If you are planning to furnish a new office or renovate an old one, enlisting the assistance of a professional office furniture consultant can be a wise move – especially when you can receive a free consultation. Although picking out desks, chairs, and cubicles may seem fairly straightforward, there are actually a number of problems you can run into. Having an advisor to walk you through the planning, selection, and installation process can be very helpful for the following reasons:
Efficient Space Usage
If you do all the calculations for office furniture placement yourself, it’s easy to miss out on making the most of your square footage. Simply calculating the footprint of each workstation and leaving room for pathways isn’t the best way to do space planning. There are dozens of tips and tricks that professionals know that increase the number of employees who can comfortably fit in your office environment. A consultant can also offer advice on how to save money on cable and electrical installations by arranging modular furniture in a spine based layout.
Brand Selection
A professional office furniture advisor (who isn’t an exclusive dealer for one manufacturer) can give you objective information about the best brands and models for your workspace. Without a consultant, you would have nothing to go on but customer reviews and the advertising provided by the manufacturers of each brand. Digging through the web to compile enough information to make a good decision takes up a great deal of time. It makes sense to ask for a consultant’s top 3 or 4 recommendations that fit your price range so you can narrow down the field and just research those few choices.
Acoustics, Ergonomics, and Aesthetics
Some of the most frequent complaints employees have about office furniture is the noise level of the cubicle environment and the discomfort caused by inadequate chairs and workstations. A consultant can help you select the items that will maximize worker satisfaction and create a pleasant office environment. In addition, you can bounce ideas for different color schemes off an experienced designer and end up with a look that fits your branding and doesn’t clash with the rest of the décor.
LEED Certification
If you are trying to earn LEED points, it’s an especially good idea to consult a professional. Office furniture selections that are sustainable and that don’t negatively impact IAQ (indoor air quality) can help you achieve certification. Again, this is an area you could research yourself, but it makes more sense to make use of the knowledge already accumulated by a specialist.
