Kitting and Fulfillment: How They Work Together

Kitting and Fulfillment: How They Work Together to Simplify Order Processing

When customers place an order, they expect accuracy, speed, and consistency. Behind the scenes, these results depend on how efficiently kitting and fulfillment processes work together. For ecommerce and B2B brands, the right 3PL partner can combine both functions into one seamless operation.

What Is the Difference Between Kitting and Fulfillment?

Kitting is the process of assembling multiple items into a single ready-to-ship SKU.
Fulfillment covers the full lifecycle of receiving, storing, picking, packing, and shipping orders.

In short, kitting happens before fulfillment and prepares products for the next step in the order flow.

How Kitting Improves Fulfillment Efficiency

When one 3PL manages both kitting and fulfillment, brands see major benefits:

Faster order turnaround: Pre-assembled kits can be picked and shipped immediately when an order comes in.


Lower labor costs: Fewer warehouse touches mean less time spent picking individual components.


Improved accuracy: Each kit is quality-checked and labeled in advance, minimizing errors in the fulfillment stage.


Smarter inventory tracking: Combined WMS visibility ensures you always know how many kits and components remain in stock.

For example, a vitamin company that bundles supplements into 30-day packs can ship thousands of orders faster when kits are pre-built and stored as single SKUs.

How the Kitting and Fulfillment Workflow Looks

A 3PL like 3PL Center integrates both services within its warehouse network:

Products Received: Items arrive from suppliers and are scanned into inventory.


Kitting Completed: Components are grouped into bundles, labeled, and stored as finished goods.


Order Received: The WMS identifies the pre-kitted SKU for immediate picking.


Packing & Shipping: Kits are packed with branded materials and shipped to customers or retailers.

Streamlining these steps helps brands avoid the slowdowns that come from running kitting and fulfillment separately. Our Kitting and Assembly Process Guide shows how each stage creates these efficiencies.

When to Use Combined Kitting and Fulfillment

This approach is especially useful if you:

Sell subscription boxes or multi-item kits.


Manage retail and ecommerce orders from the same warehouse.


Run seasonal promotions requiring pre-built bundles.


Need consistent packaging standards across multiple channels.

How 3PL Center Can Help

At 3PL Center, our kitting and fulfillment services work together inside one integrated system. We handle everything — from pre-assembly and labeling to nationwide distribution — so your orders ship faster and with 99.9% accuracy.

Our Warehouse Management System (WMS) offers complete visibility into your kit and inventory status in real time. And with multiple U.S. warehouses, you can achieve two-day delivery nationwide without paying for express shipping.

→ Learn more about our Kitting and Assembly Services or read our guide What Are 3PL Kitting Services? for a full breakdown of benefits.

Ready to simplify your operations?

Let 3PL Center manage your kitting and fulfillment under one roof.
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