AIS DiVi Workstations

Selecting new office furniture and getting professional help with the space planning can seem like a large project.  However, most furniture purchasers and end-users find the true hair-pulling time to be when it comes time to choose colours and fabrics.

How will it look?  Will it clash with the carpet?  Should we go with solid colours or two-tone?  Should we choose high-contrast two-tones or low-contrast?  There seem to be many questions and no apparent answers until the furniture actually arrives (when it’s too late to change your mind).

Here’s where colour renderings can be a tremendous help when selecting your new office furnishings.

Pictured here you see two identical versions of some Divi panel system stations by AIS; identical except for the finishes that is.

With AIS’s Dress, Render & Print tool, you are able to see for yourself how any and every combination of panel fabric, laminate, edge trim, panel trim, baseboard and glass tint will look before you commit to a decision.

Looking at this images of the workstations, you can clearly see what a dramatic difference it makes changing the colours.

Take the guess work out of choosing your new office furniture.  Contact Signature Office Interiors for help!

Welcome to Chapter Seven of our ‘Design Versus’ series and part one of three of our ‘Office Furniture Market Trends’ mini-series.

In this chapter and three-part mini-series, we take a look at evolving market trends in the office furniture industry and the right way to react to them.  There are too many people trying to predict what the future office will look like – even in our earlier chapter ‘Design Versus ….the Future Office’ took a jab at the concept!  Is it just a popular tagline?  Maybe, but the implications are too serious to avoid.

In our earlier chapter we mentioned that we need to use the resources we have today to plan for the best utilization of space, connected directly with total cost of ownership over total cost of acquisition.  That means if your company has a track record of large employee churn and expansion, then with the right forecasting and analysis it makes more sense to purchase reconfigurable walls and benches than static ones (which can cost a fortune to reconfigure even two months down the road).

Given the chance that anything can happen, maybe the company hits a plateau and there is no foreseeable growth; was the reconfigurable walls a bad idea?  Not at all!  Because you purchased assets that still have value to them.  They are 100% re-usable, which means they retain their value unlike conventional construction; which is permanent to its residence.  When you take into account every factor that will affect the value or cost of the goods purchased, is the definition of total cost of ownership.

In the earlier chapter ‘Design Versus …the Future Office’ we focused on total cost of ownership rather than ‘predicting the future.’ Instead of using old product and methods that may or may not retain any significant value, we encouraged using the newly developed products and current research to determine how to obtain the best possible value for any given situation as well as having value to be resold or reused in the future.

We even touched base again on total cost of ownership in ‘Total Cost of Ownership Versus Total Cost of Acquisition.’  The main focus being that we are not trying to predict what the future office will look like, but instead do the best we can do address the requirements we have today without sacrificing our ability to adapt or retain value (neither of which conventional construction can do.)

“What works today may still work tomorrow, but what if the cost of walls and private offices backfire and cost a significant amount of capital a few years down the road?  It may seem like a great idea at the time, but available space needs to be optimized and planned in case of an unlikely influx of employees, or a major shift in corporate structure.” – Chapter Three, Design Versus.

Optimize and plan available space, not because you’re trying to predict the future, but because you’re trying to address the present in the most efficient way possible.

Until next time, go change the world.

Welcome to Part Six of our ‘Design Versus’ series.

In this chapter we take a look at the battle between design and creativity.  The human mind is a very complex place; “the human mind is so complex and things are so tangled up with each other that, to explain a blade of straw, one would have to take to pieces an entire universe.  A definition is a sack of flour compressed into a thimble,” – to quote Remy De Gourmont.

We all aim to survive, whether that is through life in general or through our works; survival is a human instinct.  Because creation is unique to the creator (which leads to the generation of the creator’s legacy) people can interpret creation as survival.  There is nothing wrong with striving to create, to leave behind your mark.  If you’re leaving your mark in the workplace, then it means passion in the workplace.  But never mistake creativity for design.

