Selling to the
Education Market
n o C o e N : 0 1 0 2 PRODUCT PREVIEW
An educated sales force helps dealers make the grade when selling to this all-important market. Page 13
news
This Is Not the Year to Give NeoCon a Miss
CJ & Associates, Wisconsin Dealer, Gears Up to Go the Extra Mile for Heart Disease Education
Just a few short weeks from now, the doors will open at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart for the 2010 NeoCon World's Trade Fair. If you haven’t yet decided to attend, do yourself and your dealership a huge favor and do it. Now. Sure it’s expensive at a time when every dollar is precious. And even though you certainly don’t have to attend all three days, it still takes valuable time away from the business. But consider the downside of staying home this year. By most accounts, we are (hopefully) in the final stages of a lengthy downturn that has brought profound changes to the office furniture industry. Most of us are still trying to figure out what exactly those changes might mean and right now, there are a whole lot more questions than answers. When are we likely to get back to pre-recession sales levels? What will be the key growth drivers once business does begin to turn around in earnest? How will we need to change our basic value proposition and products and services mix to respond to the new needs and priorities of customers in the environment that’s emerging?
As part of a national campaign to raise awareness among women about heart disease, the American Heart Association named February 5 National Wear Red Day and the CJ Associates team turned out in force this year to help get the word out. The dealership’s co-founder and inspiration for its Families 4 Families program Judy Rudy, is front and center.
For Kim Hastings and her team at CJ & Associates in New Berlin, WI, fighting heart disease is personal. The Teknion dealership was founded by Kim’s mother Judy Rudy and her husband Curt back in 1984 and even back then, Judy, as she has for most of her life, was struggling with various heart-related issues. The good news is that a pacemaker/defibrillator implant in 2006 brought a major improvement for Judy to the point that she’s still able to work in the business and can look forward to doing so for many years to come. But her mother’s many years of illness created in Kim a fierce commitment to do what she can to make a difference for others facing heart problems. continued on page 4 MAY 2010
OFDEALER
There are few places more likely to help you find answers to those questions and others like them than at the industry’s annual gathering of the clans in Chicago. That’s why your attendance at this year’s NeoCon—and later this year, at the OFDA’s own Dealer Strategies Conference as well—is so important. The stakes for your business are just too high not to go. Either you put in the effort now to learn as much as you can about what’s happening and figure out what you need to do to adapt to new market conditions or you keep doing what you’ve always been doing and get left behind. It’s that simple. If you’re serious about the long-time viability of your business, it’s not really much of a choice, is it? See you at the Mart! Simon De Groot Editor in Chief OFDealer PAGE 2
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The result: Families 4 Families (F4F), the dealership’s ongoing wellness program, whose mission is to raise awareness of heart disease and promote a heart-healthy lifestyle.
BKM Total Office of Texas Launches Special Alliance with Afghan Non-Profit
“Our goal, explains Kim, “is not only to provide education on heart disease prevention, but also to foster a business culture that supports exercise and healthy eating habits.” In addition to offering education on heart disease and prevention, the dealership has replaced high-fat, sugar-rich snacks with healthier offerings in vending machines and also adopted heart-friendly menus for its lunch and learns. And the CJ team also has done a terrific job of putting its money where its heart is, so to speak! Over the past three years, the dealership’s walking team has raised over $30,000 in support of the American Heart Association by participating in the annual HeartWalk event. “Our people have really embraced Families 4 Families in a big way,” Kim reports. “We’re not a big dealership by any measure—just 26 employees—but most of them participate in our walk team and they bring along family and friends as well.” Right now, the team is already hitting the pavement in preparation for this year’s HeartWalk fundraiser, which takes place October 17. “We’re looking to log 3,000 miles between now and October and raise another $8,000,” Kim says.
Carlene Wilson (left) and Carol Roehrig (right) of BKM Total Office of Texas with Arzu Studio Hope’s Connie Duckworth in Dallas last month.
It’s nearly 8,000 miles as the crow flies from Kabul, Afghanistan, to Dallas-Ft. Worth, but that distance seemed almost irrelevant last month, as Dallas-based BKM Total Office of Texas hosted two special events to launch its new alliance with ARZU STUDIO HOPE, an innovative non-profit based in Chicago whose mission is to empower Afghan women by sourcing and selling the rugs they weave.
“As a family owned and operated business, we’ve always put a great emphasis on caring for our internal customers,” she adds. “CJ stands for family, plain and simple and Families 4 Families has been a very effective way to express our values and help improve the quality of life for those we care about.”
The events, targeted at women executives and the A&D community in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, showcased BKM’s appointment as the first commercial distributor of ARZU rugs in the U.S. but, says BKM VP of sales and marketing Carlene Wilson, the alliance is about a whole lot more than just selling product.
All Makes Office Equipment, Omaha Dealer, Voted Best Place for Office Furniture for Fifth Consecutive Year
“ARZU distributes beautifully handcrafted pieces that are woven in Afghanistan and they have already generated a tremendous amount of interest among our clients and A&D partners,” she said. “But the organization also provides a way for Afghan women to break a vicious cycle of poverty and gives them a viable path to long-term economic sustainability.”
Congratulations to Jeff Kavich and his team at All Makes Office Equipment in Omaha, which last month was named Best Place to Buy Office Furniture for 2010 by B2B Quarterly, a business publication serving the greater Omaha market. This was the fifth-year in a row that All Makes earned best place honors from B2B, which boasts a total readership in excess of 50,000. “We’re honored that All Makes has been recognized as the leading office furniture dealership in Omaha for the fifth consecutive year,” said Jeff. “Every award we earn is a direct result of the hard work and dedication of each and every team member at All Makes – and we thank them for their continued efforts.”
ARZU was founded in 2004 by Connie Duckworth, a retired partner and managing director of Goldman Sachs, after she visited Afghanistan and was inspired to try and do something to change the impoverished conditions of the women and children that she found there. Revenue from ARZU is funneled back to the weavers at above market rates and in exchange, participating families must agree to send their children to school full-time, allow women in the household to attend literacy classes and permit ARZU to transport pregnant women and newborns to clinics for pre- and post-natal care. continued on page 5
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“We can now make exquisite ARZU rugs available to a new market, resulting in more income-generating opportunities that will support sustainable economic development, instill personal worth and build gender equality for Afghan women weavers,” Duckworth said of the new partnership with BKM. Added BKM president Carol Roehrig, “We are proud to be selected by ARZU STUDIO HOPE as their exclusive commercial distributor in D/FW and are looking forward to being a part of their social mission to provide hope for the women of Afghanistan.” For more information, visit www.bkmtexas.com or
The economy in Southern California may be fragile at best and the industry overall is still struggling to come out of a long and deep downturn, but none of that got in the way of a spectacularly good time at the event. “This year’s show sold out with more than 600 attendees,” reported Tangram Orange County sales director Christine Peter, who played a key role in spearheading the dealership’s involvement. “The A&D community is obviously a critical partner and customer for Tangram and we support IIDA on an ongoing basis throughout the year,” she said.
www.arzustudiohope.org. “The opportunity to play a major role in one of the organization’s major events was not only a great way to take our support to the next level. It was also a lot of fun.”
