4 Steps to Consider When Buying Office Furniture

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

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.

This article was submitted by Simona Rusnakova, SEO consultant of 3r.ie, on behalf of Office Technology who sell photocopiers, office printers, document management software, it support and office furniture in Dublin, Ireland.

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