Five Steps to Selecting Office Furniture

This guide is intended to provide practical advice on what to consider when selecting and ordering office furniture. It walks you through a process of assessing the needs of your school, and then translating those needs into furniture that works for you.

Step 1: Basic Considerations
Research says that office furniture purchases for most small and mid-sized organizations are handled “part time” by someone who has many other responsibilities. This means that most purchases are made by a person who is not an expert at ordering office furniture. However, as long as you follow a few simple guidelines, the products you buy will keep your staff members productive and will last for years to come.

Here are eight basic questions to ask:

* What space or spaces am I trying to furnish? What type of furniture will best meet the needs for each of these spaces?
* How many employees will be using the furniture and how much space am I trying to fill?
* Are there any special needs for the employee user groups or their environment?
* What furniture do I have today?
* What image do I need to portray?
* What is the budget?
* What are the growth prospects for the school? Do I need to select products that can be easily expanded?
* What resources do I feel most comfortable using during the purchase process?

Step 2: Desktop Design
A desk is more than a place to put papers – it also can signal rank or prestige in the office. However, it is important to consider both the functionality and appearance when selecting desks for your office space.

Steel desks are popular because they are light and durable. They can be “dressed-up” with a laminate top.

For many situations, laminates in wood grain patterns look just as professional as wood and are more durable. You can enhance the prestige value of laminate furniture by adding real wood accents on the edges.

Mobile desks or work surfaces are suitable for both private offices and open office situations. In a private office, they offer the user the flexibility to customize the office configuration. In an open environment, desks with casters allow the user to easily change work configurations.

To keep everything neat and efficient, make sure desks come with a range of options for wire management and paper management systems.

Step 3: Pick Out Your Seat
Chairs are the most personal piece of furniture – and the most complex – because they must adapt to all kinds of people and many types of work. Although style and materials are important, the first thing you should consider is how long the person will be sitting in the chair and what functions they will perform.

Employees who sit six to eight hours a day performing multiple tasks should have high-performance chairs with ergonomic controls that let the user adjust the chair to suit his or her body size and work style. Many chairs now use passive ergonomic adjustments that maintain a comfortable configuration as the user moves.

People who use computers should have adjustable armrests to maintain a comfortable position at the keyboard. The chair’s tilt feature should allow users to look at the computer screen at a comfortable angle no matter how much they lean forward or back.

Step 4: On File
Proper storage helps keep employees organized and work flowing more efficiently. There are four main types of storage: vertical files, lateral files, pedestals, and towers. Towers and pedestals are especially popular where space is a problem because they are flexible and combine multiple functions. Towers combine a closet, file drawers, and open shelves.

Pedestals may be used under a work surface or free standing with a cushioned top for occasional seating.

The trend today is toward filing solutions that use space more efficiently.

If filing cabinets will be used frequently, choose a commercial-grade cabinet that has been tested for durability. It will be a better value in the long run.

If your office doesn’t allow for rows of storage, use mobile storage solutions that can slide under work surfaces or use overhead shelving.

Make sure two-drawer and three-drawer lateral files have counterweights to resist tipping.

File cabinets that are not level will not work properly. Ensure bottoms of vertical and lateral files are reinforced and have leveling glides so you can accommodate an irregular floor.

Also, all quality file solutions should have limited lifetime warranties.

Step 5: Divide and Conquer
Panel systems today are more sophisticated than they have ever been, delivering affordable, flexible office solutions that save space with a wide variety of stylish and functional features.

Many panel systems have sliding or swinging doors for additional privacy and offer a variety of different work surfaces for an alternative configuration.

Paneled environments don’t have to be square. A 120-degree work surface grouped into workstations can actually increase workspace density and efficiency, while avoiding a “box-like” look and feel.

Look for panels that are easy to order and install. Some systems have connectors that add “panel creep,” making your measurements come out wrong.

While panel systems have long accommodated computers, printers, and phones, in the past few years, panel systems manufacturers have added power and wire management solutions to support wireless and mobile communications products.

Hopefully, this article provided you with a road map toward determining what furniture you need to purchase for your school office environment.

This information is courtesy of The HON Company, www.hon.com.