When it comes to order fulfillment, online sellers are always looking for new ways to improve speed and cut costs.
One of the secret weapons that a 3PL, and thus a retailer using a 3PL, has at its disposal is the ability to put items together in kits. The process of doing so is called kitting & assembly services. It is usually carried out by the same facilities and staff that handle order fulfillment.
To save a good chunk of this time, and, with it, a good chunk of money, many manufacturers utilize the kitting & assembly services of third-party logistics (3PL) companies.
What is Kitting & Assembly services?
Kitting, as performed by a 3PL, is the act of taking the individual parts of a product, compiling them together in a “kit,” and then delivering that kit to the production operation for assembly.
This expertise comes not only from knowledge and experience, but also the logistics technology investments made to ensure 100% accuracy in inventory and order pulling.
How do you know if you need these services?
Kitting & Assembly services should be used when you are commonly fulfilling orders with multiple items that are identical.
There are a variety of items that can be kitted, and here are a few common ones:
- Media kits
- Product samples
- Promotional items/literature
- Instructional packets
- New product launches
- Game sets
It doesn’t always make sense to kit items, but when it does, there are a variety of benefits, and the cost savings can come from many areas.
Benefits of Kitting & Assembly Services
Faster Assembly
When kitting is done in bulk, as opposed to each time an order comes in, it becomes more of a linear operation, meaning that items can be kitted more quickly. If you handle your own order fulfillment, this will save you time. If you outsource fulfillment, this will save you money because your pick/pack costs will be less, as each kit will be counted as one SKU, as opposed to paying for pick/pack of each individual item.
Fewer Shipping Mistakes
When items are shipped in kit form, it reduces the chance for error with order fulfillment. It also allows you or your fulfillment house to pre-print shipping labels, eliminating the need for weighing and labeling of individual items.
Better Packaging
Kitting can also lead to postal savings with more efficient and cost-effective packaging. For example, rather than packing individual items into a standard-sized box, developing a custom box for popular kits can reduce the size and/or weight of your packages.
CMorgan Fulfillment Services
We offer final kitting & assembly for many different products whether that requires standard builds or custom configurations. We gladly stock your raw materials, and other components, and we have teams of assembly and finishing experts equipped to build your finished product for shipment and delivery to the customer.
Our experienced assemblers are dedicated to producing high quality workmanship and error free products. You can rely on us to ensure that we complete your kitted and final assembly orders efficiently, correctly and on time to meet your customer’s needs. Simplify your labor and inventory management by letting us manage your kitting and final assembly needs.
