What is Kitting?
Take a stroll down the beauty aisle or prepared foods section in the grocery store. From product bundles to subscriptions, the retail marketplace offers a wide range of items that have been kitted to provide you with a nicely assembled package.
Kitting = Putting things together.
In manufacturing, warehousing and fulfillment, kitting refers to the process of assembling individual items or components into a ready-to-ship or ready-to-sell unit known as a “kit.” For example, a taco meal kit might include sauces, spices and shells for a family dinner. A new customer welcome kit might consist of brochures, samples and branded swag designed to make an impression.
In-House Fulfillment Services – Not a Fail-Safe Option
We see a lot of new brands attempt to handle the kitting process themselves, but this often leads to longer-term issues, particularly as brands start to grow. Labor hours begin to pile up and suddenly your team is wrapped in packing tape instead of focusing on building your business.
Here are a few signs your in-house kitting program isn’t working:
Sign 1: Inventory is missing, and errors are slipping through the cracks.
Sign 2: You feel like you’re constantly behind on orders and/or missing deadlines altogether.
Sign 3: You’re running out of space… and maybe even patience.
Sign 4: Your team is stretched thin and you know their talents could be put to better use elsewhere.
How We Make Kitting Simple, Scalable and Stress-Free
Kitting shouldn’t be the headache described above, but too often, it is. Inefficient workflows that cost you time and money and a point of contact who is never available to answer your questions when you need them. Who has the time?
Whether you’re just starting to consider outsourcing kitting and fulfillment or looking for a more reliable fulfillment partner, the right team can make all the difference. It can help protect your brand, improve your margins and ultimately give you peace of mind.
Whether you’re building gardening, craft or beauty kits, we bring structure, consistency and scalability to your kitting process. That gives you the time to focus on growing your business rather than fixing someone else’s mistakes.
Proven Processes for Your Peace of Mind
Working with brands of all sizes, we understand the pressure that comes with fulfillment. A single missed step can lead to a bad review or lost revenue. That’s why our process begins with an exploratory session. We want to know everything that goes into your kits, who supplies them, what packaging they require and your delivery timelines.
“We’re obsessively focused on being more efficient, precise and responsive, each day,” said Dan Price, Shipping Manager. “By constantly measuring and refining our processes, we all win.”
We follow a lean manufacturing mindset, which means that we pride ourselves on organization, standardization and waste elimination. Putting performance metrics at the core of our operations allows us to find new efficiencies and adapt as your business evolves.
Need help sourcing components? Or you have everything you need, but would like to package each piece individually. We can help you, thanks to our network of trusted suppliers, which can further expand your supply chain.
Once the pieces are in place, we establish a repeatable, quality-checked process that’s flexible enough to grow with you. We know that with a scalable system and right technology, our systems can scale alongside your business.
How JBM Kitting & Assembly Services Stand Out
To make sure we deliver precision to your project, every time, we focus on:
- Offering a one-stop solution. To close the gaps, we had to add more pieces to the puzzle. From sourcing to display assembly, we provide a comprehensive solution that eliminates gaps in the production process.
- A Lean, Scalable Process. We follow lean manufacturing principles that prioritize organization and efficiency while limiting waste. This systematic approach enables us to scale the project’s size and number of components, allowing us to build larger product bundles, multi-SKU solutions and more.
- Tech-Enabled Tracking. From the minute your product arrives at our facility, our inventory management system allows us to track your product through each stage of the assembly process. Each station is outfitted with a tablet-based system that supports tracking and measurement.
- Team Performance. Our people are our best asset; that’s why we continually train and engage them to solicit ideas for improving processes and quality.
“Our customers count on us for consistency, and that’s our goal, each and every day,” said Lindsey Watzek, Operations Lead. “No matter how complex the kit, we treat every assembly like it’s mission-critical—because it is.”
Meet Your Goals
Our commitment to your success goes beyond the package we assemble and deliver. Whether you’re aiming to scale quickly, reach sustainability targets or get products into the market more quickly, we work to align our systems with your goals. And when your goals evolve, we’ll be right beside you to adjust and respond.
For example, we worked with a gardening influencer who wanted to limit the environmental impact of her herb kits. To help her reach her sustainability targets, we replaced the plastic seed packaging with recyclable paper that protected the seeds. This maintained the integrity of her product while delivering on her environmental values.
Building a Partnership That Lasts
Looking for a partner to help create your kits? Here are a few things to look for:
- A single, knowledgeable point of contact who knows your fulfillment process
- Consultative support when evaluating improvement and growth opportunities
- Access to a trusted network of suppliers and contacts to source kitting components or enables you to build individual parts for your kit
- Expertise in packaging to protect your product, expedite fulfillment and reach sustainability goals
- Flexible, scalable operations to adapt to your seasonality and business growth
- Built-in quality controls and performance metrics to ensure consistency and ongoing improvement
- Reliable logistics support to get your products where they need to go.
Want to learn more about how JBM can streamline your kitting and assembly needs?
Let’s start the conversation—we’re ready when you are.