Furnishing Productivity
Picking out office furniture requires balancing electrical, data, ergonomic and space allocation needs.

By Herman Weist

There is more to commercial office furniture than just picking out a pretty desk and a wing-backed chair. It is a complex mix of aesthetics and practicality. Today’s office environment is an intricate network of people, workspaces and technology—each with specific needs and functions.

The phrase “office furniture” is a generic term for products such as systems furniture (cubicles), wood casegoods (e.g., desks and credenzas), seating and filing. Each of these products has its own costs, aesthetics and manufacturing time frame. Aligning these categories of furniture into a cohesive whole is important for an organization’s image, productivity and profitability. So where should you start? Here are some quick ideas to help the process along:

Define Your Project
First, “program” your space. The office furniture industry uses the term “programming” to define the idea of figuring out how much space you need for an individual, for a department and for the company. Individuals are arranged in groups. Departments are arranged by adjacency (what departments need to be near each other), and a company’s overall space is defined by the support spaces needed to function, such as a lobby, conference rooms and break rooms.

Try to program your space without drawing walls. The more wide open the space and the fewer walls that you need, the more flexible and less expensive your space will be. There are many creative and inexpensive ways to divide space that can positively affect how people work together.

Next, identify a budget. This is probably the most difficult part of the initial phase and sometimes requires a professional to assist you. However, you will be better off having a rough idea of what you want to spend before you take the next step of looking for a high-quality furniture dealer.

Select a Furniture Consultant
Notice the term “consultant.” This is important because most people tend to look at office furniture as a commodity. However, the integration of furniture into a workspace is complex when you consider electrical needs, data needs, ergonomic capabilities and space allocation requirements.

Ask your architect or interior designer (if you have one) who the best furniture dealers are in Kansas City. Visit their showrooms and meet the people who will work on your project. Ask the dealer to do budget pricing and furniture layouts to earn your business. Select the consultant who you think is most knowledgeable, offers a fair price and is the easiest to work with.

Work to the End
Now it is time to fully analyze and program. Consider your available space, workflow, budget and schedule. Your architect, interior designer and furniture dealer can be a powerful combination of resources in helping you prepare your office space. Meet often and take the time to play an active role in the necessary decisions. If you order products with long production items (wood casegoods and custom pieces, for example), plan on an additional 12 weeks or more from this point before you can move into your new office space.
The purchase of office furniture can be a complex process that forces an organization to assess its own functionality and profitability. But just like adding a good lawyer and accountant to your business team can save you time and money, so can a furniture dealer. A well-designed workplace can improve your bottom line and increase productivity. Make sure you give your project ample time and energy, and you will reap the rewards of an efficient, budget-conscious workplace.

Herman Weist is vice president of Encompas. He can be reached at (816) 300-1122 or .