As per a direct quotation from the Merriam-Webster dictionary:
Create “1 : to bring into existence <God created the heaven and the earth — Gen 1:1(Authorized Version)>”
Design is “1 : to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan”

To create is when we attempt to solely express our character through our work, which is the exact opposite of what we need to do as industry professionals.  We need to learn how to design.  The idea of design states that there is a plan in place, or at least a set of overlying parameters that must be followed.

Can we be creative in design?  Most definitely!  But we need to first establish design as the primary objective of our actions and let creativity help address the requirements of the design.  To be purely creative is to be self-destructive.  It will lead to deviation from standards as well as from the vision of those that empower us with the privilege to create.

“Design is the conscious decision-making process by which information (an idea) is transformed into an outcome, be it tangible (product) or intangible (service).” – John Locke.

In an application to the office furniture industry, another supporting idea that creativity is not design is that anyone can ‘create’ a visually breathtaking workspace.  However it is design that dictates its feasibility, efficiency, total cost of ownership and return-on-investment

Designers are a rare breed of skilled individuals whom apply their industry expertise to end user requirements.  Design is the interpretation of those requirements into visual and technical specifications, all the while meeting jurisdictional building codes and relative environmental requirements.  Usually there are interior designers and/or architects heavily involved in the acquisition and planning process of a project.  In the instance that a project is void of both, dealerships have in-house teams that have the required experience and resources to substitute or compliment this role when necessary.

Until next time, go change the world!

P.S.  Check out the movement by Teknion that Design Does Matter: www.signatureoffice.ca/ddm

Welcome to Chapter Eight of our ‘Design Versus’ series and part two of three of our ‘Office Furniture Market Trends’ mini-series.

Let’s take a look at evolving market trends in the office furniture industry and the right way to react to them.  In the previous chapter we emphasized ‘total cost of ownership’ and differentiated it from ‘predicting the future.’  This time around we’re going to stress why we shouldn’t predict the future.

People in every industry and walk of life have made predictions that at the time seemed quite credible, but ended up wrong.  I have pulled two quotes from a list with a little over eighty more and you can find hundreds more as well.

• “We stand on the threshold of rocket mail.” – U.S. postmaster general Arthur Summerfield, in 1959.
• “By 1985, machines will be capable of doing any work Man can do.” – Herbert A. Simon, of Carnegie Mellon University, 1965.
• “With over fifteen types of foreign cars already on sale here, the Japanese auto industry isn’t likely to carve out a big share of the market for itself.” – Business Week, August 2, 1968.

“Prediction is very hard, especially about the future” – Yogi Berra.

To predict with absolutes (i.e. guiding a rocket) is a complex mathematical process where skilled professionals dedicated to that task are enlisted.  To predict the future based off of various and sometimes contrasting research is risky.  The human factor (psychological, social, socioeconomic, physical and biological characteristics) makes it virtually impossible.

I cannot say it as well as Dr. B. M. Hegde (though directed at a different industry) “Unless one knows all about the initial state of the organism, which is impossible with our present knowledge in medicine, future predictions based on a few of the known parameters is a scientific impossibility.”

Everyone is trying to predict what the future office landscape will look like.  Some people use industry terminology and complicated analysis to sound credible and convince the unsuspecting.  Others are doing the right thing: they are using the available research and resources available to them to encourage ‘Total Cost of Ownership’ and improve ‘Return-on-investment.’  By addressing the present efficiently is the only way we can possibly attempt to predict the future.

To reference ‘Contract Magazine’ (which has several articles on the future office) they publish articles specific to the contract furniture market.  One of them that jumped out at me was ‘Characteristics of the Future Office’ by Ruth Jansson, CID, IIDA, LEED AP.  In her article she spoke of workplace standards as well as the influencers in designing such standards.  These standards are adhered to when expanding or reconfiguration.  She also touches on speculative spaces, another area of design which supports total cost of ownership.

