Archive for March, 2011

It’s A Bargain - Office Furniture That Saves Space

Thursday, March 31st, 2011

bargain office furnitureAre you looking for filing solutions that are a real bargain? Office furniture that reduces your space requirements is the ideal way to get the most for your money. Lateral file drawers work well for businesses that need a basic level of capacity for storing and accessing files. However, if you work in an industry with a high volume of files that are accessed throughout the day, a more sophisticated, high-density records management system is the best solution.

End Tabs Rule

Color-coded end tab folders offer good visibility. This makes them the file folders of choice for active records in many industries. You can code by year or by any other category that makes sense in your industry or your specific company. Of course, you need an open filing system (rather than file drawers) for end tab folders to really save time when your employees are searching for the right file. If you eliminate the space needed to accommodate a drawer opening and closing, you can set up these filing racks much closer together. You can also keep these files secure with doors that roll down and lock to help meet privacy requirements.

Get Your File System Rolling

When you have open sided file storage racks mounted on rolling or sliding carriages, you can fit more files in a much smaller space. Take a look at the product image above for an example of how this works. The rack in front can move to one side or the other to reveal the appropriate section of file storage in the back row. If you had the racks separated with a walkway between them (like in a library), that aisle space would simply sit empty most of the time. With high-density storage solutions, more of your space can actually be used. Office furniture that lets you reduce the number of square feet required for filing leaves more room for you to expand your workforce.

Computer Office Furniture: San Diego Workshifting Options

Wednesday, March 30th, 2011

Are you looking for ways to save on computer office furniture? San Diego based Telework Research Network recently published study results indicating that businesses that permit telecommuting can save big bucks. The researchers estimate a $10,000 savings annually for allowing just one employee to work from home 50% of the time. Plus, the worker would experience cost and time savings equal to about $6800 per year. Go read the full article over at Greenbiz to see a breakdown of the benefits of telework for employers that are willing to take that leap.

If the trend toward telework or “workshifting” continues to grow, business owners will need to start rethinking their office furniture choices. Cubicle systems will still be a core feature since they are easy to allocate on an as-needed basis for employees that are in the office. However, there may also be a need for temporary workstations that are designed to support just a computer rather than including filing space and a large worksurface. The computer desk shown here is a good example of a solution that could serve as a flexible workstation to be shared by employees who split their time between home and office work. For workers who use a laptop, the furniture could be even simpler. A tabletop with a data port might be sufficient.

Cubicle Sales Numbers Mixed For 2010

Monday, March 28th, 2011

2009 was a really rough year in the office furniture industry. According to BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association), sales were down by almost 30%. That’s the biggest dip office furniture and cubicle sales have ever seen since the Association started keeping track in the early nineties. The good news is that 2010 saw the first signs of recovery with numbers rising up 7% and total sales topping 8.3 billion dollars. BIFMA expects the industry to more than make up the full 30% drop by the end of 2012.

The future for cubicles is looking a little less sunny. In 2010, systems furniture made up only 25.9% of the total production of office furniture in the United States. That’s the lowest percentage ever recorded (the highest is 36.6% ten years ago). It’s still a substantial category, but it appears that alternative desking solutions may be gaining ground as employers explore the use of collaborative workspaces. The good news for our customers is that the market for used and refurbished cubicles is still strong. So, no matter what happens, you can still get your cubicles from us!

Wood Office Furniture - San Diego Can Choose Green

Friday, March 25th, 2011

Are you looking for sustainable wood office furniture? San Diego businesses that want to boost their eco-credibility can look to manufacturers who promote responsible forestry practices. Knoll is one example of a leading company that recently took steps to ensure that its wood furniture was as “green” as possible. Knoll already had a sustainable wood initiative, but in December of 2009 they took an additional step to formalize and standardize their policy. Now, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood is used as a matter of course for the company’s casegoods, tables, and cubicle systems.

