kitting

As costs continue to rise and the heavy-duty and automotive industries face technician shortages, businesses are looking for ways to reduce expenses, while increasing output. An effective strategy is the use of kitting.

Kitting:

Kitting is the process of gathering individual components or parts and packaging them together as a single unit or “kit” for assembly, distribution, or sale.  Kitting can help to streamline workflow, reduce costs, and improve service delivery.

Benefits of Kitting in the Heavy-Duty Industry

Kitting offers significant benefits for companies operating in the construction, over-the-road (OTR), and owner-operator segments of the heavy-duty industry. It streamlines operations, reduces costs, and enhances service quality across the board.

Reduce Downtime

Kitting ensures that all the necessary parts are packaged together and ready to use, which reduces the time technicians spend searching for individual items.

Improved Inventory Managment

By grouping parts into kits, it is easier for companies to track the usage of parts. This can help to reduce excess inventory and simplify reordering.

Reach Cost-Sensitive or Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Customers

Some customers would prefer to do basic maintenance or may not be able to afford dealership repairs or prepaid service plans. Kits provide an affordable alternative, helping to retain those customers and prevent them from turning to third-party alternatives.

Cost Savings

Kitting helps reduce the costs associated with packaging, shipping, and handling by streamlining the delivery of components. It also minimizes the risk of missing parts, which can lead to emergency orders or expedited shipping. Additionally, kitting reduces the likelihood of parts being returned, improving overall efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Benefits of Kitting in the Automotive Industry

Faster Access to the Parts Needed

Kits include all required parts in one kit, eliminating the need for technicians to wait on parts or make multiple trips to the parts counter.

Quicker Common Repairs

Pre-assembled kits streamline workflow, especially in high-volume areas.

Optimized OEM Parts Distribution Centers (PDCs)

By shifting kitting operations out of high-cost PDC environments and into specialized, cost-effective facilities, OEMs can reduce overhead, free up valuable space, and allow PDCs to focus on their core mission, efficient parts distribution.

Real-World Results: Kitting in Action

A great example of kitting’s impact can be seen in how we at Kem Krest leveraged high-tech kitting machinery to drive efficiency and cost savings. By automating and optimizing their kitting processes, they were able to:

  • Increase throughput and reduce labor.
  • Improve accuracy and consistency in kit assembly.
  • Deliver significant cost savings for OEM partners.

This case study highlights how investing in advanced kitting solutions can transform operations and deliver measurable results. It also highlights the importance of using Genuine OEM parts in the kitting process, ensuring quality, compatibility, and reliability that alternative parts providers may not consistently offer.

Read the full case study here.

Conclusion: Streamline with Confidence

Kitting is more than just a packaging strategy—it’s a powerful tool for improving operational efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing service delivery. By minimizing downtime and helping organizations stay within warranty parameters, kitting also contributes to better customer satisfaction. Whether you’re managing parts for repairs, maintenance, or distribution, kitting simplifies complex processes and supports faster, more accurate execution.

As businesses continue to navigate rising costs and resource constraints, adopting smart, scalable solutions like kitting can make a meaningful difference. Now is the time to evaluate how kitting can fit into your operations and help you stay ahead in a competitive market.

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kitting

As costs continue to rise and the heavy-duty and automotive industries face technician shortages, businesses are looking for ways to reduce expenses, while increasing output. An effective strategy is the use of kitting.

Kitting:

Kitting is the process of gathering individual components or parts and packaging them together as a single unit or “kit” for assembly, distribution, or sale.  Kitting can help to streamline workflow, reduce costs, and improve service delivery.

Benefits of Kitting in the Heavy-Duty Industry

Kitting offers significant benefits for companies operating in the construction, over-the-road (OTR), and owner-operator segments of the heavy-duty industry. It streamlines operations, reduces costs, and enhances service quality across the board.

Reduce Downtime

Kitting ensures that all the necessary parts are packaged together and ready to use, which reduces the time technicians spend searching for individual items.

Improved Inventory Managment

By grouping parts into kits, it is easier for companies to track the usage of parts. This can help to reduce excess inventory and simplify reordering.

Reach Cost-Sensitive or Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Customers

Some customers would prefer to do basic maintenance or may not be able to afford dealership repairs or prepaid service plans. Kits provide an affordable alternative, helping to retain those customers and prevent them from turning to third-party alternatives.

Cost Savings

Kitting helps reduce the costs associated with packaging, shipping, and handling by streamlining the delivery of components. It also minimizes the risk of missing parts, which can lead to emergency orders or expedited shipping. Additionally, kitting reduces the likelihood of parts being returned, improving overall efficiency and customer satisfaction.

Benefits of Kitting in the Automotive Industry

Faster Access to the Parts Needed

Kits include all required parts in one kit, eliminating the need for technicians to wait on parts or make multiple trips to the parts counter.

Quicker Common Repairs

Pre-assembled kits streamline workflow, especially in high-volume areas.

Optimized OEM Parts Distribution Centers (PDCs)

By shifting kitting operations out of high-cost PDC environments and into specialized, cost-effective facilities, OEMs can reduce overhead, free up valuable space, and allow PDCs to focus on their core mission, efficient parts distribution.

Real-World Results: Kitting in Action

A great example of kitting’s impact can be seen in how we at Kem Krest leveraged high-tech kitting machinery to drive efficiency and cost savings. By automating and optimizing their kitting processes, they were able to:

  • Increase throughput and reduce labor.
  • Improve accuracy and consistency in kit assembly.
  • Deliver significant cost savings for OEM partners.

This case study highlights how investing in advanced kitting solutions can transform operations and deliver measurable results. It also highlights the importance of using Genuine OEM parts in the kitting process, ensuring quality, compatibility, and reliability that alternative parts providers may not consistently offer.

Read the full case study here.

Conclusion: Streamline with Confidence

Kitting is more than just a packaging strategy—it’s a powerful tool for improving operational efficiency, reducing costs, and enhancing service delivery. By minimizing downtime and helping organizations stay within warranty parameters, kitting also contributes to better customer satisfaction. Whether you’re managing parts for repairs, maintenance, or distribution, kitting simplifies complex processes and supports faster, more accurate execution.

As businesses continue to navigate rising costs and resource constraints, adopting smart, scalable solutions like kitting can make a meaningful difference. Now is the time to evaluate how kitting can fit into your operations and help you stay ahead in a competitive market.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

ABOUT KEM KREST

Kem Krest, a certified minority business enterprise (MBE), is the nation’s leading provider of supply chain optimization solutions to automotive, powersports, and heavy-duty OEMs. Through our dedicated team members, lean operating system, and streamlined technology, Kem Krest ensures a resilient and uninterrupted supply chain for the programs we manage.

Through customized end to end solutions that address every facet of the supply chain—from inventory management, fulfillment, warehousing, kitting, packaging, logistics, and transportation management, Kem Krest enables companies to increase operational efficiency, deliver superior customer and employee experiences, focus on growth initiatives, and achieve cost savings.

Kem Krest partners with companies to virtualize their supply chains through a growing network of 12 facilities in the US and Canada, featuring 1.75M sq. ft. of warehouse space and 600+ full-time team members. For more information, please visit Kem Krest’s website at www.kemkrest.com.