What is Kitting and Fulfillment?
Kitting programs often integrate directly with printing and fulfillment services — combining print production with assembly and distribution under one operation. Kitting is an added-value service offered by many third-party logistics providers (3PL), and is part of a menu of fulfillment services. Kitting is the process of organizing separate items and packaging into a single grouping. Fulfillment, on the other hand, refers to the overall process of receiving, packaging, and shipping orders. As part of a customized marketing plan, kitting fulfillment services provide multiple and significant benefits. These include organizing and streamlining inventory and optimizing packaging. In general, kitting keeps the supply chain operating safely at full speed.
Kitting Explained
At the receiving stage, individual SKUs, or Stock Keeping Units, identify each item. In anticipation of customer orders, the kitting process groups specified items together. Then, a team packages the items appropriately and assigns a single new SKU for the grouping. In this way, kitting organizes warehouse space. In addition, it reduces the time it takes personnel to find, gather, and track products.
Kitting gets a good portion of the work done ahead of time, ensuring that orders are ready to ship, or close to it, as the orders come in. In addition, if the manufacturer specifies a combination ahead of time, complete kits can be ready to ship as orders come in. So, even if some of the contents of a kit are unspecified prior to the order, much of the labor can be managed in advance.
Why Choose Kitting Services?
Cost-effective and timely management of kitting and fulfillment require the right space and equipment, in addition toTherefore, a commitment to service. At CCG Marketing Solutions, for example, we consider kitting an important element of comprehensive fulfillment management for industries such as pharmaceutical sampling, health and beauty, and many more. Our trained personnel use the appropriate technology and materials to group and package products, including medical devices. As with all of our services, we comply with state and federal regulations according to their specific packaging needs.
In addition to speed, kitting increases accuracy and reduces human error at the packaging stage. Centralized kitting helps avoid mistakes that occur due to a lack of organization, communication, space, or specifically trained personnel. As a result, fewer incorrect or incomplete orders equal increased customer satisfaction.
Easy & Efficient Order Management
Just like any competitive, well-run business, a reliable fulfillment center operates successfully with the support of cutting-edge technology and expert personnel. With those ideas in mind, comprehensive kitting and sample fulfillment services include:
• Integrated literature
• Sales training materials
• Print management
• Starter kits
• Scalable e-comm stores
• Call center support
However, physical space is important, as well. CCG’s state-of-the-art facility is designed for meticulous inventory management, quality control, and efficiency.
Scalable Fulfillment
As with other 3PL services, kitting fulfillment services take the burden off your in-house operation for inventory management, organizing product, and packaging. Outsourcing this component to a service-oriented and highly compliant fulfillment center frees up space. Also, trusting a company such as CCG with your kitting needs liberates resources for other priorities. For example, you never have to worry about shifting your infrastructure or employee base to adjust for a change in production, because a company such as CCG accommodate your requests easlily and seamlessly handles any and all fluctuations.
The New World of Kitting
Customization is the new frontier of kit building. As brands, HR organizations, and sales organizations seek to increase their levels of engagement, the ability to create fully customized kits grows in value. CCG excels in this competency. To this end, we’ve changed a one-to-many kitting standard to a true one-to-one experience, making each kit unique to the receiver without sacrificing a highly scalable production environment.
We’d be delighted to talk more about custom kitting and product fulfillment. Get in touch with CCG Marketing Solutions to learn more about everything we can do for you.