Why FSC?

Third party evaluation is becoming available for more aspects of environmental programs all the time. That’s good news for office furniture consumers since you don’t have to take a company’s word that they are following best practices. The FSC trains and oversees auditors from agencies such as the Rainforest Alliance to evaluate and certify forests as properly managed. Knoll’s wood veneers such as cherry, maple, oak and walnut are now FSC certified.

Have You Ever Used Cubicle Walls Without Worksurfaces?

Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011

Traditionally, office furniture designers have used cubicle walls as a supplement to worksurfaces or desks. However, full height panels can also serve other purposes. Teknion has a free standing post and beam panel system called “ie” that is used for creating work cabins. You can see one in the image at the top left. It’s a pod created from the architectural panels to provide a meeting room in an open office layout. Instead of having worksurfaces attached to the walls, there’s an easily movable work table in the center of the room.

That’s the high-end version of the concept, but if you have some old, used office cubicles that feature free standing panels there’s no reason you can’t make your own “cabins”. It’s one way to reuse these components until you’re ready to liquidate them. So, the next time you need a collaborative workspace and the conference room has already been booked, make your own room!

How To Customize Wholesale Cubicles For Your Office

Monday, March 21st, 2011

Buying wholesale cubicles to outfit a mid to large-sized office space is simplest if you specify every unit to be exactly the same. But there’s a limit to how useful this approach can be. For example, sometimes having all the workstations structured alike means you can’t fit as many into your available space. A careful evaluation of your office layout might reveal that some customization will allow you to create more workspaces.

Variation Can Capture Space Savings

For example, in one area it might make sense for two desks to be facing each other with a cubicle panel between them. In another area, having employees share a central open space with desks facing outward makes more sense. You may also be able to incorporate existing walls into your cubicle layout instead of using all free-standing panel systems (depending on how you plan to handle wiring/cabling).

So, you may want to mix and match different sizes (standard vs. manager), different panel heights, different shapes (U shaped vs. L shaped), and other basic elements within the same cubicle setup. Sometimes, it’s possible to do this even with used cubicles. Additional components for the more popular brands can still be readily procured.

Employee-Specific Customization

Another way to differentiate wholesale cubicles is to provide an array of tools and accessories for employees. Installing these in every cubicle from the start is one way to go (that’s best for ergonomic items like task lighting and keyboard trays).

But giving employees the chance to ask for what they want can be a good option as well. That way, they have the satisfaction of “designing” their cube interior and you get to be the nice employer who listens and gives them what they want. This works best with items that can be readily added or taken off whenever the cubicle has a new resident. Here are a few examples to get you started:

  • Tool Racks (to hold trays and organizers)
  • Under Desk Pencil Drawer
  • White Board or Cork Board
  • Cubicle Door

How NOT To Buy Office Cubicles

Friday, March 18th, 2011

There’s a right way and a wrong way to go about making any kind of purchase for your business. If you’re having an off day (or going through caffeine withdrawal), you might make a mistake that could cost you dearly. So, just to be on the safe side, here are some scenarios to avoid when you buy cubicles:

Bring the Whole Gang: You decide to take the whole office on a field trip to look at cubicles. Then, you promise to buy each employee a cubicle in their favorite style and color.

Try Before You Buy: You take a cup of coffee with you to the showroom and spill it on the nearest fabric panel or seat cushion to “test the stain resistance properties of the textiles”.

Change Isn’t Always Good: You place your order for cubicles with custom paint, laminate, and fabrics. Then, you change your mind two weeks later and ask for a different color scheme. When you find out your furniture is already in production, complain that the order you placed wasn’t really a “firm decision” and that you assumed they’d give you some time to figure out what you really wanted.

Ask an “I Love Lucy” Question: You see two cubicles – the cheapest one is 6’x6’ and the most expensive one is 8’x10’. Wonder aloud why the larger one isn’t cheaper. Isn’t there a discount for buying more square footage? Surely the dealer can make up for it in volume!

