Kitting is a specific value-added logistics process where individual but related items (separate SKUs) are gathered, packaged, and supplied together as a single unit (a new, single SKU). This practice is common in manufacturing and e-commerce fulfillment to streamline the picking and assembly process by pre-grouping components or products that are frequently ordered together. The resulting "kit" is then handled as one item for the remainder of the supply chain process, which directly aligns with the scenario described.

A. Bunching: This is a non-technical, general term for grouping items together and lacks the specific meaning of assembling a pre-defined set of related parts for a single purpose.

B. Packing: This refers to the broader activity of placing any item(s) into a container for protection and shipping, not specifically the assembly of related items into a new unit.

D. Banding: This is a specific method of securing goods, often using plastic or metal straps. It is a unitizing technique, not the process of creating a kit from related items.

1. Richards, G. (2017). Warehouse Management: A Complete Guide to Improving Efficiency and Minimizing Costs (3rd ed.). Kogan Page. In Chapter 11, "Value-adding activities," kitting is defined as "the process of putting a number of separate items into a container or pack to create a single new item or SKU" (p. 231).

2. Frazelle, E. (2016). Supply Chain Strategy: The Logistics of Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill Education. In Chapter 5, "Logistics and Fulfillment," kitting is described as a value-added service where "items that are regularly sold together are pre-packaged as a kit" (p. 142).

3. Boysen, N., de Koster, M. B. M., & Weidinger, F. (2019). Warehousing in the e-commerce era: A survey. European Journal of Operational Research, 277(2), 396-411. The paper discusses value-added services in e-commerce warehouses, identifying kitting as the "assembly of different products to a set, which is sold as a new product (e.g., gift baskets)" (Section 2.3, p. 400). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2018.08.023