The obvious is the closest we can come to ‘predicting the future office.’  The rest of the information and statistics are just additional tools in our arsenal.

Until next time, go change the world – P.H.

More and more companies are taking environmental responsibility seriously and making every effort to “Go Green” in their operations, and that also applies when they purchase new office furniture.

AIS, an award-winning panel system manufacturer, is leading the way as the first Carbon Neutral manufacturer in our industry.  As of May of this year, AIS has achieved “CarbonNeutral” Certification.

What does this mean?  Well, in layman terms, “This means that for every one tonne of CO2 that we produce, we pay to enable an equivalent amount of CO2 to be saved by an offset project somewhere else in the world.”

You can read more about how AIS achieved this status and how it benefits the environment by reading up on the AIS section dedicated to CarbonNeutral Status.

Signature Office Interiors is proud to represent AIS in British Columbia.  Contact us to have your office space planned with AIS office furniture.

Furniture 3D Rendering

Space planning is the part of my job I enjoy most.  After many years of doing this, I have yet to tire of creating imaginative and great looking office furniture layouts for my customers.  Part of the fun for me are the new advances in the design software we use and the new tools the manufacturers come up with to help us.

Pictured here is a sample  2-station collaborative teaming office setup.  This particular one is the Matrix panel system by AIS (formerly Affordable Interior Systems).

AIS has a great online tool we use to go a step beyond basic space planning where we help you choose the overall layout and traffic flow (what goes where).  They have a “Dress, Render & Print” tool which allows us to take a typical work station, such as the one shown here, and apply the specific finishes the customer has chosen to every surface.

These finishes include the panel fabrics (for each tile section), the paint trim, the surface laminate, the storage unit colors and the edge color of the worksurfaces.

Choosing colors for the average customer is an agonizing process.  Second-guessing is the norm and this tool is a HUGE benefit to putting customers at ease about their choices.  It helps so much to visualize what the final specified version of the office furniture will look like when it arrives.

Take the guess work out of the process when it comes time for you to order new office furniture.  Find a local professional to help you out or contact us here at Signature Office Interiors in Abbotsford BC.

Welcome to Part Five of our ‘Design Versus’ series.

In this chapter we delve into the purchasing world of office furniture and investigate the necessity for total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis rather than just the consideration of total cost of acquisition (TCA.)  TCA is what every dealership provides upfront and what every purchasing department expects.  It is the net price of the product requested, including any relative costs for labour, design and management services.

The assumption that follows a quote is that you are giving one thing (product) in exchange for another (price,) and usually that’s where it ends.  Just imagine the idea of used-car salesmen of not-so-long ago, the objective was to ‘sell as many to as much as possible’ and make a profit.  The client only considered TCA because of a lack of experience with vehicles (and a blind trust in their salesman).  So when cars started breaking down and costs skyrocketed, the ‘used-car salesmen’ became the bane of all things ‘consumer-friendly.’

The same analogy can be true in any industry where a third-party sales team is involved.  However, with a little research and competitive analysis, it is actually possible and a lot simpler than people think to estimate TCO figures.  With used-cars you can read reviews, speak to previous and current owners, learn a little about the company (and what people are saying about it) and compare the car at other dealerships and with other similar models.  A good dealership will assist you in doing all of this, but if not, the footwork should still be done to avoid making costly long-term-investment mistakes.

With respect to office furniture, dealerships have access to technical specifications and resources, client case-studies and references, competitive analysis as well as having trained professionals that have a broad understanding of the marketplace, relationships with other dealerships and organizations all with one purpose; to ensure you get the best possible TCO.

Of course there are a few lemon-dealers (and lemons in general) out there, so no matter what, always do a little research, such as “How long has the dealership been around?”,  “Who is the manufacturer and can you speak with them directly? “, (Manufacturer’s almost always have local representatives that are more than willing to show off their products)  or even “What is the competition saying about them?”   Go to the competition!  Compare notes and make sure to have that grain of salt ready.

