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4 Steps to Consider When Buying Office Furniture June 28, 2010

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Step 1: Prioritise your needs.

Decide what specific things are most important for the functionality of your office space before you go office furniture shopping.

Step 2: Exercise practicality.

Of course you want your office to be stylish, but it also needs to be beneficial and help you get work done. The 10-foot mahogany desk might look good, but it will be of no use to you if it has nowhere for you to store files and is so big that nothing else fits in your office.

Step 3: Look for storage options.

Depending on whether your office is used for business or personal use, you will need to store books, bills, paperwork, files and other materials so look for furniture with lots of drawers and storage space.

Step 4: Consider security options.

If you are storing sensitive materials or material containing personal information, such as bank records or credit reports, these items need to be kept secure. Look for desks and filing cabinets with good locking systems.

How to choose office furniture that is both functional and safe June 20, 2010

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So you’ve decided the mismatched desks, old filing cabinets and wonky office chairs need to go. But how do you decide what to replace them with?

Before rushing out to buy a truckload of new office furniture you need to determine what your employees need to perform their jobs safely and efficiently and then carefully compare dealers and services.

There’s more to this decision than a choice between the lime green chairs or massive mahogany desk. Office furniture today must also be selected with an eye toward safety, productivity and flexibility.

For some companies, that means making employee safety a top priority. The science of designing physical work spaces — ergonomics — was once considered an office fad. Now it drives office furniture design and selection.

Ergonomically designed furniture is believed to reduce the occurrence of injuries by minimising extreme or awkward postures and movements. This in turn reduces sick leave due to strain injuries and thus increases the bottom line.

The key is using furniture which has a high level of adjustability. Furniture that lets users raise or lower desktops, chairs and work surfaces can improve employee comfort and health while reducing workers compensation and other costs.

How employees work also is an important factor in selecting office furniture as is selecting furniture which will complement different roles. The right office furniture can boost individual employee productivity by increasing comfort and reducing distractions. This is especially true as more companies move to open plan office design. Cubicles with taller acoustical panels to mask the noise & bustle of a busy office are just one option.

Such considerations are very important, since purchasing office furniture is likely to be a significant and relatively long term investment.

Know who you are dealing with

Take a close look at the dealer. Consider each dealer’s knowledge, level of service and product quality. Do they offer design services? What about installation? Can they advise you on efficient space usage? Are these services included in a package deal or priced separately?

Ask to see offices where the dealer’s products already are installed.

Knowledgeable sales staff with access to a wide variety of office furniture lines gives you greater flexibility. And, if you have several floors of an office building to furnish, a dealer’s design services could be more than valuable. Designers can plan your office space down to the very last detail, taking everything from lighting and computers to plants, into account.

When it comes to installation, make sure the dealer does more than just unload the truck. Companies moving from one location to another tend to move over the weekend in order to minimise downtime. Is the furniture dealer you’re considering up to the task? Will the dealer support the installation? What about the old furniture? Will the dealer buy it from you? If you have addressed these issues in advance of your purchase you will be on track for a smoother office move or refurbishment.

What services are included when buying office furniture? June 17, 2010

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Make a list of everything your contractor will provide as part of their service and those things that it won’t. Comparing companies on this basis will determine true value for money. Many office furniture companies will quote a lower price in full knowledge that you will need additional services later on. Beware of this practice.

Which of these services do they offer in-house? For which ones will you have to hire additional contractors and manage yourself?

CONSULTANCY

DESIGN

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

OFFICE RELOCATION AND MOVE MANAGEMENT

Choosing the Right Office Furniture Partner June 10, 2010

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Your step-by-step guide to checking out your contractor’s credentials, and asking all the right questions.

Whether you’re relocating, refurbishing or fitting out new office space, the company you hire is one of the most critical choices you can make.

Get it right and you’ll have a smooth transition, with no disruption or budget over-runs. Get it wrong and it can be a nightmare of escalating budgets and business disruption.

The following checklist is designed to help you separate the good from the not-so-good, enabling you to have a successful project.

Checking their reputation

Reputation is everything. A design and fit out company will live or die on it. Whoever you choose to manage your project, take time out to talk to their past clients and look at projects they’ve delivered. It will be time well spent.

Assessing their financial stability and your risk

The health of the company you hire has a direct relation to your financial risk.

How to Buy an Ergonomic Desk Chair June 3, 2010

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If you spend most of your waking hours at your desk, you know you need a chair that works with your body to spare you from needless backaches and fatigue. Try out several office chairs at an office furniture showroom before you choose the one that’s right for you. Prices vary greatly: predictably, superior materials, design and construction carry a bigger price tag.

  1. Research the different ergonomic benefits of a chair. You’ll soon find that everything from back support to armrests can make a difference to you.
  2. Understand the back-support features. Height adjustment supports the lumbar area (lower back). Look for chairs that provide mid-back and upper-back support as well. Tilt mechanism maintains support as you move and recline. It’s best to have your back slightly reclined while seated at your desk.
  3. Look at the benefits of the seat. Your weight should be distributed evenly on the seat. Look for a rounded edge at the front of the seat, which prevents the seat from catching behind the knees and cutting off circulation. Three to four fingers should fit between the seat pan’s front edge and the back of the knees. Seat should extend at least one inch from either side of the hips for optimum comfort. Insufficient hip room can make you sit too far forward and not get enough thigh support. Some seats adjust for a forward or backward tilt.
  4. Research armrest benefits. Armrests alleviate pressure on the back, but may interfere with lower desks. Look for adjustable width and height to support various tasks, including writing and reading, to ease neck and shoulder tension and to help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. They should be contoured, broad, cushioned and comfortable.
  5. Get the right fabric. Cloth coverings are less expensive and breathe well, but leather upholstery is easier to keep clean. Look for a durable, permeable, ventilated material and check out the mesh in some chairs which also conforms to the body.
  6. Adjust the height of the chair. Pneumatic levers or gas lifts adjust seating height while in a chair. For optimal posture, thighs should be horizontal with the ground and both feet flat on the floor. The chair’s height should allow the wrists to be straight while typing.
  7. Check out the stability of the chair. Look for a chair on wheels that swivels to avoid excess stretching and twisting of your spine. A five-point base won’t tip over when you recline. Choose hard casters for carpeting and rubber-coated ones for hard surfaces. A good chair can recline and lock into various positions.

