FAQ’s

A rebrand is a fantastic opportunity to refresh uniforms and engage staff in the new brand experience. The key is to share as much brand information as possible. At jSD we will work closely with you to research and understand your brand guidelines; the design brief, the market sector you operate in, your competitors and the working environment of your staff. As your staff are the first contact your customer may have with your brand, your new uniforms and how the staff feel when wearing these are key to good brand building experience. New uniforms are also a great opportunity for public relations and there are many ways to promote your brand and excite your staff in the lead up to the launch.

Your experienced Account Manager will guide you through this important process. We understand that no-one-is-uniform so our approach to sizing needs to be unique too. We encourage the use of digital sizing, through 3DLook, which allows your wearers to take 2 body scans and we advise them on the right size to order. A simple and easy effective way of sizing staff across all geographical locations, shift patterns and when it suits them. We also provide sizing sets for training courses and help with onsite measuring too. For those who do not fit into a standard size uniform we offer a made to order uniform, as we believe sizing should be all inclusive. We deal with these staff personally to ensure the best fit and make custom patterns for each garment they wear. We deal with religious, allergy and Vegan requirements too.

YES, the key to a successful uniform launch is employee engagement, starting early on in the design process. Select a group of key representatives who take part on the design journey, who will become instrumental by informing the fit for purpose elements of the new range, engaging with other employees and customers to get their feedback. At jSD we engage with staff early through staff focus groups; surveys; onsite research and interviews to ensure that all creative ideas are fit for purpose, fit real body shapes and sizes. This in turn promotes wearer well-being, productivity, durability and other key business factors.

At jSD our commitment to sustainability and the environment means that we offer multiple solutions to help with either redundant or old uniform stock. We will provide you with the options for recycling/upcycling and waste to energy schemes and once your decision is made, manage this process on your behalf.

Many factors impact a garment’s durability – from fit and fabric to care regimes. Some factors are more obvious than others. Care, for example, often gets overlooked but can be hugely impactful on a garment’s lifespan. Our fabric technicians understand the durability of specific fabrics and finishes and base functional design on job-specific needs. It is the practical experience and expert judgement of our designers and product developers that provides durability for our clients.

Corporate Social Responsibility [CSR] should be built into the products and service from the outset. At jSD we know this starts with good design, where products are sourced and how the supply chain is managed day to day. We consider all aspects of sustainability and manage our supply chain in-house so we have full control of the end-to-end processes, and ability to fulfil ethical and sustainable promises. A transparent supply chain operation is vital. jSD is a full and actively engaged member of SEDEX [Supplier Ethical Data Exchange].

Ensuring your uniform items are in stock, by size, when your staff place their orders is imperative to the success of your uniform contract. This is managed through active stock forecasting, stock management and industry leading systems. Your jSD Account Manager will help inform your decisions and take into consideration: your staff turnover; seasonality of your business growth or other business plans; the product lifespan and replenishment plan. They will share stock forecasts in regular review meetings and report on stock management.

Have a look at our simple guide for more detail. Every project is different but as a general guide a custom design uniform will take 20-48 weeks broken down as follows:
Stage 1: Research + Design: 4-8 weeks
Stage 2: Development + Wearer Trials: 2-13 weeks
Stage 3: Manufacture + Shipping: 8-16 weeks
Stage 4: Logistics + Distribution: 4-8 weeks
Stage 5: Roll-Out + Beyond: 2-3 weeks + ongoing

The size of your uniform requirement, (number of staff; type of job roles; number of items in your range and geographic needs); your budget and your timescales are the three main considerations. Do you need a custom design uniform, unique to your brand, in which case you will need to develop a clear design brief? Or will a readily available stock range meet your needs? It can take over a year to design and manufacture a new uniform range from scratch, so make sure you have earmarked the time and budget accordingly.

Start with your number of staff (part time & full time); the types and categories of garments you want them to wear and their allocation for each of these. For example: a full-time train driver allocation could be: 6 shirts; 3 trousers; 2 warmth layers; 1 outerwear coat and 4 accessories = 17 items, use guide prices to help establish a basic cost per head. One thing you need to take into consideration is the lifespan of each garment. What items will the train driver need to refresh in year 2, we usually recommend: 3 shirts; 2 trousers; 1 warmth item = 6 items. This will enable you to budget for the first and second years and beyond. And don’t forget to allow for your staff turnover and seasonality too.