Things You Should Know When Ordering Office Furniture
August 21, 2017
New contracts for office furniture were established June 1, 2016, based on a competitive Request for Proposal process. Key stakeholders were on the evaluation committee. Three Preferred Vendor contracts were established:
- Kayhan – Haworth
- Henricksen – Allsteel
- Interior Investments – Herman Miller
A fourth contract was also established with Forward Space, for use only to supplement existing Steelcase installations on campus.
Below are important things to know when buying office furniture:
Project types and expectations
| Project Type | Description | Entities Involved |
|---|---|---|
| Individual furniture pieces | Individual pieces of furniture, no design services | End-user / Vendor |
| Small individual office layout | Furniture needed for individual staff office, some design services |
End-user / Vendor |
| Small individual office layout, executive | Furniture needed for individual executive office, some design services, and project coordination | End-user / Vendor / FM |
| Mid-size office layout | Furniture needed for individual offices and workstations, design services, and project coordination | End-user / Vendor / FM |
| Large project | Furniture needed for new building or major renovation, significant design services, and project coordination | End-user / Vendor / FM / Architect |
Timeline Expectations
| Project Size | Project Phase | Expected Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Individual furniture pieces | Examples: chairs, tables, file cabinets, desks
|
|
| Small individual office layout (quick ship) | Design Production Delivery/Install Total |
1 week 2-3 weeks 1 week 4-5 weeks |
| Small individual office layout (standard delivery) | Design Production Delivery/Install Total |
1 week 4-6 weeks 1 week 6-8 weeks |
| Mid-size, multiple office layout (quick ship) | Design Production Delivery/Install Total |
2-4 weeks 2-3 weeks 1-2 weeks 5-9 weeks |
| Mid-size, multiple office layout (standard lead time) | Design Production Delivery/Install Total |
2-4 weeks 4-6 weeks 1-2 weeks 7-12 weeks |
| Large project | Furniture needed for new building or major renovation
|
|
Other things to consider
- Office furniture is a made-to-order industry
- Planning is necessary, especially when design and installation are involved
- Identify primary points of contact for department/school
- Clearly identify roles
- Establish expectations at beginning of the project
- Timely communication is a must between all parties involved
Service charges
| Services | Kayhan | Henricksen | Interior Investments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular delivery and installation | $113/hr Mon-Fri: 7am-3:30pm |
$122.95/hr Mon-Fri: 7am-3:30pm |
16.8% of product cost (as part of the contract) Delivery during regular hours on the standard NU delivery day (consolidated deliveries around campus) |
| Overtime | $165/hr Saturday: 7am-3:30pm |
$165.10/hr Mon-Fri: before 7am & after 3:30pm Sat: 7am-3:30pm |
$160/hr (4-hr min) Saturday the first eight hours worked between 7am-3:30pm, also the ninth & tenth hour worked Monday through Friday |
| Double Time | $175/hr All hours worked outside of regular & Saturday, plus all day Sunday |
$186.10/hr Sat: before 7am & after 3:30pm All day Sunday |
$196/hr (4-hr min) All after-hour work Monday through Saturday and all day Sunday |
| Other | 1-2 Quantities:
3+ Quantities:
Other Items:
|
Truck/delivery charge: $125/ea | Premium Delivery:
|