Feature Focus – Supplier Catalogues

Our feature focus series continues with a close look at one of the core features of our Supplier Platform – Catalogue Selection. Within any Uniform Management System, you must offer many variations of catalogues to satisfy your clients’ needs. The Smart Red platform is flexible, and allows you to individually set up clients quickly, with their specific catalogue preferences, all from your central product management area. 

Let’s look at the core options you can offer clients.

Restricted Catalogue

What is it?

One of the most common catalogue selections is a restricted catalogue. This is where each individual customer is restricted to certain pre-agreed items in their ‘wardrobe’. Usually this means a business will have between 10 -50 items as part of their full catalogue. 

When you’re setting up a customer, you simply assign the agreed items – restricting colours and any embellishments that may be required – so that when employees log on, they can only select these items for their wardrobe. This means your clients are fully compliant with their uniform policies, and allows you to easily offer set, contracted pricing for this restricted catalogue. 

Who uses restricted catalogues?

Organisations who have a standard uniform across all roles which include retail, transport and hospitality businesses. Usually employees will order uniform themselves, but each business can nominate users to order on behalf of others.   

Customer-Specific Catalogues

What is it?

A wider catalogue compared to those above, customers with specific catalogues tend to have 50 – 750 items that could be ordered across their organisation. Set pricing, or specific discounting can be applied to items or the full customer catalogue, depending upon your commercial agreement. It’s easy to add any logo, or specific tailoring when setting up each catalogue. 

With a wider selection, each customer has the option to choose how employees view and order their uniform. This can be defined by their role, location and/or seniority. In the same way as above, each employee can only see the uniform they’re authorised to, ensuring compliance, but from a much wider selection of garments. 

Who uses specific catalogues?

Larger organisations which include, but aren’t limited to, transport businesses, the construction sector, healthcare and the emergency services. 

Full Catalogue

What is it?

You may have a wider commercial agreement with some customers. You can agree a set catalogue of items they’ll usually order, with agreed lead times, but what about those items that aren’t ordered that often? For those one-off occasions, or potentially for items that aren’t urgent, you could offer your clients the ability to order from your full catalogue. Usually this is restricted to admin users. 

In this way, you aren’t losing the sale to a potential competitor, and you’ll also not need to keep one-off items in stock ‘just in case’ they’re needed. You can solidify your customer relationship and they’ll appreciate the flexibility you’re demonstrating. 

Who uses full catalogues?

This option is usually for organisations that have a central admin/procurement team who order on behalf of employees. Whilst Smart Red was initially built for ordering uniform, this is often extended to other non-uniform specific items. Clients take advantage of the allowance/budget system they’re familiar with, and order e.g. janitorial supplies alongside their garments. 

Which Catalogue Options Work For Your Clients?

Offering flexibility is one of the key benefits our supplier clients love about Smart Red. If you need to be able to offer your clients more variety, contact us today to enquire about our Supplier Platform.