The height of the holiday shipping-season is coming very soon. 3PLs (third party logistics companies), warehouses, distribution centers (DCs) are ready to pick up the pace when high volumes hit. Delivering to the ever-faster demand for same day and next day delivery can cause firms to compromise the principles of occupational health and safety.

Kitting in the manufacturing environment represents a kind of intake process. Logistics kitting organizes and even assembles parts used in the manufacturing of a product so they can be delivered to the point of use, saving time on the line. It is often the best example of Lean Manufacturing in practice, eliminating wasted time in production. These two types of kitting are not mutually exclusive as they combine both manufacturing and logistics. The latter is performed in a lower-cost warehouse, such as a third-party logistics providers (3PLs) who manage suppliers’ material, prepare it, and deliver it just-in-time (JIT).

The benefits of kitting are well known because assembly workers immediately become more efficient. Manufacturers who do not utilize some form of kitting are bottle-necked in material flow. Kitting starts with the production team defining the kit of combined parts. 3PLs can be involved in this process and often can provide good advice on how to package kits in the most logical and effective way.