To end, I will just ask that you take another look at the ‘TCO vs. TCA Analysis’ in the image above.   It does not contain actual car models or data, but the concept is true and can be applied to virtually any industry.  Whenever the TCA may be higher in certain instances for what seems like a comparable product, give all parties involved a TCO analysis– you may be quite surprised at what you find!

Until next time, go change the world – P.H.
Signature Office Interiors

Title: ‘Design Versus’ Conventional Construction

Welcome to Part Four of our ‘Design Versus’ series.

In this chapter we take a look at conventional construction methods, the environmental impact of these methods and the options we have available to us as industry professionals, to increase not only the sustainability and health factors, but also improve the overall total cost of ownership.

If we were to concentrate on just one factor of construction (albeit a significant one) it will have to be walls.  With the explosion of reconfigurable wall systems in the furniture industry, they have become a very competitive and beneficial solution for renovations and new construction.  Not only do reconfigurable walls promote total cost of ownership and sustainability, but they also prove to have favourable tax advantages.

On the performance front of reconfigurable walls, the main points to take into consideration is their ability to relocate and change on demand and without down-time; integrate with furniture requirements (when provided from a single-source supplier – again benefiting total cost of ownership;) facilitate power and communication services with ease for future shifts and demands; adhere to overall design intent and are 100% reusable for future requirements.

On the fiscal side of things, reconfigurable walls fall into the ‘Furniture and Fixtures’ category rather than the ‘Leasehold Improvements’ category, meaning you get an accelerated depreciation schedule of 20% (CCA Class in comparison to 4% (CCA Class 1) for conventional construction.

Another aspect to take into consideration, is that if we were to take a look at methodology of conventional construction, it is easy to identify how it is a progressive task; each stage of constructing walls (including the framing, gypsum wallboards, hardwiring electrics, spackled and sanded surfaces or the multiple coats of paint,) are sequential in their application, which calls for lengthy timelines and a massive amount of clean-up; filling up our landfills with non-recyclable materials.

Almost the exact opposite methodology of conventional construction is observed with reconfigurable walls.  There is minimal waste; the walls can be installed between finished floors and ceilings, meaning there are no trades being held up in the process and the benefits of having easily accessible electrical and communication is noticeable immediately!

In most cases the ‘total cost of acquisition’ (or TCA) will be slightly higher with reconfigurable walls than the overall cost of constructing walls (trades, materials, staging,) even if reconfigurable walls can be completed in a fraction of the time and save several trips to the landfill.  However the ‘total cost of ownership’ (or TCO) must be an influencing factor in any capital purchase, because it really determines the viability of any capital investment!  We will elaborate more on TCA versus TCO in our next chapter.

Until next time, go change the world – P.H.
Signature Office Interiors

Welcome to Part Three of our ‘Design Versus’ series.

In this chapter we take a look at market trends driving a shift in the office furniture market and the way office space is utilized.  Designers and architects are noticing the footprint of offices and workstations shrinking to optimize available space, increase collaboration and ultimately yield a greater return-on-investment to the owner.

“Suddenly, real estate didn’t seem so real any more.  I realized just how rapidly ways of working in the office were changing, and how radically these changes would affect the conventions upon which office design and real estate practice have been based for decades.  But I saw that what was more important was that everyone will be affected by the changes because they are irreversible…” – Francis Duffy, Design Strategy for the Future Office.

It is true that every aspect of the workplace is changing.  There is a wave of new construction that is not waiting for strict environmental standards to be imposed decades down the road, but instead opt for current third-party certification such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,) that promote sustainability, total cost of ownership efficiency and indoor-environment quality.

The workplace is changing rapidly, but must also accommodate the multi-generation workforce we are faced with.  Traditionalists; Boomers; Generation X and Millennial are working together with different ideas of what the workplace should be and how the work is done.  The younger generation thrives off of collaboration and a dynamic office, changing the way walls and the ‘corner office’ are being perceived.

