An idea, not a product. Nothing has been built yet.
A uniform request tool for workplaces
Uniform requests for field engineers, approved by managers, sent to your supplier.
I'm thinking about building a tool where field service engineers request uniform replacements (worn boots, faded polos, wrong sizes) from a catalogue their employer sets up, a manager approves it, and the order goes straight to a single supplier by email. Every request is kept as a permanent, searchable record instead of a spreadsheet that gets overwritten or lost. This is an idea I'm testing, not something built yet.
Tell me if you'd use itWhere it comes from
A lot of field service companies track uniform requests through a spreadsheet, a group chat, or whoever happens to be free to answer a message. It works until it doesn't: the spreadsheet gets overwritten, nobody remembers who ordered what boots in what size, and there's no record to check when a dispute comes up.
Engineers usually have to wait for someone to reply before they can even see what sizes are available. They can't check the catalogue at 7am before a job or 7pm after one. They just wait.
What it would be
The idea is a single place where an engineer logs in, browses the uniform items their company has made available (all sizes shown up front), picks what they need, and gives a reason from a short list: worn, wrong size, faded, damaged, or other. They can do this whenever suits them, no message required.
The request then sits with their manager, who gets an email the moment it comes in. The manager reviews it and either approves or rejects it, one request at a time. There's no editing a request, if the size or quantity looks wrong the manager rejects it and the engineer submits again. Once approved, the tool sends the order to the company's uniform supplier by email, with the approved items listed clearly.
Every request, whether approved or rejected, stays on record: who asked, for what, when, and what happened to it. Engineers can see their own history. Managers work through requests as part of their normal daily check, rather than hunting through old messages or a shared file.
What it would do
Full catalogue, always visible
Engineers see every uniform item and size their company offers, without asking anyone first.
Request with a reason
Every request needs a reason picked from a fixed list (worn, wrong size, faded, damaged, other), so the manager has context straight away.
Simple approval, no edits
Managers approve or reject each request individually. If something's wrong, they reject it and the engineer resubmits, nothing gets quietly changed.
Orders go to your supplier automatically
Once approved, the tool emails the order to your one nominated supplier with the approved items listed.
A record that doesn't disappear
Every request, decision, and date is kept permanently and is searchable by engineer, item, or outcome.
Email alerts for managers
Managers get an email as soon as a new request comes in, so nothing sits unnoticed.
Who it's for
- Field service companies (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, telecoms) where each engineer needs their own boots and clothing
- Managers who currently approve uniform requests over email, text, or a shared spreadsheet
- Companies that already order from one uniform supplier and want that ordering tidied up
- Businesses of any size, from a handful of engineers to several hundred, since the idea is a flat monthly fee either way
What it wouldn't do
- Won't track stock levels or how much uniform you've got left on the shelf
- Won't track delivery once the order has left the tool and gone to the supplier
- Won't handle payment or billing with the supplier
- No budget caps or limits on how often someone can request, that judgement stays with the manager
- Works with one supplier per company, not several at once
Saying no to these is the point. A tool that tries to do everything ends up doing none of it well.
Register interest
Would you use this?
This is still just an idea I'm working through, nothing has been built. I've settled most of the details in my own head (single supplier, strict approval, no budget limits, flat monthly fee) but I haven't tested any of it with people who actually run field teams. If this sounds like a problem you have, or you think I've got the workflow wrong, telling me now is worth more than telling me after I've built it.
Registering costs you nothing and commits you to nothing. I'll email you if it gets built, and not about anything else.
Questions
- Does this exist yet? Can I sign up or try it?
- No. This is an idea I'm putting in front of people to see if it's worth building. There's no product, no beta, and no waiting list beyond expressing interest.
- What if my company uses more than one uniform supplier?
- Right now the idea only handles one supplier per company. Supporting more than one isn't ruled out, but it's not part of the current plan.
- Can a manager change a request instead of rejecting it?
- No. The idea is deliberately strict: a manager can only approve or reject what was submitted. If the size or quantity is wrong, they reject it and the engineer sends a new request.
- What would it cost?
- The plan is a flat monthly fee per company, the same whether you've got 10 engineers or 500. Nothing's fixed until this gets built though.