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How too many suppliers are draining your budget and time

5 minute read

Embroidery Branding

Using multiple PPE suppliers might be the norm, but it shouldn’t be. 

Juggling different standards, prices, invoices, and delivery times slows everything down and drives up costs. 

Is your business under pressure to reduce PPE costs, stay compliant, and manage inventory better? You’re not alone. 

Find out why too many suppliers are draining your budget and time, and how to fix it.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF HAVING TOO MANY SUPPLIERS?

Too many suppliers can mean too many problems - and no control.

You end up:

  • Chasing stock
  • Drowning in admin
  • Battling rising costs

Then there’s the hours wasted checking PPE standards, and who's ordered what.

TOO MANY SUPPLIERS, NOT ENOUGH STOCK

Working with lots of suppliers can mean your stock levels are hard to keep on top of.

This leads to:

  • Time lost sourcing PPE and workwear
  • Rushed orders and costly replacements
  • Splitting orders across multiple suppliers
  • Chasing stock shortages and delivery delays

The result? More time wasted and less work done.

NO CONTROL OVER SPENDING

Managing multiple suppliers can also lead to confusion and purchase card chaos.

Without a single source supplier, it’s hard to:

  • To stay within budget
  • Track who orders what
  • Spot duplicate or unnecessary purchases

POOR QUALITY PUTS PEOPLE AT RISK

Your team needs gear that lasts and protects them all day, every day.

But different suppliers mean different quality standards.

The results are:

  • Safety risks increase
  • Gear that wears out faster 
  • Uncomfortable PPE and workwear
  • EN ISO standards that don’t match 

Worried about safety? Need help sorting your gear?

Send us a message, or give us a call on 0330 441 3500.

TOO MUCH ADMIN

More suppliers mean more accounts, emails, invoices, orders, mistakes, and paperwork.

Switching to one single supplier means more time for bigger priorities.

TIME WASTED

How many hours do you spend:

  • Comparing prices?
  • Chasing order updates?
  • Checking stock availability?
  • Managing delays and replacements?

This hidden time adds up fast.

Warehouse Facility - SMI

TLDR? HERE’S THE SHORT VERSION

Too many suppliers mean:

  • Risks you can’t afford
  • More things going wrong
  • Spending you can’t track
  • Losing time you don’t have

The whole procurement process ends up more complicated than it needs to be.

SAVE TIME WITH A SINGLE SOURCE SUPPLIER


Choosing one local PPE supplier can transform your PPE procurement process.

EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE

With SMI, you get:

  • 97% stock availability
  • One partner for all your needs
  • No more juggling multiple orders
  • 25K+ products from 300 trusted brands

COMPLETE CONTROL

SMI offers you and your team one of the most advanced PPE and workwear management systems: the MY-SMI® Portal.

It gives you:

  • Simple and fast ordering
  • Approval workflows and hierarchies
  • Streamlined procurement to reduce PPE cost
  • Easy to see spending, inventory, and approvals 

CONSISTENT QUALITY

Ordering from the right single source supplier means gear that’s durable and comfortable.

At SMI, we offer:

  • ROKWEAR® and 300 trusted partner brands
  • Reliable products that last longer and protect better
  • “Good, better, best” options to fit your budget and safety needs

LESS WORK

Partnering with SMI means:

  • Fewer invoices and less admin
  • Faster deliveries with our own van fleet
  • Reduced delays and lower carbon emissions

INCLUSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE

Choose a single source supplier offering inclusive and sustainable products.

We provide:

WHY SMI?

We’re more than a supplier - we’re your safety and efficiency partner.

Partner with SMI and benefit from:

  • 40 years of sector experience
  • 2-day dispatch on branded workwear
  • High stock availability and reliable service
  • Dedicated customer experience and account managers
SMI 360 Wheel

SMI’S PRODUCTS - YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP

With over 25,000 products across construction, manufacturing, logistics, and more, SMI makes finding PPE and workwear easy. 

WORKWEAR

Durable workwear and uniforms built for comfort and compliance - find it all with our full workwear range.

We’ve got:

HI-VIS CLOTHING

Never compromise visibility. We cover all your EN ISO 20471 standard hi-vis needs.

We’ve got: 

Did you know? We also offer an eco-friendly and women’s hi-vis range.

SAFETY FOOTWEAR

Comfort, safety, and support are a must when you’re on your feet all day. 

We’ve got:

Step into our full safety footwear range for more.

PPE

Fall, respiratory, hearing, eye, and face protection should always meet current safety standards.

We’ve got:

Explore our full PPE range to see everything on offer.

 

HAND PROTECTION

From heavy-duty work to precision handling, SMI has gloves for every job.

We’ve got:

Discover our full hand protection range.

 

SPECIALIST CLOTHING

The SMI specialist clothing range keeps you safe when hazards are high. 

We’ve got:

PARTNER WITH SMI AND TAKE BACK CONTROL

Simplify your workwear procurement and PPE ordering with SMI.

We help you:

  • Cut admin 
  • Save money
  • Improve quality

Browse our 2025/2026 catalogue to see what we offer.

Or, chat with our friendly team today. 

Drop us a message, or give us a call on 0330 441 3500.

Heat-seal station - Branding Facility

FAQs

CAN I STILL GET COMPETITIVE PRICING WITH ONE SUPPLIER?

Yes. Combining orders with one supplier, like SMI, usually unlocks bulk discounts and reduces PPE costs.

HOW DOES MY-SMI SIMPLIFY ORDERING FOR LARGE TEAMS?

The MY-SMI ordering portal makes it easy to order for large teams.

MY-SMI includes user roles, approval workflows, real-time reporting, and easy team management. Plus, you get dedicated support when you need it.

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