Compass Office Solutions, Florida Dealer, Named Finalist for Honors by Local Business Magazine In Miramar, FL, Jose Manuel Diaz and his team at Allsteel dealer Compass Office Solutions had reasons to celebrate last month after being selected as a finalist by the South Florida Business Journal for its 2010 Business of the Year award.
DIRTT and Its Calgary Dealer Get Behind Earth Day and Clean Up
Compass was one of three finalists in the category of companies with up to 25 employees and while the dealership didn’t garner top honors this year, it was still very welcome recognition. “We are honored to be acknowledged as a finalist for such a prestigious award,” said Jose Manuel. “We believe that a well-designed space improves productivity, raises company morale and can improve the performance of our clients’ business. It’s our mission to deliver those results in an efficient and truly enjoyable experience.” “We are truly fortunate to have Compass in the Allsteel family of dealers,” said Jason Hagedorn, vice president and general manager, Allsteel dealer network. “It’s exciting that their unrelenting drive for success is being honored by such an influential award.”
Tangram Serves as Lead Sponsor for Local IIDA Fashion Show The office furniture industry met Project Runway, some rock and roll superstars and a whole lot more last month, as Santa Fe Springs, CA-based Tangram Interiors stepped into the spotlight as headline sponsor for the IIDA Southern California Chapter’s tenth annual fashion show.
DIRTT’s Kim Martin and Nancy MacEachern spent their 22 minutes cleaning along the railway tracks behind the company’s facilities.
Calgary dealer Element Integrated Workplace Solutions and DIRTT found just the right way to mark Earth Day last month as they helped organized a city-wide “22 Minute Makeover” that sent civic minded citizens out en masse to pick up trash for 22 minutes. Later that day, DIRTT and their Calgary distribution partner hosted a screening of the documentary ‘Dirt! The Movie,’ to help raise awareness of the importance of what is usually an undervalued and overlooked part of the planet. continued on page 7
MAY 2010
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Western Contract, Sacramento Dealer, Expands Through Merger with Local Competitor Sacramento-based Haworth dealer Western Contract announced last month that Design Directions, a local competitor with a heavy emphasis on the healthcare market, has merged their operations with it to become Western Contract Healthcare, making the dealership one of the region’s largest.
How Does Your Dealership Compare? Compare your company’s financial performance to the industry’s best players by participating in the OFDA’s free online
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“We are very pleased to incorporate the talents and strong customer base provided by Design Directions into Western Contract,” stated Bill Yee, Western Contract president and CEO. “We are confident that our combined resources will serve our customers very well and position us for continued growth.” “I am excited about this new adventure,” stated Jeanne Maloney, former president of Design Directions who will head up the new healthcare division. “In becoming a part of Western Contract, we will be able to continue to work with our current clients while expanding our reach in California.”
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The staff of Design Directions will join Western Contract in their current Sacramento location, the company said.
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BIFMA March Numbers: Orders Up 5%; Shipments Down 7% Earlier this month, the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA) released its market statistics for March and for the first time in close to two years, industry order growth was in positive territory. BIFMA said March orders increased 5%, marking the first monthly year-overyear incoming order improvement since July 2008. While the prior year comparison was modestly easier (-34% in March 2009 versus -32% in February 2009), on a two-year stack, March orders improved about 900 basis points relative to February, Raymond James analyst Budd
Bugatch pointed out. Importantly, he noted, prior year comparisons will remain pretty easy (down 30% or more) until November.
corporate profits are likely to record a second consecutive quarter of year-overyear growth.
Consistent with the 6% order decline reported last month, March shipments fell 7% .
He also cited widespread de-leveraging of corporate balance sheets and growing business confidence as positive indicators.
Bugatch
March
“While the unemployment rate remains
numbers as “encouraging” and said they corroborated his own view that the contract office furniture industry is in the process of bottoming.
elevated, the economy has begun to add jobs, albeit at a modest pace,” Bugatch added.
described
BIFMA’s
While the industry’s key economic drivers remain mixed, on balance, macro and industry-specific data points have continued to improve, Bugatch said. He pointed to a vast majority of first quarter earnings reports that have handily exceeded analyst expectations and said
Specific to the industry, Bugatch contended that while weakness in commercial construction is likely to remain a drag on project-related business for the foreseeable future, the Architect’s Billing Index (published by the American Institute of Architects) improved to 46.1 in March, up from 44.8 in the previous month.
Industry Index Improves in Latest Survey
• New product development soared.
Last month saw publication of the latest industry survey from Michael A. Dunlap & Associates and the findings generally provided support for the argument that the office furniture has bottomed out and is starting to move, albeit slowly, towards recovery.
• Raw material and employee costs have both risen, but not to alarming levels, according to Dunlap.
The survey’s overall industry index posted a slight gain, coming in at 51.51, compared to 50.64 in January 2010 51.45 in October 2009. The highest recorded Index was 59.72 in July 2005; the lowest was 41.45 in April 2009. The average is 53.95 since the survey started in August 2004. Among the highlights from the most recent survey: • Gross shipments declined but order backlog has increased. • Employment held steady while hours worked declined. • Capital expenditures and tooling expenditures improved significantly.
"I'm pleased with the results this quarter but I am somewhat surprised at the dip in gross shipments and am very surprised to see the increase in material costs," commented Dunlap. "I am delighted to see the high index values in capital expenditures and new product development. The majority of respondents continue to cite increased energy costs, health care costs, and low cost as the largest threats to the industry.” Dunlap continued, “2009 was, without question, the worst single year in modern history for this industry, I think that there are enough strong indicators in the April survey that demonstrate that the worst is behind us and that we are finally seeing some solid signs of recovery. However, I think it will take at least another 12 to 15 months to come out of this recession with any significant growth.” continued on page 10
MAY 2010
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INDUSTRY
NEWS
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INDEAL, New Dealer Association, Debuts Dave Bloch and Dave Gatherum, until recently the top two executive officers for WorkPlace Furnishings Canada and both former presidents of contract furniture dealerships, have established the organization as a North American buying association for dealers on both sides of the border.
