Published on The Daily Reporter web site on January 14th, 2008
When moving to a new building or growing a business, the last thing on any owner or project manager to-do list is developing a well-planned furniture relocation or replacement strategy.
But putting together just such a plan is an essential element to any successful commercial real-estate project.
People wait too long to start thinking about furniture for their new or remodeled space. By the time they realize they might need more furniture or a different configuration of what they already have, there is no time left to analyze what will work best for their needs, their budget or their space.
As a result, clients, in order to get their new furniture in and their business up and running on schedule, are forced to choose from a quick-ship program that provides limited, and often premium-priced, products, colors and configurations.
Most commercial furniture dealerships don’t have a warehouse stocked full of furniture for the taking. Everything is made to order based on customer selections. Lead times vary between 10 days to 10 weeks, and if you want a specific look, a green product or certain parts to help in the reconfiguration of existing furniture, they need to know as soon as possible.
So don’t sit on the furniture decision.
Furniture can do many things for your company. Not only does space planning and product selection help put more bodies in the space and build in flexibility to plan for future growth, it can also influence and impact productivity of the organization.
The ability to attract and retain the right employees is crucial for most companies. The younger generation entering the work force is more concerned than its predecessors about the image and vibe of a company. The design and layout of your space can be a key element to attracting those young professionals.
Inefficiency is the enemy of productivity. A furniture layout can be designed around the who, what, where, when and how. How do the employees work? Who works together? What is their job function? Where are they working and when?
Anyone can create a floor plan for your business, but only trained professionals are capable of creating the most powerful and inspirational design for your business. Image is everything. Visitors get a feel for what you do and your culture by the atmosphere surrounding the work environment. The physical space and product selection can be designed to reflect and compliment the image of your business.
Is green design a factor? Protecting the environment and using environmentally friendly products and materials is becoming increasingly important.
Do you want your new furniture to count toward Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design credits? Have you considered the options for furniture disposal? All of these issues should be addressed in the beginning of a project.
Think about expectations for the space and product options well in advance. If given enough time, a highly functional, aesthetically pleasing and cohesive space can be designed to encourage inspiration and cultivate productivity.
Friday, January 9, 2009
5 Barriers to Transforming Your Business
There are five challenges very common in growing businesses. And not so coincidentally they are five challenges that we can help you through. We are Forrer Business Interiors, the largest business interiors design resource in Wisconsin. Our process is totally focused on your business and making your employees more inspired and more productive. If your business is facing any situations similar to those outlined, we’d love to become your partner in confronting those challenges.
1. How to Attract & Retain the right people.
The real power of the workforce continues to get younger. The skills of the gen-Y set are what your business needs to get ahead in your industry. However, before you can utilize their talent, energy and skills you have to bring them into your business. And their goals and values and what they look for in an employer are not the same as their predecessors, making them a complicated puzzle. But one that’s well worth solving. And the most desirable of the candidates often have multiple offers to choose from before they commit to an employer. How do they make their decision? Believe it or not they place a premium on the vibe they get in the work place. Which means the design and layout of your work place is very influential in winning the gen-Y worker.
2. Inefficiency is the enemy of productivity.
The challenge is to increase output utilizing only the resources that you already have. But how? You need to put the right people together. And put them together the right way. Help them to interact more effectively. Help them to be more productive when they’re working alone. Help them work faster. Help them to think bigger. Much of this is a workspace management issue. It can be achieved by setting up areas within your business to allow people to collaborate more productively. Or by setting up individual workstations for them that are conducive to doing the work. Finding the floor plan that unlocks human potential in your workplace and cuts down on inefficiency is everything. It’s not magic by any means. But it’s not easy. And not everyone who can create a design for your business can also create the most powerful design for your business.
3. How to grow in a space you’ve already outgrown.
Thriving businesses face another consistent challenge – growing in staff faster than they grow in square feet. For the growing business, new wings and new buildings just aren’t as easy to come by as new clients. When that’s the case you simply have to get the very most out of the space that you have. And you have to do it in such a way that you don’t disrupt the work you’re doing or disenfranchise your workforce. Their spirit and vitality must be maintained to maintain your growth. Believe it or not, when it’s well managed, reconfiguring your workspace can actually make you more productive and more efficient. But be careful in choosing your partner. Not everyone who says they can guide you through the process is qualified to guide you through the process successfully.
