Uniforms are a brilliant way to promote your brand and bring a consistent image to your team’s overall image.
For those businesses who haven’t previously had uniforms before, they can be a good option to deliver more brand awareness. That’s really who these 5 tips are written for! Or you might be new to the process of procuring uniforms, in which case… read on!
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Most common procurement mistakes:
1. Ordering unisex uniforms
I don’t think we need to go into the differences between men and ladies body shapes. That’s an entirely different blog post! One BIG boo-boo managers often make is ordering a Unisex uniform, or ordering it in Men’s style and issuing it to all the women. Consider different styles, cuts and sizes. That's the best way to get your staff feeling confident and proud in their uniform.
2. Choosing fast and cheap uniforms
Fast and cheap is never a good option if you want quality, durability and staff satisfaction. Picking the fast and cheap option might seem like a good option to save some money. But in the long run, it will end up costing you more than just your cash. Customers will pick up on the cheap quality and staff won’t enjoy wearing them. You could also end up paying more to replace the uniforms more often due to poor wear and tear. Think about the cost of the process, not just the product!
3. Not considering your uniform embellishment properly
Let’s face it, it’s not really a uniform unless your branding is represented somewhere. One of the biggest rookie mistakes is not considering how the uniform is being worn, and the conditions it is used in. For uniforms that are constantly moving, brushing up on things, or being exposed to the elements, you should opt for a more hard-wearing uniform embellishment like embroidery. For employees that have a very sedentary office job, you may get away with a high-quality printed logo. Digitally printed logos are cost-effective and long-lasting but won’t compare to other embellishment types if the conditions are more rigorous. There are lots to think about when selecting an embellishment type. Consider durability, cost-effectiveness, ability to colour-match, level of detail required and garment and/or fabric suitability. Look for a work uniform supplier who offers a range of embellishment options – preferably with in-house embellishment capabilities. They should be able to prepare samples, as well as give you guidelines of the different logo positions for your chosen uniform items.
4. Choosing the wrong uniform supplier
When you are choosing your uniform supplier, make sure you do your research. Uniform providers are not all created equal. The last thing you want is for the process to be delayed, have disgruntled employees, to overspend or make mistakes. Check out our blog post “16 Questions You Should Be Asking When Selecting Your Uniform Supplier” to give you some more tips. Look for a large range of uniforms, good customer service, and technology to help manage the uniform program.
5. Over-complicating the uniform design
Some of the biggest rookie mistakes are over-complicating the design or, worse, not knowing what is possible and missing opportunities. Not considering how branding can best work on apparel items, is an easy mistake to make when you’re new to it. For example, just because you have fluorescent orange as your corporate colour, it doesn’t mean you should find matching bright orange polo shirts! Karen in accounting is not going to be too excited about that!
6. Not thinking about the rollout plan
Not having a clear strategy for the rollout plan is likely to bring a lot of pain to your organisation. Stakeholder “noise” is often one of the risks that is known to derail and challenge the uniform procurement process. Read our article “The Secrets To Eliminating Organisational Risk During the Uniform Procurement Process” to learn more.
7. Not having a strategy for disposing of old uniforms
This is one of the least considered factors of uniform procurement, and invariably one of the most impactful on our environment. Uniforms not only need to be recycled responsibility to avoid unauthorised use, but also so you avoid landfill. Our article “Are You Disposing of Old Work Uniforms Responsibly?” breaks this down and gives you a plan to implement in your business.
What’s next?
Take all of these common mistakes on-board and make sure you are ordering exactly what you need and want for your corporate uniforms. And if you want to go Pro with your uniform procurement management, check out The Secrets To Eliminating Risk With Uniform Procurement for a deep dive into uniform procurement best practice.
Total Uniform Solutions has developed uniforms and merchandise for Optus, Spicers Retreats, 99 Bikes, Datacom, Anytime Fitness, and The Athletes Foot ...among others, so you know you are working with a trusted team.