National Office Furniture Releases 2009 Corporate Social Responsibility Report National Office Furniture recently released its second annual report summarizing the company’s social and environmental efforts. Highlights include: 4 88% of solid waste generated was recycled or reused in 2009 4 National has reduced solid waste generated by 70% since 2002 4 24% reduction in VOC emissions per unit produced in 2009
Joining Bloch and Gatherum on the INDEAL leadership team is Ed Doucette, formerly director of Business Development for OFDA.
4 21% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in 2009 vs. 2008
INDEAL said it is forging contracts with a list of preferred suppliers to offer discounted pricing to INDEAL dealer members, along with rebates when performance criteria are reached. The new association said it also has marketing and training services for its dealer members.
4 94% reduction in recordable injuries since 2004
Bloch and Gatherum say that INDEAL is targeting dealers who have a primary alignment with one of the top-tier manufacturers. Their goal is to have contracts with a broad range of preferred manufacturers who support and complement the dealer’s primary supplier. INDEAL intends to build a membership of market-leading contract office furniture dealerships from across North America. For more information, visit the INDEAL website at www.indeal.org or contact Bloch or Gatherum at INDEAL’s U.S. headquarters toll-free at 888-639-3814.
MAY 2010
4 98% of National’s loads are delivered via SmartWay certified carriers 4 92% of products are level 1 or 2 certified to the BIFMA e3 sustainability standard 4 81% of products earn the SCS Indoor Advantage or Indoor Advantage Gold marks “At National, we strive for continuous improvement in everything we do, from safety and transportation to environmental and education,” said Kevin McCoy, National’s general manager. “Our actions have impact beyond our walls and that’s why our responsibilities to our employees, customers, communities and the environment are measured and play an integral role as we move forward as a company. We’re extremely proud to share these results and look forward to sharing more improvements on top of these next year.”
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Help Shape OFDA’s Future Programs and Services The OFDA Board of Governors recently identified four key areas of association services and has formed four task forces to evaluate current offerings, establish clear roadmaps for enhancing OFDA programs in identified areas and launch a new training initiative designed to complement existing manufacturersponsored and generic training programs aimed at office furniture dealers. Here are a few snap-shots of the work now in progress. 2010 annual conference planning – OFDA’s 2010 conference theme is “Sailing toward the Future: New Realities, New Strategies.” With early signs of economic recovery appearing, this year’s OFDA Dealer Strategies Conference will focus on understanding how fundamental changes in the economic landscape are impacting future strategic options for dealers and their business partners as they seek new avenues for revenue growth and profit improvement. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs, FL on October 10-12, with group recreational activities (golf and back-water fishing) offered on Saturday, October 9 to encourage new relationships and informal business networking. The educational program will begin early Sunday afternoon and conclude following a closing luncheon with an informative speaker. Like OFDA’s 2009 conference in Austin, TX, this year’s event will include general, workshop and breakout sessions – along with ample networking time – in an atmosphere that is ideal for dealers, manufacturers and service providers to build relationships and generate new business opportunities. The agenda is being set by members for members and OFDA encourages members to share their key issues, speaker suggestions and ideas on how to enhance the total experience of this premier industry event. There is no better time or place to gain new perspectives on strategic management issues and build your business network than you will find at this year’s event. OFDA website development – OFDA’s web site development vision is to progressively develop an online association and industry information and services resource that will provide rich, practical content, more business enhancement tools and easier navigation and search capabilities to members. The new OFDA MAY 2010
website will also provide new opportunities to expand members’ connections to other industry communities and experts. This website redevelopment initiative will be an ongoing process, shaped by industry dealers and their business partners to ensure high relevancy and value. Dealer financial, operations and other benchmarking programs – One of OFDA’s premier services has long been its annual Dealer Financial Comparison and Benchmarking Guide, which provides dealers with reliable comparative data and analysis to help them focus on the most critical opportunities to improve their business practices and financial results. A task force consisting of U.S. and Canadian dealers, both aligned and non-aligned, is being formed to evaluate all aspects of the program, from data collection to reporting methods and options. At the same time, this group will combine their expertise as regular users of OFDA’s benchmarking program to offer suggestions on best practice methods and new tools for members’ use in effectively applying survey results to improve operating and financial performance. Proposed new dealer training initiative – A fourth task force is now working to address a key ongoing industry challenge – shortening the learning curve of new employees in understanding the fundamentals of the office furniture industry, its structure and common business practices. The emerging vision is to progressively develop and make available to OFDA members a strong focused curriculum that complements existing manufacturerspecific and general sales and business skills training. Looking ahead, the office interiors industry can expect to face strong competition from other industries in recruiting and retaining top quality professional talent. Quality training is often a central element in developing new employees and employee retention, and arguably has never been more essential in ensuring the future prosperity of the office interiors industry. OFDA is developing a progressive strategy to contribute to that key industry-wide goal. For more information or to inquire about how you can contribute to these major initiatives, contact Chris Bates, OFDA president, (cbates@ofdanet.org; Tel: 703.549-9040, x 100).
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S A V E
T H E
D A T E
OFDA 2010 CONFERENCE
October 9-12 Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa Bonita Springs FLORIDA
Selling
You may not need an advanced degree, but a certain amount of smarts certainly helps when selling to the education market. At least that’s
to the
what furniture dealers who consistently do business with K-12 and/or higher education
Education Market
think. Win Stoller is CEO and owner of Widmer Interiors in Peoria, IL. His dealership covers a good portion of central Illinois, which happens to be home to a number of colleges and
universities. The key to Widmer’s success in this market, he says, has been an educated sales force. “We have salespeople who have gone through specific training
By Scott Cullen
for the higher education market,” says Stoller. “We’re also a Herman Miller dealer and they’ve provided us with industryspecific training.”
