Buying office furniture for your working environment can be one of the biggest investments your company makes, so its vitally important your ‘wish list’ is carefully considered and goes far beyond the aesthetics!
Our office furniture buying guide aims to help you to understand your office and your furniture requirements, ensuring you’re getting the most from your budget and space.
Different offices will have different needs, but the three basic staple requirements for every workspace includes Desks, Chairs and Storage.
If you are an employer, you will understand the overall term of investment, and investment is exactly what you should focus on when purchasing new office furniture.
While you have a responsibility to your team, your investment also needs to be fit for purpose and be adaptable for growth as your business changes and develops.
Don’t get lost in the world of online shopping or showroom visiting until you really understand your requirements. The last think you want to do is buy a load of wow products, and not have enough budget left for the staple requirements we mentioned above. The main considerations to think about should include:
1. How many employees do you have in your team and will you grow in the next 5 years?
2. Is a shared agile working area i.e. hot desk an option?
3. Do your employees need private or quiet areas away from their workstation?
4. How much storage does each team member and the company need? (You may find this is a good opportunity to start storing your documents online).
5. Do you require a visitor welcome area?
By having a requirement list in mind, you can start thinking about the design of you’re working environment.
Start planning your area yourself, or good office furniture suppliers often offer a complimentary planning and design service like our design team at MACOI who understand modern spaces aren’t just about working, that’s why we take the time to fully understand your requirements, business culture and ways of working.
We use a combination of accurate scale plans, 3D drawings, computer rendered visuals and mood boards to bring our ideas to life and give you the opportunity to interact and feedback on your evolving environment.
Your budget is always going to be the most important factor in the purchasing decision of your your office refurbishment.
That's why we recommend you set yourself a maximum budget before making any purchasing decisions, this will help when you’re at the quote and review process.
Functionality, style and quality will naturally need to be top of your list, but you also need to consider what you can afford, so don’t be tempted to get carried away with your shopping basket!
When working out your budget, consider the following which may need to be added into your budget projection:
1. Will you require an office move service?
2. Do you require an IT solution for relocation of computers and printers?
3. Will you need skip hire to dispose of redundant furniture?
4. Will your supplier remove furniture packaging from site?
5. Does your supplier provide a full installation service that can be carried out at a time that’s convenient to your business to avoid or minimise any unnecessary disruptions?
The reputation of a good office furniture supplier is often based on their aftercare service. Check out recent case studies and refurbishments, visit showrooms and talk to fellow businesses for their recommendations.
When you’re investing in office furniture, consider product warranties and continuity. Ideally you won’t need to buy into a warranty package as most reputable furniture ranges will normally be provided with a one to ten year guarantee included.
MACOI’s aftercare service ensures we are on hand to assist with any extra’s that may have been overlooked. We can deliver any required training, provide peace of mind guarantees and ensure all furniture installed is guaranteed with at least industry standard warranties.
This includes the supply of any additional products and services, including plants, ergonomic accessories, signage, desk and personal accessories, recycling bins and artwork to enhance and compliment your new working environment.
Delivery times can vary from one supplier to the next. As a guide, four weeks for standard furniture would be expected from time of ordering. Bespoke 'made to measure' products are normally around 6 weeks from order receipt.
With an average of 95% of an office workers’ day being spent sitting in front of a computer, choosing the right chair is a critical step in preventing health problems. A good physiotherapist endorsed chair will support the lower back and promote good posture, helping to make sure you’re reducing the aches and pains that can occur after sitting in the same position for long periods of time.
Not only is a good ergonomic chair proven to increase productivity and performance, but it will also lead to fewer complaints and sick days and in our opinion, an investment priority.
When choosing the right ergonomic office chair, you should take the following into consideration:
1. Your chair needs to be able to swivel/rotate freely.
2. The seat height, width and depth should all be adjustable to maximise support.
3. The backrest should be multi-directional and offer vertical/forward/backward movement.
4. If buying a chair with arms, always buy arm rests that are adjustable.
5. The chair should be well padded and be built on a strong and suitable stable base.
Choosing the right office desking can be overwhelming with so many sizes, shapes and finishes in today’s marketplace, from rectangular, crescent, wave, and bench, the desk you choose will depend on the space available and who will be using it.
A basic rectangular design desk will fit into most universal spaces along with wave desks which offer left or right hand options and have great adaptability for smaller footprint areas.
Modern bench style desks offer an effective chain of workstations that share the same components including tops, legs and cable management. These desks provide great adaptability and can be a real budget saver whilst being practical and versatile in an agile office space.
For a truly ergonomic solution, the height adjustable desk is the latest innovation in the world of desk design that combines strength, style and elegance. Sit Stand Desks are proven to be extremely comfortable and have a wealth of user health benefits including; improved circulation and posture, revitalising metabolism, reduced risk of obesity and cardio vascular disease.
With a rising increase in ‘paperless offices’, hard copy filing is still the storage method of choice.
When choosing filing or storage for your office environment, it’s important to consider space requirements now and what will be required in 5 years time if your business grows.
There are a number of space efficient storage ranges available from wooden and metal filing cabinets and cupboards, to racking and mobile-shelving, there are endless choices and colours all designed to help prevent clutter and promote organisation.
To help with your research why not view our ranges of office furniture including:
Or why not visit our fully stocked showrooms in Kimbolton, Cambridgeshire and Ipswich, Suffolk where we showcase a range of ergonomic desks and seating, storage, breakout and meeting room furniture - book your personal tour here
Hopefully you’re now a step closer in choosing your perfect office furniture, however should you require some additional advice, a free consultation or would like to use our space planning facility, please get in touch and one of our friendly and experienced sales team will be happy to help.
Cambridgeshire
Unit 6-8 Centree House
River Road
Bicton Industrial Park
Kimbolton
Cambridgeshire
PE28 0LQ
Suffolk
Suite 3.11, Felaw Maltings
44 Felaw Street
Ipswich
Suffolk
IP2 8SJ
Go to map
enquiries@macoi.co.uk