Kitting is an add-on eCommerce fulfillment service that adds value to your logistics. Kits are pre-assembled packs that combine multiple SKUs into a single new SKU. Kitting is one of Red Stag Fulfillment’s core services because we have found that it provides a significant benefit for our clients. And the warehouse associate responsible for creating kits is the warehouse kitter.
What does a kitter do?
A warehouse kitter packs multiple products into a single package. And the kitter’s responsibilities include identifying the elements of the kit, picking items to kit, following the kitting manual, and creating the kit. Kitting tasks can also include adding written materials to the package, affixing labels, and packaging the completed kit.
Kits can be assembled for a variety of purposes:
- Bundling components in manufacturing
- Creating a value pack for volume orders
- Assembling a set of related items that go together
- Building a subscription box
- Adding marketing materials and special gifts to enhance the unboxing experience
Where could you use kitting in your business? Kitting can boost your sales if you have sets of items you could sell as a single SKU or if you have difficult-to-ship products that benefit from careful pre-packing.
Benefits of kitting
Kitting improves your logistics operations in multiple ways:
- Solve packing problems ahead of time, so order fulfillment is faster
- Provide added value for your customers
- Give your eCommerce business additional SKUs to list
- Solve manufacturing issues at the 3PL without sending stock back to the manufacturer.
Kitting might be a valuable addition to your eCommerce fulfillment operations if:
- Your customers often order certain items together
- Consumers think of your items as good gifts — gift sets sell well
- Offering bulk discounts would benefit your business
- You have things that need to ship together but are challenging to package correctly
- Package consolidation could save you money on shipping
Kitting sets you up for shipping success. It lets your 3PL work out the optimum packaging ahead of time and set up a uniform kitting procedure.
That’s a more efficient option than asking different packers to solve a challenging packing issue multiple times under time pressure. And you can even use kitting to enhance the packaging of a single product that needs extra protection during transport.
Warehouse kitter roles
Warehouse kitter jobs fall into more than one category. Here are two different roles that kitters can fill.
Kitter or material handler in manufacturing
Kitting in manufacturing involves packaging related components, tools, or materials together. Manufacturing kits help assembly personnel do their jobs more efficiently because they don’t have to pull each part individually. Kitting reduces manufacturing errors and speeds the line.
Warehouse kitter for fulfillment
In third-party logistics operations, kitters assemble finished products into kits. The kits usually get a new SKU. A fulfillment warehouse kitter may:
- Pre-pack items that often sell together
- Add labels to packaging
- Fill subscription boxes
- Assemble products offered for sale as a unit
At Red Stag Fulfillment, our experienced warehouse kitters complete planned projects to improve fulfillment workflow. They also pivot quickly to develop kitting protocols to solve problems and deal with emergencies.
Why the kitter is a vital warehouse associate
Several specialized warehouse associates do the physical labor for fulfillment operations. The picker is the warehouse worker that walks the aisles to pick items to fill orders. Packers double-check orders, make sure they are packaged correctly, and add shipping labels. Workers in the shipping department move packages to the dock and ensure they get picked up by the right carriers. Receiving associates unload incoming trucks and containers and log products into inventory.
The work of the warehouse kitter is separate from the flow of packages coming into and leaving the warehouse. And yet, the kitter plays an essential role in the smooth functioning of the 3PL. That’s because kitting is the fulfillment equivalent of planning ahead, so you’re ready to move quickly in a crunch. At Red Stag Fulfillment, our warehouse kitting operation is one of the reasons that we can guarantee same-day fulfillment. Our warehouse kitters help us stay nimble.
How Red Stag Fulfillment uses kitting to improve our clients’ fulfillment
At Red Stag Fulfillment, our top priority is providing fulfillment services that help our clients grow and scale their businesses. When we see a problem, we brainstorm ways to solve it. We implemented cross-docking to help clients clear backorders more quickly. Our variable cost fulfillment pricing keeps your fulfillment affordable. And we work with clients to reduce shipping costs by minimizing dimensional weight and other charges.
Kitting is one of the many services we provide to add value to our 3PL services. What fulfillment problems do you have? Give us a call, and let’s see if we can find a solution.
More about warehousing and kitting:
- Kitting for Fun and Profit
- Guide to Product and Material Kitting
- Is Package Consolidation Right for You?