4. Paying for what you can’t yet afford.
Leveraging money to maximum advantage can give you the ability to accomplish things you might never have thought possible. Finding a way to cash flow your way through expenses is a powerful strategy to elevate your business outcomes. The projects this strategy enables can increase morale, which might make the difference between winning and losing a contract. It can create a more efficient work place design that leads to increased productivity. Looking at expenses from a new vantage point can open up new opportunities for you. The business that makes best use of its financing options can best present itself as a step above the others in its competitive set. And the payout from winning just one piece of new business through that strategy can make the time and expense well worth it.
5. Projecting tomorrow’s image today.
Your business is being considered by a prospect, they come to your offices to get a feel for what you do and your culture. The moment they walk in the door, you’re being evaluated. And the judgment begins even before your receptionist has a chance to speak. What does your physical space say to them? What do your furnishings say about your business? Are you cutting edge? Are you barely keeping up? Every chair, coffee table and office configuration say something so full consideration must be given to all design details – even those that might feel inconsequential to you. Because you never know, they might mean everything to your business. The old adage is true. You’ve only got one chance to make a first impression. Make the most of every opportunity.
1. How to Attract & Retain the right people.
The real power of the workforce continues to get younger. The skills of the gen-Y set are what your business needs to get ahead in your industry. However, before you can utilize their talent, energy and skills you have to bring them into your business. And their goals and values and what they look for in an employer are not the same as their predecessors, making them a complicated puzzle. But one that’s well worth solving. And the most desirable of the candidates often have multiple offers to choose from before they commit to an employer. How do they make their decision? Believe it or not they place a premium on the vibe they get in the work place. Which means the design and layout of your work place is very influential in winning the gen-Y worker.
2. Inefficiency is the enemy of productivity.
The challenge is to increase output utilizing only the resources that you already have. But how? You need to put the right people together. And put them together the right way. Help them to interact more effectively. Help them to be more productive when they’re working alone. Help them work faster. Help them to think bigger. Much of this is a workspace management issue. It can be achieved by setting up areas within your business to allow people to collaborate more productively. Or by setting up individual workstations for them that are conducive to doing the work. Finding the floor plan that unlocks human potential in your workplace and cuts down on inefficiency is everything. It’s not magic by any means. But it’s not easy. And not everyone who can create a design for your business can also create the most powerful design for your business.
3. How to grow in a space you’ve already outgrown.
Thriving businesses face another consistent challenge – growing in staff faster than they grow in square feet. For the growing business, new wings and new buildings just aren’t as easy to come by as new clients. When that’s the case you simply have to get the very most out of the space that you have. And you have to do it in such a way that you don’t disrupt the work you’re doing or disenfranchise your workforce. Their spirit and vitality must be maintained to maintain your growth. Believe it or not, when it’s well managed, reconfiguring your workspace can actually make you more productive and more efficient. But be careful in choosing your partner. Not everyone who says they can guide you through the process is qualified to guide you through the process successfully.
4. Paying for what you can’t yet afford.
Leveraging money to maximum advantage can give you the ability to accomplish things you might never have thought possible. Finding a way to cash flow your way through expenses is a powerful strategy to elevate your business outcomes. The projects this strategy enables can increase morale, which might make the difference between winning and losing a contract. It can create a more efficient work place design that leads to increased productivity. Looking at expenses from a new vantage point can open up new opportunities for you. The business that makes best use of its financing options can best present itself as a step above the others in its competitive set. And the payout from winning just one piece of new business through that strategy can make the time and expense well worth it.
5. Projecting tomorrow’s image today.
Your business is being considered by a prospect, they come to your offices to get a feel for what you do and your culture. The moment they walk in the door, you’re being evaluated. And the judgment begins even before your receptionist has a chance to speak. What does your physical space say to them? What do your furnishings say about your business? Are you cutting edge? Are you barely keeping up? Every chair, coffee table and office configuration say something so full consideration must be given to all design details – even those that might feel inconsequential to you. Because you never know, they might mean everything to your business. The old adage is true. You’ve only got one chance to make a first impression. Make the most of every opportunity.
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