That combination of internal training and vertical market presentations from their manufacturer has brought Widmer’s reps up to speed on how to identify decision makers in this market as well as given them the requisite product knowledge. The latter has been especially important when it comes to products for classrooms, libraries, and residential halls—three product areas the average contract furniture sales rep isn’t typically well versed in. Truth be told though, a lot of what has made Widmer successful in this space isn’t all that different from what they provide their average commercial client. “If they allow us to add value through our design, space planning, installation and delivery services, it really allows us to partner with them,” says Stoller. “That’s where we’ve had success. Where we have challenges is when they treat each project as its own bid.” Indeed, bids create a more challenging procurement process and can make it difficult to forge that partnership. Like it or not, that’s the nature of the education market, even though Stoller believes fundamentals make a big difference. “One way to convert them to a partner is by servicing them like crazy,” says Stoller. “That’s where they see the value.” Herald Office Systems in Dillon, SC, knows a thing or two about the education market. They ought to since that market is responsible for 50 percent of their business. Becky Williams, director of Herald’s furniture division, believes the company has been successful in this market because of their partnerships with some key strategic manufacturers—KI, HON, Allsteel—all of whom, she points out, offer innovative products specifically targeting education clients. continued on page 14 MAY 2010
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“Those clients are hungry for new ideas and ways to better service their students,” says Williams. “Mobility and flexibility are key in the classroom because K-12 needs to be able to move and reconfigure.”
considering the dealership only began focusing on that market a little over a year ago. The company focuses on both K-12 and higher education although president Ray Blau reports that the primary long-term focus is on higher ed.
Williams firmly believes in partnering with her manufacturers when targeting education.
“Of course, this could change at any time along with the ebb and flow of the economy as well as public tax and spend policies,” he says.
“It’s key to have their support and backing from the standpoint that they’ll help you go out and make some of those calls and provide you with materials whether it be literature or samples.” The number one challenge for Williams in her day-to-day dealings with education clients revolves around budgets and pricing. “It’s trying to get the school districts to look at product other than just from a pricing standpoint and to change that mindset of just going with the least expensive option. We have to teach them the value of what the better products have to offer as far as longevity,” she says. What’s the secret to getting that message across? “I wish I knew the secret,” laughs Williams. “A lot of times it’s simply being in the right place at the right time and in front of the right person. I don’t think there is a secret, it just takes that determination and consistently going in and delivering the message and hoping the right person hears you.” Identifying the right person to speak with is a challenge that every dealer selling to the education market encounters. “Because that person is not always the same person within the various districts,” she says. “It’s not a set role a person has and each district is different. Every time we go in it’s a different ball game and a different challenge.” For Commercial Furniture Interiors in Mountainside, NJ, education represents 10 percent of the company’s business. Not bad
For Blau, the challenges of selling to this market aren’t all that different from what he encounters on an everyday basis in the commercial sector. Identifying the decision maker within an organization and then getting that person’s attention is the primary challenge. “On a more specific level, there is often much more bureaucracy involved,” adds Blau. “So much of education is controlled or regulated by the government. The dealer must learn how to navigate a myriad of regulations and qualifications that the government requires. As a general rule, however, we have found educational facility people to be quite sophisticated and aware of the latest philosophies and approaches to the use of space.” Relationships with the A&D community have been instrumental in finding clients, says Blau. Commercial Furniture Interiors is also committed to investing in this market as a way of setting themselves apart from competitors. “Many educational dealers aren’t very sophisticated when it comes to processes and marketing,” opines Blau. “We believe over time we will be successful in eroding our competitors’ market share simply because we bring more value to the end user, particularly in the traditional areas of design, project management, installation, and service.” Blau also believes that an educated sales force is essential for selling to this market, even though the skill sets aren’t really any continued on page 16
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different from the skill sets needed to sell and provide design services for the commercial market. As Blau says, “It’s simply a matter of doing and learning.” That said, there’s still some learning to do. “Whenever you enter new markets you are challenged to learn the customs of that market,” explains Blau. “Also, different segments have different influencers and decision makers.” Before Commercial Furniture Interiors entered the K-12 market, Blau assumed the principal’s office was the place to start. “Certainly in many cases the principal plays a key role in the decision-making process,” he says. “But don’t overlook the
MARKET
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Unlike other dealers who have found buyers in this market focused on price, Ford doesn’t see it that way. “The higher education market tends to have a fairly open mind,” he says. “Price needs to be appropriate and on budget, and they only have X amount of dollars to spend and don’t traditionally have the ability to find more than what they’ve budgeted.” This is different, he says, from the commercial environment where there might be other places to cut and other places that can be used as a source of revenue. “In education it’s usually donated money or some sort of a bond that was floated, and it’s a fairly finite number,” says Ford.
“It’s more complicated than commercial work because there are many layers of influencers.” influence of the custodian who is responsible for day in, and day out maintenance. They are major influencers because they are often involved in the receiving and installation process as well as the cleaning and reconfiguration of the school spaces. The principal wants the custodian happy and values their input on what is needed to keep the physical plant running smoothly.”
Desks Inc. has a team of experts knowledgeable about this market. “You need to be a salesperson, a great communicator and be extremely patient because the process is long,” says Ford. “That’s why these experts have to be almost an island to themselves because there’s a whole different group of people they need to know.”
Like many other dealers, Blau sometimes finds the education market too focused on price and, he says too much of this market doesn’t understand the added value a dealer like Commercial Furniture Interiors provides.
continued on page 17
“This is one of our great challenges,” he says. “However, Rome was not built in a day and we believe over time, we will get our message across and it will become an important factor in our growth in this market segment.” Desks Inc. in Chicago doesn’t mess with K-12 , but they do have a fair amount of higher education clients. The dealership carries Knoll and Agati products and managing principal Jim Ford believes this gives them an advantage in this space. “Those brands help us greatly because we’re walking in the door with something they’ve heard of or whose value they can quickly recognize.” Asked about the challenges of selling to the education market, Ford boils it down to the decision makers. “It’s more complicated than commercial work because there are many layers of influencers,” he says. “In some institutions, the purchasing group is the most important, in others it is facilities, and in others, it’s real estate.” That’s one of the reasons why educating the education market is so important. “You definitely have to provide a strong level of education about who you are and your pedigree. Your products only get you so far because there are so many levels of influencers and each has an agenda,” says Ford. MAY 2010
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SELLING
TO
Business Furnishings in South Bend, IN, began focusing on the higher education market about 8 ½ years ago. They don’t really do much with K-12 , mostly because that market is served by traditional K-12 suppliers who are difficult to compete with from a pricing perspective. The biggest challenge selling to larger universities, according to Mark Macheca, co-owner of Business Furnishings, is the number of different silos within the institution that a dealer is likely to encounter. “Everybody has their own vision and it takes a large, sophisticated group of facilities managers, maintenance people and architects to control it,” says Macheca. “And on top of that, you should also expect people just going off and doing their own thing. You have to call on all these different client groups and it’s very time consuming.” Dealing with tenured faculty is a big part of that challenge. “The higher ed market gets what they want and gets it when they want it, and it can be difficult to service that market,” states Macheca. “Try to tell a tenured faculty that they can’t have a certain office configuration because it’s not part of the standards.” That’s an issue mostly in private institutions although he occasionally sees it in public institutions too. “But when state funding is involved, there tends to be more of a low-dollar, low first-cost focus,” says Macheca. Business Furnishings recently won a bid for a large college system across the state that involves at minimum 10 different manufacturers and they’ve been asked to maintain pricing for three years. That tends to be difficult to do, says Macheca, but the dealership will certainly try because they want that business.
