Each day, billions of boxes are moved swiftly from production plants to warehouses to final destinations across the globe. Here in Ohio, kitting is a key fulfillment service that allows manufacturers, business-to-business operations and consumer-packaged goods firms to efficiently deliver on time-sensitive parts and products. All of these operations are facing increasingly smaller windows to do so. Bundling related items is one way to improve productivity and drive sales. But kitting, assembly, packaging and repackaging – if you want to do it well – requires a great deal of space, time, labor and oversight. An established, third-party logistics firm with Ohio kitting and assembly services AND warehousing and distribution capabilities can help ensure you meet your goals while keeping costs down.

What is Kitting and Assembly? 

In simple terms, kitting is when a group of materials or parts form a kit that can then be delivered as-is (for easy assembly at its next destination) or assembled here on site. It could be anything from car parts to promotional gift sets. Kitting is sometimes thought of as a smaller aspect of a distribution operation, but enterprising managers learn quickly it’s not something they can overlook if they want to keep their supply chain moving and their customers happy.

Assembly is the process of taking two or more separate components and combining them to make an end item that’s ready for shipment. Some manufacturers have dedicated assembly lines to some products, but not all of them need such an expansive operation full-time.

When you hire our 3PL to handle it, you get the benefit of quality kitting, assembly, packaging and repackaging services that allow you to combine numerous products into a single kit. We can also and relabel, barcode, package, repackage, store, pickup and ship. And you can have all that at a moment’s notice because we can offer these services with both scale and flexibility. We are also available to consult with you on the most logical, efficient way to package your kits to ensure your supply chain is optimized.

Ways Ohio Kitting & Assembly Cuts Costs

Kitting and packaging is more than just sticking something in a box or moving something from one box to another. In the logistics sphere, we consider it an important link in the supply chain.

Those that don’t utilize some form of kitting typically experience some form of bottlenecking. Some of the benefits of kitting:

• Reduce warehousing requirements and boost manufacturing capabilities. Materials that arrive to an assembly line in a kit provide workers with everything they need to build an item all at once. That saves labor costs because workers aren’t wasting time looking for the parts and tools they need. Just-in-time kitted inventory can help lower the chances of data error, damage or product loss.
• Lower shipment costs. You want your shipping rates to be as low as possible? Many packages are shipped by dimensional weight. That means your packages need to be space-efficient. Our kitting, assembly and packing services ensure that they are. When warehouses can deliver parts in kits, it also eliminates the need for multiple deliveries of individual items that are ultimately going to be assembled into one.
• Keep inventory controlled. Kitting can make a huge difference when it comes to taking inventory. It’s much easier to count kits of parts than it is to count all the individual pieces. Think about how much more labor would be required if you had to count all of those parts individually!
• Improve information/product warning updates. Sometimes market changes occur at breakneck speed, and you need to respond quickly to alter the packaging, labeling or shipping contents. A dedicated third-party that offers kitting and repackaging services can help you respond quickly with minimal disruptions to your supply chain.

At On Time Delivery & Warehouse, our high-tech inventory management software also allows us to keep careful track of each element inside every kit. That gives our customers a degree of transparency that might be difficult were they to manage kitting and assembly on their own.

If you have questions about Northeast Ohio kitting and assembly services, contact On Time Delivery & Warehouse by calling (440) 826-4630 or sending us an email.

Additional Resources:

What Can 3PLs Do? July 24, 2020, By Keith Biondo, Inbound Logistics

More Blog Entries:

Hire an Ohio 3PL or Keep it In-House? June 15, 2018, Ohio Kitting and Assembly Services Blog