Keep it Vague: You show up at the dealership with only the foggiest notion of what you require. You think you might have 30 employees, or is it 50? You know you want some of those “cube things and some stuff for people to sit on”. Other than that, you’re open to suggestions.

OK, so you would never actually do any of those things. But customers do occasionally make space-planning decisions that they regret later. That’s why we offer a no-obligation, free consultation that’s worth as much as $1000. And that’s no mistake!

Moving Cubicles…In Cubicles

Wednesday, March 16th, 2011

Here’s an idea for a really “meta” way of storing and moving office cubicles – buy or rent a storage cubicle. It’s like a matryoshka Russian nesting doll! Moveable Cubicle is a mobile storage solution vendor that provides 20 and 40 foot metal containers to residential and business customers. These are the kind of shipping containers that can be loaded directly onto an 18 wheeler for transportation.

How could this be useful? Let’s say you are constructing a new office but you are moving to a transitional space with leased furniture in the interim. With traditional warehouse storage, you would have to load and unload your existing cubicles on two trips – first from your old office to the storage center, then from the storage center to your new office. A mobile storage solution would allow you to pack up everything from filing cabinets to cubicles, store these items securely as long as needed, and then ship them directly to their final destination.

Modular Office Furniture: San Diego Area Repairs And Maintenance

Monday, March 14th, 2011

There are a number of advantages to buying office furniture locally. One of those perks is the ability to have experts on call for repairs and maintenance. This is particularly helpful when you have a large quantity of modular office furniture. San Diego Cubicles Office Environments technicians can correct any problems that arise. Even better, these repairs can often be done on site.

For example, if a desk has a drawer that’s sticking, this might be a quick fix that can be handled in a few minutes so your employees aren’t disrupted. If a part needs to be replaced, your local dealer can take care of that for you as well. In the event that the fabric on a cubicle panel gets torn, even this can be addressed with local refurbishing services.

Cubicle Company News Roundup

Friday, March 11th, 2011

All the main players in the cubicle manufacturing field have an active PR department churning out news from one month to the next. These press releases are a great way for customers to learn about innovative products and thought-provoking corporate initiatives. What are some of the cubicle company giants up to right now? Here’s a quick overview of some of the most recent news:

Teknion

Teknion is teaming up with Powermat to integrate wireless charging technology with office furniture. For example, the Conflux Adjustable Task Light has a Powermat base. The lamp provides lighting and a charging station for various types of handheld devices. The Edgemount is a charging surface that can be attached to the edge of a cubicle worksurface to provide a convenient charging station for Blackberry devices, cell phones, and more.

Steelcase

This company is restructuring by reducing the number of plants operating in the United States – but without reducing production. 3 manufacturing facilities are being closed. The decision will probably cost about $45 million total over the short term. However, Steelcase anticipates annual savings of $35 million once the restructuring is complete.

Haworth

This company is making great strides in BIFMA Product Sustainability certification. As of their last update, Haworth had achieved level 1 or 2 certification for 39 products. Sustainability is measured based on criteria such as energy usage, materials, and impacts on humans and the environment. These evaluations are carried out by an independent certifying agency to ensure accuracy.

Knoll

Knoll is earning recognition with several GOOD DESIGN™ Awards. The Chicago Athenauem (an architecture and design museum) singled out Antenna Workspaces™, the MultiGeneration hybrid chair, and the Knoll Luxe Rodarte upholstery patterns as deserving of praise in 2010 for innovation and creativity.

Herman Miller

This company has issued its annual “Better World” report for 2010 showing an upward trend in supplier diversity. Herman Miller also achieved 100% green electrical energy credits for its operations all over the globe. The cubicle company has been named as one of the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For three years in a row now. It’s not surprising that the company’s highly engaged employees logged over 13,500 volunteer hours serving their local communities.

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