels are then added with necessary information including the SKU for easy tracking.
6. Quality Control Checks: Before shipment, each kit undergoes a quality control review to ensure that each cosmetic kit is complete and packaged correctly.

Once the package, or 'kit', is assembled, it ready for its journey towards the customer’s doorstep. All through this process, the Capacity team pays specific attention to safeguard the quality and integrity of the products, thereby ensuring the end customer receives their order in perfect shape.

Kitting isn't always simple, but it's an important step in keeping customers happy and returning for future orders.

There are a number of ways that Capacity helps our customers with kitting:

1. Customization: We customize the kits according to your specific requirements. This includes the ability to add or remove items from the kit, change the packaging, and include promotional materials.
2. Quality Control: Capacity has a robust quality control process in place to ensure that the kits are assembled correctly and meet your quality standards.
3. Scalability: As your business grows, your kitting requirements may change. Capacity stands ready to scale our services to meet your changing needs.

Whether you are looking for kitting for orders for HSN or QVC or holiday gift set assembly, Capacity is ready to help you take your company's kitting to the next level. Contact us today to find out how we can help.