THE
EDUCATION
MARKET
Dan Wacker, an account manager with Contract Associates in Albuquerque, NM, has been selling to education clients in various markets around the country throughout the course of his 36-year career. Right now, he says, business is booming in K-12 and higher ed, which he attributes to three familiar factors: location, location and location. “New Mexico is literally 22 sovereign countries with all the reservations and they’re getting a lot of government money
“The other guy is coming in with a catalog and saying, ‘Pick six from this page and six from this page and we’ll deliver it.’ I’m coming in with a complete service package rather than just what’s in the catalog.” right now,” Wacker explains. “If they have money and a reason to do a new school, they’re doing it,” he adds. That’s great news for Contract Associates, especially since they aggressively target K-12 and higher education. Wacker focuses primarily on the K-12 market while an associate handles most university business. “The range of products for the K-12 market is much broader,” says Wacker. “We did a school a year and a half ago and used 26 vendors while in higher education, we may use five. There’s a real difference in K-12 in the ability to be a complete solution in terms of anything that’s related to FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment).” Contract Associates has relationships with numerous architects throughout the area,
continued from page x
which is helpful for getting referrals and identifying potential clients. “That’s what separates us from competitors,” says Wacker. “By no means are we the biggest player here, but we are the most successful because we’re a lot more efficient.” Being a contract furniture dealer also seems to give them an edge over competitors who are vertically focused on education. That may sound strange, but Wacker claims the ability to offer higher end products from Smith and KI, and providing design services and detailed equipment lists allows Contract Associates to offer added value. “The other guy is coming in with a catalog and saying, ‘Pick six from this page and six from this page and we’ll deliver it.’ I’m coming in with a complete service package rather than just what’s in the catalog.” The variety of influencers in the education market presents an occasional challenge, but more often than not, those influencers are looking for someone to come in and make things happen. One of Wacker’s recent projects involved 27 different classrooms, 27 different teachers, and 27 different equipment lists. “They are educators as opposed to office workers and not as focused on furniture,” says Wacker. “They’re more concerned about books and keeping order in the classroom. The good news is if we have minor punch issues, they’re probably more forgiving in K-12 because of that. We completed a $4 million commercial job a year ago and they still keep finding scratches underneath desks in the back corner that we have to take care of. In K-12, an hour after we’re done the place looks like chaos anyway.”
Scott Cullen has been writing about the office products, office furniture, and office equipment industries since 1986. He has been working as an independent writer and editor since 1997, and is currently editorial director and managing editor of OfficeSolutions and OfficeDealer magazines as well as publisher and editorial director of the new ezine, Imaging Solutions Reseller. MAY 2010
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How to
Create
Effective Learning
Environments
By Terry Carroll, Market Intelligence Manager, Kimball® Office, and Rebecca Denison Schultz, President, d2p, LLC
The ways in which educators teach and students learn are shifting drastically and furnishings for today’s learning environments need the flexibility to adapt to different users, different applications and ever changing technologies. An educational environment, especially in colleges and university settings, should be suitable for a diverse audience, with students of all ages, gender and stature. No matter the purpose of the classroom, the furnishings must be durable and “student friendly.” Schools look at furnishings as investments and want to ensure they can hold up against many years of rowdy group discussions and projects. Space for many institutions is limited, which requires classrooms to be multi-functional and flexible. Designers and dealers must take advantage of all available space, including walls for incorporating learning tools, such as whiteboards, tack boards, projector screens, desks, and computers. It’s not uncommon for a room to be used for both private, individual work and collaborative instruction many times a day, yet another reason why flexibility of furnishings must remain top-of-mind. The same holds true for computer labs, which may be used as classrooms, group meeting spaces and study areas. Good design evokes emotion and promotes creativity, which are obvious objectives in any learning environment. When students and faculty feel comfortable, information may be retained at a higher level and discussions will flourish. By providing the tools collaborative open spaces and classrooms need to encourage creative thinking, a dealer and designer can create an environment more conducive to effective learning. We know what is needed for an effective learning environment, but what should facility managers, dealers, and designer remember when planning? Consider the following five elements when selecting furnishings: 1. Flexibility, including with technology 2. Maintenance 3. Cost of ownership 4. Ergonomics 5. Sustainability While cost, durability, functionality, comfort and safety are always important to consider, understanding the needs of the work environment—such as group discussion, lectures, or study time, to name a few—is critical.
continued on page 19 MAY 2010
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EFFECTIVE
LEARNING
ENVIRONMENTS
Team huddle areas and lounges are increasingly popular on campuses — especially with students who have access to wireless technology and devices. However, seating in labs, conference rooms, and lounges can also contribute to creating an effective learning environment. Slouching and leaning forward in a chair can cause common aches in the neck, head and shoulders, and leaning forward can compress the abdomen, which decreases respiration. The best option is to encourage clients to invest in chairs that allow for adjustments for workers’ different body types and statures. Important features include height, arm and seat depth adjustments, as well as tension controls for the back. Of course, even with adjustments, one chair may not fit everyone’s physical and cognitive needs. Finally, with a majority of classes taught indoors, sustainability and indoor air quality (IAQ) are important factors to keep in mind when selecting furnishings. Certain chemicals used in raw materials, adhesives and finishes can contribute to poor IAQ as a result of the gasses they can produce. Socially-responsible furniture manufacturers recognize the impact their products have on the people using them and many
continued from page 18
follow IAQ standards and guidelines recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), and the Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association (BIFMA). Indoor air quality also impacts institutions choosing designs and products based on the USGBC Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) system. Facility managers, dealers, and designers must be aware of the needs of schools, students and faculty, and cognizant that a chair and desk may not simply be a place to sit, but a way to increase learning and productivity.
