Top 5 Mistakes when Purchasing Office Furniture

Buying Office Furniture – What Not to Do

Purchasing office furniture requires practical considerations beyond aesthetics. It may look nice but your employees go home with neck aches everyday or aren’t productive in the space. By avoiding a few commonly made mistakes, the furniture you select will yield improved employee satisfaction, productivity and profits for your business.

Mistake #1:

Buying without a plan. Before investing in office furniture, think it through. Assess your needs and how each piece will be used. Does your company culture lend more time to formal conference rooms or informal quick meeting places? A chair, for example – will it be used occasionally or all day? Should it be height-adjustable? Will it be stationary when in use or should it be light enough to be moved easily? The more thought you give prior to purchase, the greater the likelihood of success.

Mistake #2:

Not considering employee comfort. Comfort equals productivity. Ergonomic design such as contoured seats, lumbar supports, adjustable seats and armrests are important features and can help minimize work-related injuries and lost workdays. The longer the employee spends in the chair or desk, the more thought and consideration that needs to be put into the selection.

Mistake #3:

Buying inappropriate furniture for the task People of all shapes and sizes need to be comfortably and safely accommodated. Choosing an incorrectly rated item, such as a chair, can result in costly damage to the product, and more importantly, injury to the person using it. Any savings from purchasing a lower-rated chair could be exceeded by the cost of your liability to the injured person.

Mistake #4:

Choosing price over value. It may be tempting to purchase a lower priced pieced of furniture, but this could be false economy as repairs and replacements could easily negate any initial savings. It could even make the product more costly over time. Occasionally, an inexpensive item may be purchased in an emergency. But consider it disposable and factor a more suitable replacement in your budget planning as soon as economically feasible.

Mistake #5:

Shortsighted purchases. You should take into account how every piece will fit into, not only your current, but future environment.

• Is the furniture capable of adapting to quickly developing technology? Does it have enough flexibility to allow for data and power options that may not exist today?
• Is it flexible enough to reconfigure and move around when your staff and office layout may change?
• Take the time to consider the pros and cons of you current furniture. What isn’t working that should change with the new?
• Consider colors and designs of fabrics and materials that won’t be outdated in just a few years. What can you choose that would be fashionable for years to come?

Adapted from an article written by Andrew Spencer