At Precision, we have over three decades in the office furniture installation field. That’s plenty of years, and A LOT of experience!
And as you might expect, we could write a book – or rather, several books – on what not to do. We've run into more than a few customers who have called in a panic after either attempted an ill-fated DIY office furniture installation or hired amateurs who may be big on effort but dangerously lacking in competence.
In lieu of writing a book, we thought it would be simpler (and easier) if we wrote an article highlighting the top 5 mistakes in office furniture installation; any one of which can lead to damage, delays, injuries and other costly hazards.
The 5 Biggest Office Furniture Installation Mistakes:
1. Underestimating how complex office furniture installation is.
Even what seems like (but isn’t) a simple workstation has dozens of components, and unlike IKEA furniture, there’s no magic Allen Key to put it all together. Almost all items need to be carefully and professionally installed by using both power tools and hand tools.
2. Underestimating the time commitment.
What takes a professional office furniture installer 30 minutes to do, takes several hours for an untrained and inexperienced staff member, mover, or anyone else who frankly doesn’t know what they’re doing. And when you consider that multiple items of office furniture typically need to be installed as part of the same event (e.g. after an office move or renovation), what takes a team of professionals a handful of hours, invariably takes non-professionals several days.
3. Assuming that all office furniture is made the same.
Office furniture equipment makers must meet fundamental safety and quality standards – but they don’t have to (and in fact, deliberately choose not to) have similar manufacturing and design approaches. As such, familiarity with one manufacturer doesn’t translate over to another.
4. Not grasping the risks.
Each year, thousands of staff members are injured because of shoddy office furniture installation, such as a workstation collapsing, a cubicle wall tipping over after a nudge, a shelving unit crashing beneath its own weight, employees making moving mistakes and the list goes on. These injuries can happen during the installation, or weeks, months or even years later. And even more frequent than staff injuries is damage to office furniture and infrastructure (e.g. flooring, walls, fixtures, etc.).
5. Not hiring a professional Office Furniture Installer.
As you might expect, the proverbial “mother of all office furniture installation” mistakes is not hiring professionals. Instead of saving money, businesses invariably end up spending more than they need to. They also waste time, increase risk, and experience an immense amount of frustration and stress.
The Bottom Line
There are smart ways to save money, and not every business problem requires an expert solution. However, when it comes to office furniture installation, take it from us – since we’ve been on the receiving end of emergency calls from panic-stricken business executives – do yourself an enormous favor, and steer clear of ALL of the mistakes listed above. You’ll thank yourself later!
