Electronics manufacturers often look for ways to reduce duplicated work when multiple assemblies share a large portion of components across their BOMs. This comes up frequently on SMT builds: you may have three assemblies, A, B, and C, each on its own work order, but 70-90% of the components overlap.

In these situations, the real goal is simple:

• Use full reels across multiple orders without over-buying
• Pick overlapping components one time
• Keep reels on the SMT machine instead of tearing down and rebuilding feeders
• Preserve traceability and order-level accountability

Historically, many EMS companies have solved this with expensive “family kitting” software tied to their SMT equipment. But Cetec ERP already provides a practical, integrated way to support this workflow using Batch Orders.

This article explains how the process works today and how the Batch feature supports combined kitting.

The Operational Challenge

For SMT-heavy shops, the pain points are familiar:

• Significant BOM overlap between assemblies on separate orders
• Duplicate picking and de-kitting
• Extra reel purchases because demand is planned per order
• Lost efficiency resetting feeders for each order
• A desire for “one kit, one pick” behavior without losing order-level accuracy

Your current workflow idea already captures the essentials: entering the orders normally, using MRP for consolidated demand, and physically treating the materials as a single combined kit while still kitting order-by-order inside Cetec ERP.

The missing piece is whether Cetec ERP can natively support a merged-kit workflow so your team doesn’t need to manually track the combined aspect outside the system.

Using Batch Orders: The Closest Equivalent to a Combined Kit

Cetec ERP includes a feature that gets you very close to true “family kitting”: Batch Orders.

A Batch allows you to group multiple orders and perform actions across the batch and most importantly, picking across the batch as if it were one kit.

You can create a Batch from: Production → Orders → Batch List or directly from the Order Release screen.

Once the orders are batched:

• You can pick components across the entire batch, not order-by-order.
• The system still records the materials to the appropriate order/line for traceability.
• Shared components only need to be pulled once.
• Warehouse and SMT teams can treat the build as a single combined kit while Cetec tracks allocations at the correct order level.

This maintains the integrity of:

• Receipt ID-level traceability
• BOM-level accuracy
• Work order costing
• SMT feeder setup continuity

For many EMS manufacturers, this solves the core problem without introducing a separate “family kitting” module.

A Recommended Combined-Kit Workflow in Cetec ERP

Below is a practical version of your proposed workflow, incorporating Batch Orders.

1. Enter the Work Orders Normally

Input orders A, B, and C just as you intend to build them. Set the same work start date for all three so MRP consolidates demand.

2. Run MRP and Purchase to Consolidated Demand

MRP will combine demand across the orders for shared components. If you aren’t using scrap/attrition factors, this is a good time to start. SMT builds rely heavily on accurate scrap assumptions.

3. (Optional) Generate an Overlap Report for SMT

Many teams like to create a simple report or export listing:

• Component
• Which BOMs it appears on
• Total combined demand

Sorting by “most common to least common” helps plan the feeder load to maximize machine stability.

4. Release Orders and Create a Batch

When the parts arrive, you’ll see the orders as shortage-free. Add the orders to a Batch and release all three to the pick queue in one step.

Go to Warehouse → Release to Production → Release Build Orders. You may add some filtering based on work start date, customer, short Yes/No, etc.

Select the orders, then you can, in a single, successive step, Create a Batch, Release to your material staging (kit prep, warehouse, etc), and batch print your license plates (travelers).

Now the picker can work one physical kit while performing batch-level picking in the system.

Navigate to Production -> Orders -> Batch List to find your batch, and access the consolidated pick list.

5. Pick Across the Batch

The user picks the parts once (physically), while Cetec ERP allocates them to the correct orders. For components fulfilled by a single full reel, the picker can use the “All” function on the final order, ensuring leftover material is correctly attributed to the correct work order location.

6. SMT Setup Uses the Combined-Kit Report

Provide SMT with the overlap report so they can set feeders for the full combined run. The Batch structure keeps their workflow aligned with picking and later de-kitting. This would be the consolidated Pick List printed on the Batch, or the Component Needs Across BOMs report, exported separately.

7. De-Kit and Put Away Normally

De-kitting is still done per order, but because the Batch kept everything together, the process is straightforward and traceable.

How This Compares to Dedicated “Family Kitting” Software

Companies can use a dedicated “Family Kitting” software for:

• Component traceability
• Family kitting / overlapping BOMs
• SMT scrap/overage calculation
• Machine-level integration

Cetec ERP already covers the first two natively via Receipt ID traceability and Batch Orders. The third, exact feeder scrap counts, could be captured via API integrations if needed.

For many EMS companies, the Batch workflow replaces high-cost third-party software without sacrificing traceability or operational clarity.

When to Use This Method

This approach is well suited for:

• EMS / PCBA manufacturers
• High-mix, low-volume SMT lines
• Assemblies with 50%+ BOM overlap
• Teams trying to reduce reel purchases
• Environments where SMT feeder setups are a capacity bottleneck

It is not intended for situations where builds must be formally merged into a single work order (e.g., certain defense or medical device workflows with rigid order segregation). In those cases, compliance rules override efficiency.

Conclusion

Combined SMT kitting has always been a challenge in ERP systems: How do you get the efficiency of a single kit without losing order-level traceability?

Cetec ERP’s Batch Order feature provides a practical, integrated answer. It allows you to:

• Pick once
• Share reels
• Keep feeders loaded
• Preserve traceability
• Avoid additional software

For many electronics manufacturers, this is an effective and affordable alternative to dedicated “family kitting” tools.