Switching to a new Workwear and PPE supplier is a major decision and many Procurement or Health and Safety persons go into a selection process without much knowledge of the factors that influence the overall cost of their company's branded Workwear and PPE.
There are so many variables, it's very difficult to give you an accurate cost without detailed knowledge of your specific requirements. By the end of this article, though, you'll be well informed and prepared to make a purchasing decision that's right for your business.
What drives cost up?
LOW USAGE
This could be due to the size of your workforce or your industry, whatever the reason, if your company usage of branded Workwear and PPE is low you may be charged higher prices. Additionally, if you are a small company, you may not have the bargaining power to negotiate lower prices with your supplier.
It takes time and effort to set up a new design on an embroidery machine, therefore small embroidery runs just aren't cost effective. Also, the price of the transfers that are printed on to your workwear garments are dependent on the quantity required.
YOUR SUPPLIER
Suppliers with a well-established brand reputation may charge a premium for their products due to their perceived quality and reputation in the market. Also, brands that are well-known and have a strong reputation in the market often command a higher price due to their perceived quality and reliability.
YOUR COLOUR SELECTION
You want a particular colour shade that matches your brand guidelines, but if you don't specify a mainstream Workwear colour (such as black or navy), you may be charged higher costs. This is because manufacturers produce smaller quantities of uncommon colours, simply due to low demand. This results in increased production costs that are ultimately passed on to you, the end user.
Two-tone Workwear garments require more material and have a more complex production process, leading to higher costs. In addition, some dyes are more expensive than others due to their rarity or the complexity of the production process, which also drives cost up.
HOW YOU ORDER
Ordering small quantities and placing multiple small orders can result in a higher cost per item, as your supplier will have to allocate additional resources to fulfil your orders (higher volume of orders = more person’s processing, picking, and checking your orders).
Some suppliers enforce restrictions upon small orders such as minimum order charges, minimum number of branded garments per order, or increased carriage costs. Also, if the nature of your business demands a fast turnaround time, you may need to pay a premium for expedited production and shipping, which can increase the cost of your branded workwear.
YOUR PRODUCT RANGE
Ordering a wide selection of branded Workwear & PPE from various manufacturers or distributors may enable you to find the best products to meet your specific needs. However, this approach often results in higher costs due to the higher costs of procurement, inventory management, and order processing associated with dealing with multiple suppliers.
Ordering a product outside of your supplier's stock range can incur an extra cost. This is because your supplier may need to source the product from a different manufacturer or order it specially for your company, which can result in higher costs due to the additional time and resources required to fulfil the order.
Additionally, it is hard to manage a wide and varied range of branded Workwear & PPE. You may be unable to negotiate better cost prices with your supplier due to your company's usage being spread across multiple product lines, in contrast to a concise, approved product range.
BESPOKE BRANDED WORKWEAR
Bespoke Workwear is more expensive because it requires the development of a custom product, tailored to your requirements. This involves additional costs such as sourcing new materials, creating custom patterns, and producing a limited number of items. Additionally, if the product requires special features, such as specific colours, branding methods, or fabrics, the cost of the product will be increased. Minimum order quantities per size and product are high and you may be left with a lot of unwanted stock on your hands.
YOUR INDUSTRY
Some branded Workwear and PPE is designed for specific industries and has to meet specific safety and compliance requirements. An example of this is arc flash garments, arc flash garments are a lot more expensive due to the cost of testing and certification.
YOUR LOGO AND BRANDING REQUIREMENTS
Adding your logo or design to your Workwear and PPE increases the cost due to the additional time and resources required for the design and production process. The following factors drive cost up.
- The complexity of your company logo may increase the cost of embroidery, logos with more intricate designs take longer to stitch on to garments.
- The size of your company logo may increase the cost of embroidery, larger logos require more stitches and take more time to embroider.
- Number of colours increase transfer costs: printing multiple colour logos requires multiple colours of ink or toner, and the transfer process becomes more complex and time-consuming as the number of colours increases. Multiple colour logos require additional printing steps and are more challenging to reproduce consistently, which results in higher production costs.
What keeps cost down?
HIGH USAGE
If you regularly order large quantities of branded Workwear and PPE, the costs associated with production, such as setup fees, artwork, and printing, can be spread out over a larger number of items, reducing the per-unit cost. The more items that are being branded, the lower the cost per item.
Your supplier may offer discounts for bulk orders, as they can optimise their production processes and reduce production time when producing a larger quantity of items. Some companies such as Workwear Express offer price breaks, discounting the cost per garment in line with an increase in quantity.
Additionally, if you are a large company, you may have the ability to negotiate lower prices with your supplier due to the volume of your requirements or by performing an official tender exercise.
YOUR SUPPLIER
Some suppliers import their own range of products, this enables end users to order their branded Workwear and PPE direct from a manufacturer, reducing middleman markup. By partnering directly with a supplier that has their own range of quality, certified products, you can bypass the middleman and avoid the markup that would otherwise be added to the cost of your workwear. Additionally, establishing a long-term relationship with your supplier and placing regular orders can result in better pricing and service.
YOUR COLOUR SELECTION
If you want to keep costs down, specify common colours such as black, navy, or grey. These colours are in very high demand and produced in bulk quantities, making them more cost-effective for manufacturers to produce.
HOW YOU ORDER
By placing larger, consolidated orders, you may be able negotiate improved pricing due to higher average order values. Shipping and handling costs are also reduced, as your orders can be shipped together, rather than individually. A large, one-time order will be cheaper than several smaller orders over time.
Consolidating orders and ordering ahead of time also minimises the need for last minute orders and reduces the costs that are associated with expedited shipping. A number of clients order branded Workwear and PPE in bulk and stock throughout their depot network to avoid the need for last minute requirements.
YOUR PRODUCT RANGE
Streamline and consolidate your branded Workwear and PPE range as much as possible. A concise product range is easier to manage and ordering from a small selection of approved products drives costs down, due to economies of scale. Additionally, it simplifies the procurement process and reduces lead times.
You can harness your buying power on a concise product range to negotiate improved costs and product improvements with your supplier, resulting in better value for money for you, the end user.
Further cost benefits of consolidating your product range are outlined in this article.
YOUR LOGO AND BRANDING REQUIREMENTS
Keeping your logo and branding requirements simple can reduce the cost of production. For example, printing a one colour transfer logo requires only a single colour ink or toner, and the transfer process is relatively simple and straightforward. Additionally, one colour transfer logos are easier to reproduce and can be printed in larger quantities, making them more cost-effective to produce.
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