Just as you would with your home, great care must be taken when sourcing furniture for any commercial office as its quality and functionality is conducive to any working environment.
Not all furniture is the same with some types on the market being far more versatile than others. If you’re about to undergo an office move, this guide will serve as your one stop shop to getting the furniture procurement process right.
Cost
Whilst not the most exciting part of the process, it always makes sense to start with your available budget. Office furniture is not cheap, and when purchasing enough furniture to facilitate 50 employees, costs will run into the tens of thousands.
We would suggest that you draw up a spreadsheet and document how much money you’re prepared to spend per head. Bear in mind this won’t just include for each individual desk and chair but personal storage, communal storage as well as any break out areas.
Once you’ve arrived at a figure, multiply this across your head count where you should arrive at your overall maximum budget.
Consider the Needs of Your Staff
What is the primary function of your business? An office that houses draughtsmen will have different requirements to an office that houses admin assistants. In addition, any less abled bodied staff may well require accessible furniture such as adjustable height desks and more comfortable chairs.
Compile a list of staff and then allocate them each the furniture they will need. This list of furniture should include:
- One desk per individual (including any IT based accessories such as monitor arms)
- One operators chair per individual
- One personal storage pedestal per individual
- A large tambour unit or storage cabinet for each bank of desks
- Tables and chairs for any breakout areas
- Personal storage lockers for each member of staff
Corporate Branding
Most large-scale furniture procurement projects are part of a much larger corporate branding exercise. This is particularly the case when an office forms just part of an estate consisting of several commercial properties.
Care must be taken that the furniture you buy should match exactly what has been provided elsewhere in terms of colour and type. Uniformity and the adherence to your companies branding guidance policy should be your number one priority.
Functionality and Overall Feel
Once you’ve compiled your list of staff and furniture, it’s time to space plan. This task is critical in making sure that your furniture will fit into its intended space. It will also provide a great drawing based visual guide for any staff who are finding it hard to visualise their new working environment.
There are several suppliers throughout the UK who can assist with space planning as well as supply you with furniture. White bench desks from Andrew’s Office Furniture are popular and can be supplied on a next day delivery basis. Other furniture companies will be able to supply similar items as there are only a few large furniture manufacturers operating in this space. Remember to obtain quotes and compare costs.
Once your new furniture has been bought, delivered and installed, your working environment will be far more efficient and welcoming to both staff and visitors.
