If you're a DTC brand, bundles and kits are a powerful sales tool. "Buy the set and save" drives higher AOV. Gift sets crush during holidays. Subscription boxes keep customers coming back.
But bundles create inventory complexity. You're selling one thing but shipping multiple components. If any component runs out, the bundle is unsellable. And tracking what you actually have versus what you've committed to bundles requires a WMS that understands the difference.
This guide covers how to set up kitting and bundle tracking in your WMS—from kit BOMs to virtual bundles to marketing pack workflows.
Understanding Kit Types
Not all kits are the same. Understanding the types helps you configure your WMS correctly:
Pre-built kits (assembled in advance)
- Components assembled into a kit SKU before sale
- Kit sits on shelf as finished good
- Inventory tracked at kit level
- Example: Gift box with candle, soap, and lotion already packaged
On-demand kits (pick and assemble)
- Components stored separately
- When kit sells, picker gathers components
- Assembled at pack station
- Example: "Build your own box" subscription
Virtual bundles (never assembled)
- Components ship separately in same order
- No physical kit exists
- Just a pricing/ordering construct
- Example: "Buy laptop + case + mouse bundle" – each ships from different location
Marketing packs (promotional assemblies)
- Temporary bundles for promotions
- Pre-built for campaign, dissolved after
- Example: "Summer sampler" available only in June
Each type requires different WMS configuration.
Kit Bills of Material (BOMs)
Every kit needs a Bill of Material defining its components:
Example BOM for "Self-Care Gift Set" (SKU: GIFT-SELFCARE-01)
| Component SKU | Component Name | Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| CANDLE-LAV-8OZ | Lavender Candle 8oz | 1 |
| SOAP-OAT-4OZ | Oatmeal Soap Bar | 2 |
| LOTION-ROSE-6OZ | Rose Lotion 6oz | 1 |
| BOX-GIFT-MED | Medium Gift Box | 1 |
| TISSUE-WHT | White Tissue Paper | 2 sheets |
BOM attributes:
- Component SKU – The inventory item
- Quantity – How many per kit
- Unit of measure – Each, sheet, oz, etc.
- Optional flag – Can the kit ship without this? (e.g., promotional insert)
- Substitution rules – Can SOAP-OAT be replaced with SOAP-HONEY?
Nested kits:
- GIFT-DELUXE contains GIFT-BASIC + additional items
- System should expand nested BOMs for availability calculation
Available to Promise for Bundles
The key question: How many bundles can you sell?
Calculation: Available bundles = MIN(Component A available ÷ qty needed, Component B available ÷ qty needed, ...)
Example:
- 1 candle, 2 soaps, 1 lotion, 1 box, 2 tissue
Current inventory:
- Candles: 150 → 150 kits
- Soaps: 400 → 200 kits (need 2 per kit)
- Lotion: 80 → 80 kits
- Boxes: 100 → 100 kits
- Tissue: 1000 → 500 kits
Available kits = MIN(150, 200, 80, 100, 500) = 80
Your WMS should calculate this from warehouse truth first. CSV updates or scoped ecommerce data flows determine what gets sent downstream. If lotion drops to 50, available kits drops to 50.
The overselling risk: If you sell components AND kits from same pool, you can double-commit. Customer A buys 60 lotions; Customer B buys 30 gift sets (needing 30 lotions). You only have 80 lotions total.
Solution: Allocation must consider both direct sales and kit commitments.