Terry Carroll A six-year member of the Kimball® Office team, Terry Carroll, currently serves as a market intelligence manager, focusing on external market trends, end-user evaluations, competitive intelligence, and industry technologies. Rebecca Denison Schultz President and founding partner of d2p, an Indianapolis, Ind.-based Kimball® Office select dealer, Rebecca Denison Schultz, is known for introducing positive changes in work environments. The company recently completed projects for Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. and Ivy Tech Community College in Logansport, Ind.
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PR JECTPROFILE
+ A
s s a l C e h t f o p o T the Texas Furniture Source Makes the Grade with Educational
Furnishings By Alicia Ellis
Everything’s big in Texas and so are their schools with two percent enrollment increases each year, and an almost 20 percent enrollment boost in districts statewide since 1997. Keller Independent School District (ISD), located between the bustling hubs of Dallas and Fort Worth, is one of the state’s fastest growing school districts. Enrollment, which is comprised of students from more than nine cities, has virtually doubled during the past decade and is expected to continue to rise, with a projected student body of 40,000 students by 2019. An educational giant, Keller ISD currently has 36 campuses serving more than 31,000 students in
grades kindergarten through 12. To accommodate projected rapid growth, the school district embarked upon a major construction initiative to develop 11 new campuses totaling 1.4 million square feet of space; the most recent of which was the Timbercreek High School, a 440,000-square foot, two-story school designed with a collaborative learning experience in mind. Architects planned the entire building’s footprint and interior scheme around an open, flexible learning strategy which supported technology so when it came to the classroom furnishings, it was important to the overall look of the school to have customizable desks, tables and seating that would promote an interactive, easily configurable learning environment for every teacher and pupil. “Going into this project, we wanted an affordable, holistic, technology-centric furniture solution that not only looked appealing, but also provided our teachers with the flexibility to configure their classrooms to better support their individual teaching styles,” said Dr. James Veitenheimer, Keller ISD superintendent. While long time administrative furnishings supplier to the Keller school district, Texas Furniture Source, an unaligned dealer serving the Dallas/Ft. Worth
area since 1985, had shied away from selling classroom furnishing to the K-12 market in the past, the introduction of HON’s SmartLink line of classroom furnishing opened up the market with its flexible products and affordable price point. “In the past, we had found it hard to compete in the K-12 area because the products that were available to us were just too highly priced to be competitive so we stuck to higher education,” said Texas Furniture Source president Ron Parr. “The SmartLink line opened up the door for us to compete not only on price but flexibility, mobility, durability and attractiveness.” To better convince the local school board that the furnishings would be a perfect fit, Parr displayed the product on school premises to allow the educational community to personally try it out. “For more than a month, school board members, teachers and students were able to check out the products and ‘kick the tires’ to get a feel of the capabilities,” said Parr. continued on page 22
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PROJECT
PROFILE
continued from page 21
Working from the number of classrooms and teachers and the average number of students per classroom, the Keller school district wound up purchasing a variety of SmartLink products for Timbercreek High School, including 128 teacher stations, 2,000 student desks, 3,200 stacker chairs and 128 modular storage cabinets; not to mention furnishings for the breakrooms, administrative offices, principal’s and assistant principal’s offices. “We had 17 trailer loads of furniture and two weeks for setup,” said Parr whose own installation crew, at times during the project 20 strong, was able to get the install done in record time with only three returns and an elevator issue that made hauling to the second floor a bit difficult at times. “Despite the size of the project, this was probably the easiest install we’ve ever had,” Parr noted.
“The desks are very easy to move and reconfigure, which is important to me because I like my students to collaborate in groups,” said Mindy Martin, 9th Grade English teacher at the school. “Plus, even with thirty students in my room, the furniture makes the room seem spacious—which gives me more room to get to every student quickly.” Looking to the future, construction is well underway on a Keller hybrid school that will house fifth through eighth graders. It is scheduled to open in August and once again, the school board is looking forward to working with Texas Furniture Source to supply the furnishings.
With installation completed two weeks before the start of the school year, teachers were able to configure their classrooms to suit their needs. The school opened to cheers as students and faculty settled into their new surroundings. “Walking through Timbercreek’s hallways today, I can honestly say no two classroom configurations look alike,” noted Veitenheimer. “It’s a testament to the extreme flexibility and innovative collaborative capabilities SmartLink offers. The students and teachers can’t say enough good things about how it’s changed the teaching and learning process for everyone involved.”
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Jim Fahey President of United Stationer’s New Furniture Division By Alicia Ellis
When we heard that United Stationers, one of the largest North
product categories and divisions within United and reviewing our
American wholesale distributors of office products and furniture,
long term goals. In regards to office furniture, we conducted
was creating a new division to market its product and service
internal and external research around the market that validated
portfolio, including the proprietary Alera line of office furniture,
the development of the new furniture division.
through the office furniture dealer channel, we couldn’t help but wonder why? Given present industry sales conditions and near-term projections for a slow recovery of the office furniture market, why would United plan to launch an office furniture division in 2010? And how does United Stationers’ plan to
The first thing we did was look at the furniture market as a whole. Historically, United Stationers is the largest furniture wholesaler in the U.S. but what became clear was that we are the largest wholesaler in a small area of the market.
position its brand and office furniture products so that they can
With a total office furniture market of around $15 billion, eight
enter new furniture market channels and then carve out a
billion of that is through contract dealers where United has never
significant, growing share of today’s tough market?
effectively penetrated. We are good at selling through office
To find some answers, we sat down with Jim Fahey, president of United Stationers’ new Furniture Division, and in a wide-ranging interview, he explains some of the reasons behind United’s decision and the factors that make him confident that once the
products dealers, Staples, OfficeMax, Office Depot and a broad range of etailers, but have never actively sought to sell the contract dealer the products and services that they would look for from a partner like United.
economy and the channel start to grow again, the wholesaler’s
The second determinant to the creation of this furniture division
furniture division will be positioned to take full advantage.
was finding that while we have a branding strategy for our own Alera line and have been successful in creating a high value
OFDealer: So Jim, let’s get down to business here, why is
product line, as a distributor we needed additional scale to
United Stationers taking this initiative now?
maximize the return on our investment. We needed to
Fahey: The decision to create a separate furniture division and market through the dealer channel was not made lightly. We have been strategically planning for years; looking at the various
meaningfully increase the volume of our own brand to make it an even more attractive investment. To facilitate this we needed to develop a focused direct, active selling method.
