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STANDARD PROCEDURE

This month, Levent Caglar, head of consultancy and senior ergonomist at FIRA International, and leading figure on many standards committees, offers an insight into standards …

STANDARDS HELP GUIDE THE DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND MANUFACTURE OF FURNITURE PRODUCTS WHICH ARE FIT FOR

PURPOSE AND DURABLE

By LEVENT CAGLAR www.fira.co.uk

I’ve been involved in standards for over 30 years, and whilst I view them as being critical to safety, we never want to see them stifle innovation – which is so critical in our sector, and something I will touch on in more detail shortly.

Whilst safety is at the heart of the development of many standards, it’s not the only key driver. The purpose of ‘standardisation’ has a wider reach. Standards help guide the design, development and manufacture of furniture products which are fit for purpose and durable – which has an impact on sustainability. They also ensure a level of quality and give companies a criteria, enabling them to comply with standards. They can also give a marketing advantage – if you test to a standard, then why not tell your potential customers?!

A common query I am often asked concerns the relationship between standards legislation and standards. Mandated standards are cited in legislation – stating that the standard in question must be adhered to in order to sell a specific product or service (for example, upholstery used as part of a domestic sofa must fully comply with standards set out in the UK Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988 (as amended), andf failure to comply can lead to prosecution).

There are, however, voluntary standards, which do not form part of legislation, but they do show due diligence on your part if you meet them. An example here could be: ‘BS EN 1957:2012 Furniture. Beds and mattresses. Test methods for the determination of functional characteristics and assessment criteria.’ This standard would help assess product quality and durability, giving insight into the potential lifecycle of a product, and possibly customer satisfaction post-purchase.

When it comes to the development of standards, voices are key. There must be a balance of all stakeholders involved, from technical to safety to design. This ensures that standards do not restrain design innovation, but that design works in partnership with form and function instead. This is where the furniture industry can play a major role in developing standards. When you see a standard committee is calling for industry feedback, get involved and give your voice.

My work with the Furniture Industry Research Association places a heavy emphasis on all facets of standards, from developing new ones, to reviewing current ones and working to update or replace those that no longer reflect the innovation we’re seeing across the sector. A main aim within this work is to assist members on developments to support them in planning changes to their design/manufacture for forthcoming changes in standards. We also look to improve member participation in standards development in terms of trialling new proposals, preparation of comments on draft standards, and enabling them to offer their expertise by working with us

A BALANCE OF STAKEHOLDERS ENSURES STANDARDS DON’T RESTRAIN INNOVATION

INDUSTRY PARTNERS

Young Furniture Makers exhibition.

THIS MONTH, WE’RE ASKING …

Andy Stockwell (Gardiner Haskins) Succession planning in small businesses is difficult, and is part of the reason so many small independent businesses eventually close down – there just isn’t anyone able or willing to take them on. It’s often down to the mindset of the leaders within the business, and the ambition and drive of the employees. I personally believe in giving responsibility to your staff. It engages them in the business, encourages growth and generation of ideas, motivates them to move forwards and grows confidence. Of course, some employees aren’t interested in progression, but those that are can be the driving force every business needs

Peter Harding (Fairway Furniture) We’ve been actively working to ensure that no-one in the business is irreplaceable. Everyone in key roles works with at least one other who shares their core skills and understanding, and as a senior management team we meet regularly to ensure that everyone is aware of what’s going on in all the other areas. We have a policy of looking to promote from within where individuals show the skills needed, which helps with maintaining the overall business’ performance

Mike Murray (Land of Beds) Last year we introduced a graduate scheme, which enables our business to keep hiring fresh talent, whilst also giving graduates the chance to start their career

HOW ARE YOU ENSURING STAFF SUCCESSION AND SKILLS TRANSFER?

Steve Pickering (Sussex Beds) Another great process we’ve implemented from the book Traction is accountability planning, which maps out the role or seat structure of your organisation. Each year this is updated and revised. Mapping out the accountability charts allows us to prepare and insert shadow teams to transfer skill sets, readying individuals to take on additional responsibilities and eventually new roles

Paul Wray (Modern Outlook Furniture) Training is essential for staff in my business as there’s no school for this type of work – it’s on-the-job training from the bottom up

Mike Whitman (Iconography) Iconography has a habit of investing in young talent, providing them with training and development within the business. As a result, we’ve got incredibly low staff turnover and a very well-motivated team Royce Clark (Grampian Furnishers) I’ve found it difficult to delegate, but after 25 years in the trade, I’m finally doing that!

Steve Adams (Mattress Online) I’ve bolstered my leadership team to a point where all facets of the business are accountable to one of the senior management team. To support our growth there is a structured programme of training and development at all levels. We’re not only empowering the existing team with in-house training and knowledge sharing, but also developing new skillsets

Huw Williams (Toons Furnishers) We’re actively encouraging younger staff to develop themselves, with a view to taking the reins in the future as us older people retire. We take them on buying trips and give them the opportunity to make choices about the ranges we stock and how they are displayed

Wendy Martin Green (Peter Green) We like to employ new staff with a diverse skillset so our team can cover each other if needed. We’ve worked with the sales team, ensuring everyone can sell everything, even if it’s not their area of expertise. We’ve even trained a few of our office staff to step forward at busier times. If you’re asking who would replace me, that’s a different question. The business can work very well without me right now, and I have a daughter who has expressed an interest in becoming the figurehead in the future …

#395 August 2022

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