Christmas Bundle Kitting Process 2025

Standard Operating Procedure for Multi-Item Gift Bundle Production

Northwest Custom Apparel: Christmas Bundle Kitting Process 2025

Effective Date October 3, 2025
Policy Owner Ruth Nhong, Production Manager
Category Operations
Review Frequency Annual

1. Objective

To create a simple, efficient, and error-free process for producing and assembling customer gift bundles that contain items requiring multiple decoration methods. This process ensures that all items for an order are correctly decorated, tracked, and kitted into a final gift box.

2. The "Bundle Traveler"

The key to this process is the ShopWorks Work Order. Think of this form as the order's "traveler" or "passport." A printed copy will stay with the order's assigned Order Box from start to finish. It is the master checklist for the entire bundle.

3. Key Personnel & Departments

Account Executive (AE)
Enters initial order into ShopWorks
Purchasing Agent
Bradley - Orders all necessary blank goods
Shipping/Receiving Clerk
Mikalah - Receives goods and pulls stock
Production Manager
Ruth - Oversees entire production flow
Sticker Production
Steve - Manages sticker printing
Laser Engraving & DTG
Brian - Manages laser and DTG jobs
Embroidery Department
Handles all embroidery tasks
Sewing Department
Special tasks like sewing patches

4. Step-by-Step Workflow

Step 1: Order Intake & Purchasing

  • Action: The Account Executive (AE) enters the multi-item bundle order into ShopWorks.
  • Action: The order is then passed to the Purchasing Agent (Bradley).
  • Action: Bradley places the purchase orders for all goods that need to be sourced from outside vendors (e.g., SanMar).
  • Result: All necessary items for the order are officially purchased and/or allocated from inventory.

Step 2: Receiving, Staging & Production Handoff

  • Action: The Shipping and Receiving Clerk (Mikalah) receives the blank goods from the vendor.
  • Action: Mikalah also pulls any items that are already in-house from inventory (e.g., Stickers, Polar Camel Pints).
  • Action: Once all goods for the order are received and pulled, Mikalah consolidates them and delivers the complete set of items to the Production Manager (Ruth).
  • Action: Ruth prints the ShopWorks Work Order to serve as the official "Bundle Traveler."
  • Action: Ruth places all blank items for the order into a large, designated Order Box. The Bundle Traveler paperwork is attached securely to the outside of the box.
  • Result: All physical components for a single customer's gift box are staged together and are ready for the production floor.

Step 3: Department Distribution (The Breakout)

  • Action: Ruth, or a designated team member, uses the ShopWorks Work Order as a checklist.
  • Action: They physically separate the items from the Order Box and deliver them to the correct departments. Items with no decoration remain in the box.
  • Action: As items are sent out, they are checked off on the work order per standard procedure.
  • Result: Every item is tracked, and there is a clear record of which department has which part of the order.

Step 4: Decoration & Return

  • Action: Each department completes its decoration task.
  • Action: Once finished and quality-checked, the decorated items are immediately returned to the original, labeled Order Box in the central staging area.
  • For Multi-Step Items: If an item needs to visit another department (e.g., Laser then Sewing), it must be returned to the main Order Box first. The production manager then sends it to the next department, tracking its progress on the work order.
  • Result: Finished items are consolidated back into the correct customer's box, ready for the next step or final kitting.

Step 5: Consolidation & Final QC

  • Action: As decorated items are returned to the Order Box, Ruth checks them against the ShopWorks Work Order.
  • Action: A quick quality control check is performed on each returned item.
  • Result: The Production Manager has full visibility and can see at a glance which items are still pending.

Step 6: Final Kitting & Shipping

  • Action: Once all items are returned and accounted for, the kitting team arranges the complete set of items for a photograph.
  • Action: Using an iPad, a clear picture of the final bundle is taken for future reference and re-orders.
  • Action: The kitting team carefully packages all the items into the final Christmas gift box, using decorative Christmas tissue paper to ensure a high-quality presentation.
  • Action: The completed ShopWorks Work Order is signed off by the Production Manager and filed for record-keeping. The package is now ready for shipping.
  • Result: A fully-assembled, correct, and quality-checked gift box is sent to the customer, and a photo record of the bundle is saved for future reference.
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