Kitting Made Easy: Managing Landscape Project Packages with Inventory Software

Landscaping projects often require a specific combination of materials – a certain amount of soil, a type of mulch, a selection of plants, and perhaps some edging or stone. Manually assembling and tracking these "project packages" or kits can be time-consuming and prone to errors for landscaping suppliers. This is where the concept of "kitting" in inventory management becomes incredibly valuable.

What is Kitting in Landscaping Supply?

Kitting is the process of grouping individual inventory items together to be sold or managed as a single unit or package. In the context of landscaping supply, this could mean creating predefined kits for:

• Garden Bed Packages: Soil, mulch, and a selection of common plants.
• Patio Kits: Pavers, gravel base, and edging.
• Repair Kits: Specific stone, sand, and jointing compound.
• Seasonal Bundles: Fall planting mix, bulbs, and decorative gourds.

Instead of listing and tracking each component separately for every project, you create a "kit" item in your inventory system that represents the entire package.

The Challenges of Manual Kitting

Trying to manage project packages manually using spreadsheets or paper lists can lead to:

Inaccurate Inventory

Manually deducting each component from stock for every kit sold is tedious and increases the likelihood of miscounts.

Time-Consuming Order Processing

Creating quotes and processing orders for kits requires listing out every single item, which takes time.

Difficulty Tracking Kit Components

Knowing how many components you need to build a certain number of kits, or which kits a specific component belongs to, is hard to track manually.

Quoting Errors

Ensuring the correct pricing for a bundled package, especially with varying component costs, can lead to mistakes.

How Inventory Software Simplifies Kitting

Inventory management software with kitting capabilities streamlines this process significantly:

1. Define Kits with Bill of Materials (BOM)

The software allows you to create a "Bill of Materials" (BOM) for each kit. This is a list of all the individual inventory items (components) and the quantity of each required to build one kit.

2. Automated Inventory Deduction

When a kit is sold, the software automatically deducts the correct quantity of each component from your raw material inventory. You track the kit as a single item, but the system handles the component-level adjustments.

3. Simplified Order Entry and Quoting

You can add the kit to a quote or sales order as a single line item. The software knows all the components included, simplifying the process for your sales team and contractors.

4. Component Tracking and Reporting

Easily see how many components you have available to build more kits. Generate reports on kit sales and the consumption of individual components.

5. Accurate Pricing

Set a price for the entire kit. The software manages the relationship between the kit price and the cost of its components.

6. Improved Efficiency

Kitting reduces the number of line items on orders and simplifies the picking process, as staff can work from a list of components needed for a batch of kits rather than individual items for each order.

Conclusion

Kitting is a powerful strategy for landscaping suppliers to simplify complex project orders, improve inventory accuracy, and boost operational efficiency. By leveraging inventory management software with kitting and Bill of Materials capabilities, you can easily create and manage project packages, streamline your sales process, and gain better control over your component inventory.

Interested in improving your kitting and landscape project packages? Learn how InterSource can help.