Few products are as predictable as PPE. A plant with a hundred people on the floor goes through roughly the same number of gloves, earplugs and safety glasses every week. First aid cabinets need the same refills every month. Hi-vis gets replaced on a cycle. Yet many customers still reorder by noticing the bin is empty and sending an email.
That gap between predictable use and reactive ordering is where stockouts, emergency buys and competitor wins come from. The app closes it, while the customer stays in charge.
Reorder: the simplest step
Reorder lets a customer buy a past order again or order from saved items. For a site supervisor who orders the same PPE list every two weeks, it turns a 20-line order into a couple of taps. They can still change quantities, add a box of earmuffs, or drop the item they're overstocked on.
AutoPilot reorder
AutoPilot reorder orders the customer's usual items on schedule so they don't run out. You can also set it so one scan orders what the customer actually uses, with the number of days of stock per scan set on the account. Scan the earplug bin, and the order is sized to cover the period you agreed on, not a guess.
The important part is control. AutoPilot works on a dial the customer and you set together:
- Suggest: the app suggests the usual items and quantities, and the customer decides whether to order.
- Ask first: the order is built and waits for the customer to confirm it.
- Run on its own: the customer's standing order goes in on the schedule they set, for the items and quantities they chose.
The AI doesn't decide what to buy on its own. The customer sets the rules, and the app follows them. Many safety accounts start with Suggest, see that the quantities match their usage, and then move the steady items, like nitrile gloves and earplug refills, further along the dial while keeping specialty items on Suggest.
Blanket orders for contract PPE
Blanket orders let customers release against a contract. Utilities, municipalities and large contractors often negotiate an annual PPE contract with set prices and quantities. Rather than issuing a new PO every time a crew needs hard hats, they release against the blanket in the app. You see the releases and how much of the contract is left, and so do they.
That's especially useful for seasonal items. A utility that buys winter hi-vis jackets and insulated gloves every fall can set up a blanket in summer and release as crews need them.
What it means for you
Reorders on autopilot do more than save the customer time. They make your revenue steadier. Instead of waiting for an email that might go to a competitor, the usual items come to you on schedule. Your purchasing team can see the pattern and buy smarter. And the customer is less likely to shop you, because their PPE simply shows up.
It also frees your reps. When the steady glove and earplug business takes care of itself, the rep's visits can focus on respirator programs, fall protection inspections, new product trials and expanding into categories the customer buys elsewhere.
Start with your most predictable accounts and their most predictable items. Look at My Catalog and order history, agree on the usual items and quantities with the safety coordinator, and pick a spot on the dial. Review it together after a month or two and adjust. The account becomes easier to serve and harder to lose.
Want to see it with your own safety catalog? See how it works.