If cubicle manufacturers want to succeed in the face of constant downward market pressure, they need to understand what facility managers want in office furniture. In this 2006 article from Today’s Facility Manager, spokespeople from cubicle brands such as HON, Herman Miller, and Allsteel share the steps their companies are taking to please customers. The driving forces in design and innovation haven’t changed in 2010. Facility managers still want practicality, durability, sustainability, and cost efficiency above anything else.

Each manufacturer is taking different steps to achieve these objectives. For example, Kimball Office and Herman Miller are both focusing on making multiple systems cross-compatible. This gives facility managers greater flexibility in creating, rearranging, and expanding office work environments as needed. Designers are also taking a new look at workstation sizes and configurations now that the flat panel is replacing old CRT monitors that took up a lot more space. Adjustable height workstations and other ergonomic factors continue to have a strong influence on design as well.