Corporate Requirements for Workwear

Every organization has its own corporate color and a minimum set of requirements for workwear. However, unfortunately, given the current huge selection of suppliers, this set of requirements can lead to the purchased clothing failing to meet the stated specifications. Disruptions in clothing delivery schedules are also quite likely.

Previously, the organization's corporate color was blue. Several types of suits designed for protection against general industrial pollution and mechanical impacts differed from the majority due to the specific nature of the work performed, as did suits made from flame-retardant fabrics.

During the procurement procedure, at the stage of approving the technical specifications, the departments involved in the process had many questions. We had to remove some characteristics, generalize others, and change some to different ones, which naturally did not suit us. Having technical specifications with overly generalized requirements, or lacking some parameters that might seem insignificant at first glance, resulted in supply contracts for a wide variety of suits: one suit one year, a different one the next, and so on.

In 2020, the corporation introduced a brand book, which was implemented in our organization to provide employees with high-quality workwear.

The brand book is a catalog of workwear for the organization's employees, aligned with PPE issuance standards and the specific types of work performed. It reflects the most significant characteristics of the workwear: design, color, and material. The catalog also illustrates the actual appearance of the clothing.

If you think the appearance of such a document made our task easier, you are mistaken — or rather, it didn't happen immediately. The first delivery, based on technical specifications formed ONLY according to the characteristics and parameters specified in the brand book, was so terrible that we had to reject the clothing and return it to the supplier. Over time, corporate requirements were adapted to ensure truly high-quality and comfortable workwear, but we still used what was outlined in the brand book as our foundation.

Corporate requirements for workwear allow you to quickly generate technical specifications for procurement, keep them unchanged for several years, and narrow down the pool of suppliers. However, this only works when you clearly understand exactly what kind of clothing you need: this applies to its appearance, design, and fabric.

Thanks to this document, employees can be identified by their departments, which helps ensure control over PPE usage. Additionally, providing the same protective equipment year after year minimizes dead stock in the warehouse, thereby reducing costs.

This may not be a simple procedure: developing and implementing such a document takes a lot of time, and many items may require custom tailoring due to their specific features. However, seeing the benefits of having it, it is definitely worth considering the implementation of such a document.