5 minute read

Tom Blake, Head of Marketing Published 27th Jun, 2025 Updated 18th Sep, 2026

How too many suppliers are draining your budget and time

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.

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:

Women in work range
Eco-friendly workwear options
Easy access to sustainable and ethical products

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
3 day dispatch on branded workwear
High stock availability and reliable service
Dedicated customer experience and account managers

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:

Cold store clothing
Disposable clothing
Flame-resistant and arc-flash clothing

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.

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.

Written by Tom Blake

Tom Blake is Head of Marketing at SMI Group, responsible for shaping the company's brand, marketing strategy, and customer communications. He enjoys sharing industry insights and helping businesses discover practical solutions to workplace challenges.