How to Choose Home Office Furniture May 31, 2010

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More and more people are designating an area in their home as their office and with this means purchasing office furniture. Whether you are buying a basic desk and chair or a complete workstation knowing what to look for can be the difference between a comfortable home office you use regularly or an uncomfortable arrangement that you seldom use.

Step 1: Measure the area where you will be putting your home office.

Knowing the size of the area you are working with makes it easier to determine the size of the furniture you can purchase. A reputable office furniture supplier will assist you in this.

Step 2: Understand your budget and don’t go above it.

Before you speak to an office furniture company set a budget and stick to it. Having a budget will help you and will ensure that the office furniture company proposes only furniture that will suit that budget.

Step 3: Choose a chair that is comfortable, adjustable, and easily rolls on all types of floor coverings including carpet.

May 27, 2010

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5 Top Tips for a more environmentally friendly business;

1: Switch to double-sided printing, and (more…)

Office Furniture Guidelines and Tips May 25, 2010

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Define your office furniture requirements not only by the size of your office space, but also by your budget and style.

Let’s face it; you will be limited by the space and walls in your office. So this cannot be ignored, but should not be the only concern you may have when choosing new office furniture.

If you have employees, your office space, your office furniture plans and space plans should promote teamwork and efficiency. Consider the needs of specific teams in your business. Do certain staff members need privacy or a team environment? Good office chairs make happy employees, remember that!

Office Furniture Basics are what you need first.

Starting with the office furniture basics first can prevent getting too much. You can always add on to the furniture you need at a later time. In the first instance you need to choose and order the basics which will get you operational as quickly as possible.

Plan out your office furniture logistics.

Office furniture planning for a typical office is something to spend time on. Plan on what the expectations are for delivery. Will your office furniture provider look after installation or assembly? Will you be responsible for getting office furniture off the truck and into your building? All of these are important questions to consider when buying office furniture.

Complete Office Chair Buying Guide May 17, 2010

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How to find a seat that fits your needs

People come in all shapes and sizes. To find an office chair that fits you need to ask yourself a few questions. Office Chairs come with a variety of mechanisms that control the tilt angle, tension tightness and a variety of other functions. Depending on how much time you are in your chair, and what you are doing while seated at your desk chair, these features can make a huge difference to whether you are comfortable or not.

Heavy Use Chair

These chairs are for people who are glued to their desk for long hours (computer programmers, receptionists, etc.). If this is you, then look for a chair with a synchro tilt mechanism, a fatigue reducing device on the underside of the desk chair seat. Thanks to this device, whether you lean forward or back, the chair moves with you to provide support. The effect is that your back is supported at all times.

Moderate Use Chair

If you are a typical middle manager, you are running back and forth between your desk and other areas of the office. Consider a desk chair with a knee-tilt mechanism. This will allow you to lean back in the chair but still keep your feet planted flat on the ground. In chairs without this, your feet typically are lifted when you lean back and can lead to discomfort over time. These types of chairs are also usually more stylish than your typical task chair.

Executive Office Chair

These office chairs have the same mechanical features as the moderate use chairs, but they are typically larger, more comfortable and stylish for the executive. It is designed for the busy executive who is running between conference rooms and spends a good deal of time on the phone and on the computer. Style, comfort and status are key features of executive office chairs.

General Office Chair Rules

  1. Your feet should rest comfortably on the floor, and your thighs should be fully supported and square with the floor.
  2. Your back should be comfortably supported. The angle formed by your upper legs and torso should be between 90 and 105 degrees.
  3. Tilting back should be easy, but not too easy.
  4. The desk chair should permit frequent posture changes

When should I consider a Dot Matrix Printer? May 10, 2010

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Dot Matrix. With the ever-falling price of color ink printers, black-and-white dot-matrix printers are virtually dinosaurs for home usage. It’s only used now in offices to print invoices and receipts that require duplicate copies. One thing that ink or laser cannot replace dot matrix is the impact printing that can result in duplicate copies in one run.

Dot matrix printers, like any impact printer, can print on multi-part stationery or make carbon-copies. Impact printers have one of the lowest printing costs per page. As the ink is running out, the printout gradually fades rather than suddenly stopping partway through a job. They are able to use continuous paper rather than requiring individual sheets, making them useful for data logging. They are good, reliable workhorses ideal for use in situations where printed content is more important than quality. The ink ribbon also does not easily dry out, including both the ribbon stored in the casing as well as the portion that is stretched in front of the print head; this unique property allows the dot-matrix printer to be used in environments where printer duty can be rare, for instance, as with a Fire Alarm Control Panel’s output.

Brands. Printer is one computer product that we recommend choosing by the brands. All printers have moving parts, which could cause reliability problems down on the road. Name brands with relatively long history of printing technology are of the choice if the prices and specs are similar.

Price. This is somewhat contradictory to the brand choices. Printer technologies are for the most part mutual now, resulting in severe competition and a buyer’s market. Giving the same specs, it’s OK to choose a printer by the price, especially for budget-conscious users.