continued on page 24 MAY 2010
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STORY
continued from page x
With office products dealers, we enable them to take and fulfill office furniture orders just like any other office product. If we wanted to grow our product we would have to become active sellers and help our dealers to become active sellers in furniture. We do a lot of work around variable costs to manage the supply chain on the office products side but furniture is a cyclical business and goes up and down. Our existing model of selling is very difficult to take out costs quickly in the early phases of an economic downturn such as the one we’ve all been experiencing. We needed to rethink our service proposition; what needs to be available next day; and what broader assortment would be enabled by stocking in hubs. With everything considered and fresh ideas on how to develop sales, United Stationers pursued the purchase of OfficeSource in late 2009. While the purchase was not consummated and OfficeSource ultimately went into liquidation, United did hire a significant portion of OfficeSource’s sales and sales management team which has become the nucleus of this new division. The downturn provided a perfect time to invest in the organizational capabilities, the salesforce and the resources that have become the foundation for what we expect will be a turnaround in the furniture business in the next 12-18 months. . OFDealer: Can you tell me about the types of furniture you will be offering? Fahey: In additional to a broad portfolio of nationally branded office furniture lines, United’s Alera brand products feature casegoods, storage units and seating. In the coming months, we will be expanding into some new seating lines, and showcasing vertical market opportunities such as in the industrial and food service segments. We added a custom seating fabric program in the middle of last year, have our own space planning tools and are rolling out new special order capabilities. Alera represents quality construction, high quality materials and aims to be a cut above with our broad assortment and massive distribution capabilities. OFDealer: How is your distribution different and what will it mean to dealers? Fahey: Across our the furniture lines, we offer deep inventories, strategically deployed across our network to be close to points of consumption allowing us to offer rapid deliveries with minimal handling and freight expense. As well, we are looking into a supply chain opportunity to marry orders coming from each of our 31 distribution centers with custom and special orders and MAY 2010
delivering them in a consolidated fashion directly to dealer or an installation site. In the past, United Stationers had a single inbound channel in the U.S. for its globally sourced products; bringing these shipments from the port to our Memphis hub and re-distributing from there. We knew we needed to increase the footprint we use to distribute Alera so we just opened a second bulk re-distribution center in Sacramento which will take out a lot of lead time and freight cost to dealers in the western U.S. OFDealer: What strategies do you have to help dealers to grow? Fahey: Dealers right now are in a huge squeeze on margins. My question to the dealer is, How can we help them with the projects they’re working on and create an assortment and service proposition that enhances their ability to capture additional market share? Can we recommend relevant product lines to meet the end-users needs and enhance the dealers’ margins or should we ask what else can you sell with this project? We are putting together a “margin maximizer" program for the dealer that builds on our strengths as an office products wholesaler. More add on opportunities for office furniture dealers means higher margins. Trashcans, mailroom equipment, jan/san, whiteboards are just some of the opportunities out there. What other natural product adjacencies are available to make the dealer more valuable and relevant to their customers? OFDealer: I understand you are looking for additional sales people? Fahey: Currently we have sales coverage in the west, central and east region and are recruiting in the southeast and selected other strategic markets. We hope to establish a presence with our new business model throughout the U.S. in the next 3-5 months. As we have for the past several years , we will be showcasing Alera at the NeoCon World’s Trade Fair where we plan to show dealers our product line and teach them about our capabilities and tools to help assist in closing more project and transactional business. Our message is that we are a valuable extension of the dealers’ own product offering and sales efforts with the skills and resources the dealers need to succeed and grow in the future. United Stationers is not just office products. This is an effort to reintroduce ourselves to the contract furniture dealer community and reinforce our message. My belief is that United Stationers will become as important in contract furniture as we are for the independent office products dealer.
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NeoCon 2010: Inspiring an Industry with New Ideas and Fresh Perspectives NeoCon World’s Trade Fair returns to Chicago’s Merchandise
showcases 150 seminars, association forums, special events,
Mart June 14-16, for its 42nd year. North America’s largest
featured programs and leading-edge keynote speakers. New
conference and exhibition of contract furnishings, NeoCon is
this year, a Career Development Educational Track has been
where the commercial interiors world comes together for three
added to the NeoCon schedule to assist industry professionals
days of pure energy, bursting with new thinking, new resources
who are looking for a job or trying to secure their current
and networking opportunities.
position.
More than 40,000 industry professionals from around the world
This year’s conference schedule is organized into 14 different
will have the opportunity to experience thousands of new
educational tracks and segmented into three skill levels. With
products from more than 700 of the world’s top manufacturers
topics ranging from design trends, social responsibility,
in commercial, residential, health care, hospitality, institutional
healthcare, sustainability, economics, politics, global issues,
and government. Products will once again span a wide range
industry practices, residential, hospitality and product design,
of categories, including: architectural products, artwork and
NeoCon feature programs offer something for everyone.
accessories, building products and services, fabric, floor coverings, furnishings, kitchen and bath, lighting, outdoor furniture, stone and tile, sustainable design products, technology, textiles and wall coverings.
