5 things to consider when buying workwear for large teams

Purchasing workwear and PPE for a large team can feel overwhelming, particularly if that team is spread across multiple sites or depots. But while it is true that there is a lot to consider, buying workwear and PPE should never be an arduous task.

In this blog, we give our top 5 tips for success. These are:

• Assess your needs
• Choose a reputable supplier
• Consider your options
• Minimise waste
• Manage rollout

Let’s find out more…

Step 1: Assess your needs

Purchasing workwear and PPE for a large team is all about planning ahead.

The first step in the process requires a high-level assessment of your team and the roles performed by different employees within it.

Some questions to ask might include:

• What specific health and safety risks do you need to protect against with PPE? Consulting your workplace risk assessment will help identify where the likes of cut-resistant clothing, hi vis garments, thermal wear, antistatic footwear, or ESD protection are required.
• Which staff are customer-facing, and how does this impact what they will need to wear?
• How many of each item will need to be provided to each employee to enable them to look smart and stay safe throughout their working week?
• Will any items need specialist cleaning, or will everything be laundered at home by individual employees?
• What do your staff want and need from their workwear and PPE? Asking their opinion on what does and doesn’t currently work for them will not only help ensure nothing gets missed, but will also show staff that you care about their comfort and wellbeing.

Step 2: Choose a reputable supplier

Shopping around to get the best quality and price for all the different items of workwear and PPE your business needs is not only incredibly time-consuming, but fraught with potential for errors to be made.

A reputable single-source workwear and PPE supplier should be able to source everything you need to outfit and equip your teams with high quality clothing and PPE that is comfortable, durable and cost-effective.

A good workwear and PPE provider should become a trusted partner, able to support you in identifying your needs, overcoming challenges, and improving your workplace with new innovations in products as and when they become available.

Find out more: Why use a single source supplier? Read our blog on the benefits

Step 3: Consider your options

Purchasing new workwear and PPE for your teams is an ideal time to revisit what works and what doesn’t about your current supply, and to take steps to do things better.

Some questions to ask might include:

• What level of quality and durability do you require? Remember that enhanced comfort and fit tends to come with a slightly higher price tag, but is likely to improve employee morale and reduce costs in the longer term. Find out more about how to spot a high quality garment
• Which items will require company branding, and how do you want them to look? A good workwear supplier can advise on the difference between print and embroidery branding and help you achieve the look you desire. Find out more: Branded workwear – your questions answered
• How important is sustainability to your business? Do you have a desire to switch to recycled workwear, or to reduce the carbon footprint of PPE supply? With more and more manufacturers now providing recycled and carbon neutral options across safety footwear, work gloves, hi vis and more, the choice is out there for businesses for whom sustainability is a high priority.
• Do you require any bespoke items? Whether it is clothing that matches your company pantones or a completely bespoke design that combines practicality and comfort, creating a bespoke look for your workforce can bring wide-ranging benefits. Go bespoke: Find out how to stand out with garment branding

Step 4: Minimise waste

Investing in a workwear ordering portal can help businesses to control spend and reduce waste.

A good single-source workwear and PPE supplier should be able to create a bespoke online catalogue of pre-chosen, pre-approved products with individual, tiered logins and set purchase limits to control who can order what, how often and in what quantity.

Find out more: Discover 6 benefits to investing in an online workwear ordering portal
Reduce your PPE wastage with these top tips

This not only helps ensure the continued good management of your team’s workwear and PPE provision including encouraging compliance and reducing rogue spend, but can also aid the initial ordering and subsequent rollout of new workwear and PPE to your team. Which brings us to…

Step 5: Manage rollout

Delivering workwear to employees working across multiple sites can be a headache if not managed correctly. Ensuring individual employees get their chosen items, in the correct sizes, may be impossible if you rely on a bulk order and distribute items centrally.

An established single-source supplier will be able to manage this process for you, using the individual employee profiles set up on its online catalogue portal to ensure orders are batched together and delivered to the right location.

Find out more about workwear rollouts with our step-by-step guide to a stress-free process.

Some of the range available to you can be found on our online store. For a comprehensive and complete review we recommend a consultation to explore your requirements in full. Call our team on 0121 749 4433.