Benefits are realized for everyone and productivity is maximized when designers and architects are given the opportunity to present long-term projections of how space is being used not only in the present but also in the future.  MasterFormat 2004 was the first major-revamp of the Format that saw an increase to 34 active divisions and 16 reserved for future development, from a previous number of only 16!  This encourages everyone involved in the decision making to identify the future potential of every square foot purchased in an office, not just how it can be used ‘right now.’

Computers and the increasingly popular virtual workplace are demanding an innovative approach in sharing technology, encourages ‘touch-down’ spaces and promotes a more open environment.  Sustainability and overall workplace health concerns also push for more natural light and long-term planning; bringing down massive wall barriers and pushing us to rethink how private offices typically consume all of the natural light while cubicles line the open ‘dull-space’ left in the middle.

Distribution of power, once heavy-shielded and passed through massive raceways and thick channels, is evolving just as quickly.  Technology has allowed us to adapt to the changing workplace; with modular shielded electrics being routed side-by-side data, and reconfigurable inside modular walls and benches – not just the typical panel system anymore!  An amazing example of this is seen through Teknion’s highly innovative and newly introduced DNA product series or their robust and proven Altos product series.  (Just wait until we blow you away with Teknion’s newly developed ‘Powermat’- which eliminates the need for the majority of power cords for small devices through inductive coupling technology!)

We must use design as a strategy for the future office, realising current market trends as well as anticipating future demands.  What works today may still work tomorrow, but what if the cost of walls and private offices backfire and cost a significant amount of capital a few years down the road?  It may seem like a great idea at the time, but available space needs to be optimized and planned in case of an unlikely influx of employees, or a major shift in corporate structure.

Until next time, go change the world – P.H.

Welcome to Part Two of our ‘Design Versus’ series.

I missed referencing MasterFormat in the first chapter, so I based this entry around it!  In this chapter we take a look at the office furniture industry standards set in place that effect the way we represent our manufacturers and dialogue with our clients.

Dealerships are primarily ‘service-driven’ organizations; we act as the third-party for manufacturers and end-users.  The nature of our business puts us in a unique position, demands that we understand the standards and language used by the end-user (their project and interior teams), as well as being able to interpret the resources provided by our several different manufacturers in a way where we provide clear, correct, complete and concise information consistently and on call.

MasterFormat (www.masterformat.com) is the standard universal language for construction specification and therefore influences the majority of bid opportunities.  It has been the recognized construction industry standard for more than 40 years, therefore is a very solid and reputable resource for office furniture dealers to understand in order to properly bridge the communication gap between available resources and end-user requirements.

However necessary as MasterFormat is to ensuring the end-user ultimately receives their requirements, without due care –because of the complex and sometimes political environment dealt with in office furniture bids– it can also facilitate the elimination of competition, which in turn distorts total cost of ownership projections.

If a bid is written up with the proprietary method of prescriptive specification (unless the specification writer has a broad understanding of the office furniture industry), it can discourage competition and in turn allow higher margins and a lower value to the end user.  There are other suitable types and methods of specification (e.g. non-restrictive, reference standard) that allow competition for the best value package whist still maintaining the end-users performance standards.

As professionals in the industry, it is not only our job, but our responsibility to ensure that we continue to advocate the highest value and total cost of ownership to our end users at all costs.  This means understanding standards and how to utilize them to the end-users advantage to present them with the best total cost of ownership package, as well value-added or value-engineered alternatives dependent on the project.

“Workplace design is undergoing a revolution, but there is also a sense that some people have been carried away…” Roger Whitehouse – Design as a Business Tool.  We must still realize that design is a powerful business tool that we can use to create acceptable alternatives in specification.  Only when we understand what the standards that the end-user utilizes to relay their needs, can we then use design as a tool to specify acceptable and performance-driven alternatives; fueling competition and a higher value to the end-user.

Until next time, go change the world – P.H., Signature Office Interiors