Consolidation – the act of combining a number of things in one place to create a more effective or coherent whole. It’s a word we hear a lot, when it comes to subjects such as pensions, loans and other financial matters, but it can also be a beneficial practice in many other areas of business – and indeed, daily life.
When everything is in one place it becomes much easier to manage or to find what you need quickly – and the same principle applies to PPE and corporate workwear procurement.
Why go to the effort of having to deal with lots of different companies to get the items you need, when you could save time and money by sourcing it all from the same place?
In this article we delve deeper into the problems you could be experiencing by not consolidating your PPE and corporate workwear supply.
The pitfalls of a non-consolidated spend
Sourcing your PPE and workwear from a multitude of different suppliers can create a number of pain points and have a negative impact on your time, your budget and your company image. Let’s take a look at the main pains of unconsolidated spend on PPE and corporate workwear:
- Not having one consolidated invoice, meaning more reconciliation work for the finance team
There’s a lot of extra administration involved in dealing with multiple invoices. If your finance team has only one invoice to process, it will leave them more time to complete other tasks.
- No clear reporting on spend and budgets if splitting between suppliers
Liaising with many different suppliers regarding your PPE and corporate workwear creates a much bigger drain on your time when it comes to keeping track of what has been purchased and from where.
One supplier can make it much clearer, easier and quicker for you and your finance team to report on annual spend and budgets, as there is no need to split the reports between suppliers.
Also, buying from a multitude of suppliers means you are less likely to benefit from any additional cost savings that can come from purchasing items in large quantities or larger single orders.
- No consistency with branding if staff are wearing garments from different manufacturers
If you aren’t ordering all of your PPE and corporate workwear from the same supplier, you run the risk of your branding lacking consistency.
Workwear by different manufacturers can often appear visibly different, despite it seeming to be the same item when you order it.
- Missing out on assistance with data analysis to identify potential spend/product improvements
With just one supplier, you’ll benefit from one single point of contact analysing your data to see where spend and products can be improved.
- Not having a clear process for tracking items can be a particular issue when dealing with multiple suppliers using multiple couriers
Ask yourself – are you on top of exactly what PPE and corporate workwear you’ve ordered? Not having a clear process for tracking items can lead to confusion if you’re dealing with multiple suppliers who have multiple couriers.
- Not having a single point of contact for ease of ordering and knowledge of your previous orders
One point of contact not only ensures greater ease in ordering but also that they will have knowledge of your previous orders, the items you regularly order, any new products that might interest you and potential improvements that can be made to help make your procurement more efficient and meet your budget.
Save time and money while guaranteeing the quality of your PPE and workwear
If a one-stop-shop for your PPE and workwear sounds appealing, then you’ll be pleased to know that Contego Safety Solutions stocks a wide range of corporate workwear, protective clothing and PPE, including our WEARMASTER® range.
We’re always on hand to give advice and guidance on the right PPE and protective clothing for your needs. Contact us now on 0800 122 3323 or sales@contegosafety.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
