When should you Install your Office Furniture?

?Picture this scenario: Your establishment is getting a facelift. Those old cubicles from the 1970's are finally going to recycling! The desks in the private offices are being donated to a local charity! And your company has approved a whole new office furniture layout! Money has been no option and the product you are receiving is going to bring a whole new life and 21st century aesthetic to your office. But along with this comes a full remodel as well: new flooring, painting of walls, new walls and wiring, the works. You are excited about your new and improved office, but now as a person put in charge of the office furniture part of the project, you are unsure when to have the furniture put in! *

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? This is a problem we in the installation business run into all too often. And the simple truth is there are different opinions from the various parties in play that can affect your decision. But some of these aren't in your company's best interest, and can lead to issues later on. How So? Well let's take a look at the what your company needs verses what the other parties in play want to get a clear idea.

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??What Your Company Needs: When spending, lets say, $100,000 + on new Office Furniture, your company needs it installed in a finished location, free from sheetrock dust, construction ladders, flooring installers, painters, data teams, and building inspectors. The Idea is to have the Installation of your new furniture installed at the very end of the project, so that your Team can move right in to a clean and sleek office and get right to doing what they do best!

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?? What the Seller of the Furniture wants: There is indeed an irritating mindset with some sales people in the industry, that the faster they get the product on site, the faster they can bill it out, and walk away. Now in all fairness that is not the majority of sales teams. A good sales person is looking out for you and if you have a great relationship with your Sales Rep, we applaud it and encourage you to keep that relationship strong!

But sometimes the sales rep pushes to get the Product on-site because of shortages and delays, or because to get you the very best deal on a product it has to be ordered in a specific time frame for the discount. Reasons vary and its not necessarily the Sales Rep being greedy. Plus they may end up pushing to get the product on-site because of the manufacturer.

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??What the Manufacturer Wants: The company that produces your Order wants to make, ship, and bill out their products expediently. And you can't really blame them for that. Your company may do something similar. But when a load of furniture is manufactured, it is shipped, then its coming like it or not. This can put you in a bit of a proverbial pickle if the Construction is behind.

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? What the General Contractor Wants: The GC just wants to finish the darn building, get it inspected, get the certificate occupancy and go to the next project. I personally feel GC's have a rough job and would never want that stress myself. They just want to get done and usually aren't keen on dealing with Office Furniture. Why?

Because on average if Furniture is put in before there is really a place for it, then you have a slew of problems that can arise. The other contractors, electricians, painters, etc., decide that those new desks, and file cabinets are great ladders to use so they don't have to go back to the truck and lug up their own ladders. (We have personally run into this on jobs.) OR they set their tools on the desks and drop things on them, and oops now you have a scratch or dent that you now have to report to the Sales Rep and a long process ensues.

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? What the Installation Team wants: The Installer wants to provide a timely finished product for their client. But as far as jobs go, usually there is two directions: When a job goes Smooth, or when it goes South. When there is no other Contractors in the way of the furniture, the floors are finished and the building is certified for occupancy, short of a few minor issues that may arise, that installation job is going to go Smooth.

But now say that the Furniture is scheduled to come in at a specific date, a date chosen because the GC's have promised the building will be ready by this date. And ready is supposed to mean certified to be occupied by your company. But the work is a week behind, and trucks are arriving with your expensive furniture to be installed amongst fresh paint, electricians, and people pulling Cat-5 along with tools, all through your ceiling plenums. The smooth factor feeling a little less trustworthy now isn't it?

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??The Bottom line:?Installation is referred to as finish work, not middle project or early stage work. And for good reason. If you have a project coming up, my advice is to stand your ground on when the Installation can be done. It’s your furniture! You shouldn't have to cater to the whims of anyone else's schedule. Having a good relationship with your Install Company is invaluable as they can help you navigate the dynamics between these different parties. And if you don't know your Installation Company, usually the Furniture Company you bought from can put you in contact with someone they trust. Installation Companies are looking to build your furniture the right way and leave you feeling satisfied and comfortable with the new office setup. Make sure you get them involved and on your side.

?It's about more than just furniture installation, it's about respect for your company's time, money, and productivity!?

* These same principles apply to new Construction as well as Remodels and Renovations.