Pre-Built vs On-Demand: When to Use Each
Pre-build kits when:
- High volume, consistent demand
- Kitting is labor-intensive (complex packaging)
- Lead time for kitting exceeds order-to-ship SLA
- Kit has unique packaging not used elsewhere
Advantages of pre-building:
- Faster fulfillment (kit already assembled)
- Consistent quality (done in controlled environment)
- Simpler picking (grab one SKU, not five)
Disadvantages:
- Ties up component inventory
- If kit doesn't sell, disassembly required
- Changes to kit contents require rebuild
On-demand kits when:
- Variable demand or new product testing
- Simple assembly (just put items in box)
- Components have high velocity individually
- Frequent kit content changes
Advantages of on-demand:
- Flexible—components always available for other uses
- No dead stock if kit doesn't sell
- Easy to modify kit contents
Disadvantages:
- Slower fulfillment
- Picker touches more items
- Assembly quality varies
Hybrid approach: Pre-build 2 weeks of expected kit sales. Fulfill on-demand when pre-built stock runs out. Replenish pre-built stock based on sales velocity.
Example Workflow: Kitting Operation
Here's how a pre-build kitting workflow runs in WarePulse:
Monday morning – Kitting plan generated
- Gift set sales: 200/week average
- Current pre-built stock: 50 kits
- Target buffer: 2 weeks = 400 kits
- Build order: 350 kits
Monday 10 AM – Kit work order created
- Work Order #WO-KIT-2024-0142
- Build 350 of GIFT-SELFCARE-01
- Components required:
System checks component availability: All sufficient ✓
Monday 10:15 AM – Component picks generated
- Pick 350 candles from locations P-01-023, P-01-024
- Pick 700 soaps from locations P-02-045, P-02-046
- etc.
Picker stages components at kitting station.
Monday 11 AM – 3 PM – Assembly
- Associate scans work order
- Scans each component as used
- Places finished kit in box
- Scans kit barcode to confirm completion
- System decrements components, increments kit inventory
Monday 3 PM – Kits available
- 350 kits now in location P-03-KIT-01
- CSV inventory export reflects 400 kits available (50 + 350)
- Components decremented in system
Marketing Packs and Promotions
Promotional bundles have unique requirements:
Time-limited availability
- "Summer Sampler" available June 1-30 only
- System must hide bundle after promotion ends
- Pre-built packs need plan for leftovers
Limited quantity
- "First 500 customers get bonus item"
- Track promotional inventory separately
- Auto-disable when limit reached
Promo-specific components
- Bonus items, special inserts, limited packaging
- May not be reusable after promo
- Write off or repurpose plan needed
Flash sale bundles
- Short-notice promotions
- May not have time to pre-build
- On-demand kitting with reserved component inventory
WMS configuration for promos:
- Create kit with start/end dates
- Set max quantity (if limited)
- Flag promotional components as non-replenishable
- Auto-archive kit after promo ends
- Report on promo performance: kits sold, leftover inventory, margin
Tracking and Reporting
Kitting adds reporting complexity. Track:
Kit sales performance
- Units sold by kit SKU
- Revenue and margin per kit
- Comparison: Kit margin vs. selling components separately
Component consumption
- Which components are used most in kits?
- Are kits cannibalizing individual component sales?
- Demand planning for kit components
Kitting productivity
- Kits assembled per hour
- Time per kit by kit type
- Bottleneck identification (which component takes longest?)
Inventory health
- Component availability vs. kit demand
- At-risk kits (component running low)
- Dead kit stock (pre-built but not selling)
Returns impact
- How do kit returns affect component inventory?
- If customer returns kit, do you disassemble?
- Grade returned kits: Resell as kit, part out, or scrap
WarePulse provides kit-specific reports covering sales, production, and inventory health, with drill-downs to component level.
Master Your Bundle Strategy
Bundles drive AOV and customer value—but only if you can fulfill them reliably.
A WMS built for kitting gives you:
- Real-time availability – Know exactly how many kits you can sell
- Flexible workflows – Pre-build or on-demand based on demand patterns
- Component visibility – Never oversell because a component ran out
- Promo support – Launch marketing packs without inventory chaos
For DTC brands, kitting is a growth lever. The brands that do it well can launch holiday sets, subscription boxes, and promotional bundles with confidence.
Learn more about WarePulse for ecommerce to see how kit management, CSV exports, and scoped ecommerce data flows fit into warehouse operations.