Key to the seminar series for dealers is OFDA’s Dealer Strategies track. This year OFDA offers six seminars aimed at dealer principals, designers, project managers, senior sales and operations managers. In addition, there are many seminars
NeoCon 2010 will once again offer great opportunities to
of interest to dealers in the Environmental Design, Health Care
expand your mind. Whether you are focused on a particular
Design, Hospitality, Office Design, and Institutional Design
area of the industry or seeking specific CEU credits, NeoCon
tracks, just to name a few. continued on page 26
MAY 2010
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NEOCON
2010
continued from page 25
OFDA NeoCon Dealer Strategies Seminar Series Make Cold Calls Warm [M120] Salespeople require a unique capability to upset the “make do” mindset of today’s facility investors. Successful reps must create a sense of risk in continuing to allow the economic consequences of postponing facility upgrades. Learn how to get appointments with potential facility investors, discuss their perceptions of their needs, and create an urgency to upgrade. Peter Otterstrom is chief catalyst at HUMAN ENERGY Associates in Bethel, CT. Date: Monday, June 14 Time: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Growing Your Business In A Flat Economy [M144] While office furniture dealers often hear that “flat” is the new “up”, this session provides practical strategies for growing your business even in this uncertain economic climate. See examples of savvy dealers who are taking advantage of the current environment to grow stronger and distance themselves from their competitors, positioning their companies for even greater growth when the economy improves. Learn the tips and techniques for targeting the right customers, expanding your product and service offerings marketing wisely and becoming a trusted advisor and strategic partner to your clients. David Solomon is a principal of Solomon Coyle, LLC in Alexandria, VA. Date: Monday, June 14
Time: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Linkedin Speed Training [M156] Get familiar with Linkedin, the largest business specific social networking site, with more than 60 million members as of February 2010. See how it can help with marketing and branding your firm as well as the individual professional. The session focuses on what Linkedin can do as an asset to business, and less on the intricate “how-tos.” Learn to use this potentially valuable tool to find vendors, suppliers, employees and more. [basic] Wayne Breitbarth is president of M&M Office Interiors in Pewaukee, WI. Date: Monday, June 14
Time: 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Leveraging Technology In Your Business For Greater Productivity [T208] Today’s challenging business environment requires that dealers find ways to increase efficiency, improve communications and reduce internal operating costs. Effective use of technology is the catalyst to not only increasing employee productivity, but also improving the customer experience and overall dealer profitability. Learn how leading dealers are leveraging their investment in design, specification, and business systems, as well as CRM, Microsoft SharePoint, and other new technologies. Review examples of cases in which dealers are integrating new technologies in areas such as lead management, work order management, and project management to differentiate their companies in the market. Learn to compete to win, and manage your business more effectively. David Solomon is a principal with Solomon Coyle, LLC in Alexandria, VA. Date: Tuesday, June 15
Time: 9:30 AM - 10:30 AM
Build A Community Of Customers [T232] Everyone knows that warm, comforting feeling that comes from belonging to a group—a community of like-minded people. Creating a community for your customers is a way to hold onto them when others are scrambling to take them away from you. Learn how you can develop a community of your own customers and how that is valuable to your marketing efforts. Hear about the successful types of community initiatives in use by businesses today, and how your firm can implement them, making customers more loyal to your services and products. Terri Maurer, FASID, is the owner of Maurer Consulting Group in Akron, OH. Date: Tuesday, June 15
Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM continued on page 27
MAY 2010
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NEOCON
2010
continued from page 26
A Non-Traditional Sales Approach To Grow Your Business In A Down Economy [T244] High performing professionals have learned that there are behavioral keys to their success. Learn the activities that separate them from their competition. Leave this session with ten new behaviors that can be used immediately to increase selling success. Topics include how to “hunt” for new business outlets in a tightening economy, and explore existing customers for additional revenue. Get the simple attitudes, behaviors and techniques that will differentiate you from your competitor. Bill Bartlett is president of Corporate Strategies, A Sandler Training Center, in Naperville, IL. Date: Tuesday, June 15
Time: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Once again this year, NeoCon will feature show components such as the Lighting Pavilion and GREENlife, to provide insight and inspiration for your next projects. Buildex Chicago for individuals in the building and property management industry will make its debut at this year’s show with the latest products, solutions and strategies to help manage and operate buildings more efficiently and effectively.
Chicago is one of the most architecturally inspiring cities in the country and the tours offered through this year’s NeoCon are sure to impress. Of particular note to dealers is a Green Building Walking Tour of facilities in Chicago that have instituted green building practices and that promote sustainable initiatives on many levels and a tour of the Clare at Water Tower, a 56-story high-rise senior living community featuring living units, skilled nursing facilities, Loyola University classrooms and much more. There are also tours of Chicago’s AAA Four Diamond Hotel theWit Hotel and Prentice Women’s Hospital, the largest LEED-certified hospital in the United States. Finally, no event would be complete without some fun and NeoCon’s evening events are not to be missed. Hundreds of parties and networking events are hosted by manufacturers, industry associations, publications and not-for-profits in fabulous permanent showrooms, temporary exhibits and interesting venues around the city. A plethora of events from Black-Tie Events to Meet and Greets to evening dinners give attendees a wealth of different networking opportunities. Visit www.neocon.com for more information.
www.configura.com/make-it-happen
MAY 2010
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: NeoCon 2010 P R O D U C T P R E V I E W 2/90 offers Digital Signage: 2/90 Digital Window Displays offer up-to-the-minute information throughout your entire facility without ever leaving your desk. Change meeting times, presentation titles, or any message effortlessly with content management software. When rooms are not in use, display important announcements, motivational quotes, news or weather feeds. 2/90 Sign Systems | www.290signs.com | 616.656.4310 | NeoCon Booth #7-4066
20-20 Functionality 20-20 Technologies' latest product delivers the function requested most often: realistic 3D visualization directly from CAP, Giza and Worksheet. You’ll see high quality renderings using actual manufacturer finishes created in minutes instead of hours. You’ll visually validate selections and help your clients “see” the design. Visualization sells, and 20-20 is developing an entirely new visualization platform designed to help you win more orders. 20-20 Technologies | www.2020technologies.com | 800-227-0038 | Booth 7030
Volume II ABET LAMINATI introduces Volume II -- a collection of 234 new laminates. This addition allows ABET to offer a total of 642 laminates in the US including: solid colors, woodgrains, metals, patterns and textured designs. ABET LAMINATI | www.abetlaminati.com | 800-228-2238 | NeoCon Booth #8-4129
Seek Seating Solution Seek multi-purpose seating solution is lightweight and mobile, nested stacks do not require a cart, and the overall footprint for storage is reduced. Automatic ergonomics are built-in to provide proper support and the flexing back encourages body movement and blood flow to extremities. Seek can be stacked or nested only, or be combined stacked/nested for secure, completely mobile stowing in a minimal space. The frame is available in a silver or black finish, with a polymer seat and back available in a choice of eight colors. A mesh back also is an option and a seat cushion style can be covered in all standard upholsteries. The chair can be ordered with or without arms, with multi-surface casters or glides. Allsteel Inc | www.allsteeloffice.com | NeoCon Booth #1120
continued on page 29 MAY 2010
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NEOCON
2010: PRODUCT PREVIEW
continued from page 28
Islands collection Escape traditional lounge seating and take an adventure with Islands—a modular bench collection comprised of center seats and circular pedestal bases that create flowing ensembles of seated bliss. With multiple connection points allowing maximum flexibility in scale and configuration creativeness, Islands is inviting in small and large spaces alike. Arcadia Contract | www.arcadiacontract.com | NeoCon Booth #340
Mobi by Berco Mobi is Mobility. From I to we, and we to I; Mobi makes any collaborative environment a flexible environment. Mobi can move from individual work to group work in minutes. With a variety of unique top shapes, Mobi allows users to grow a meeting from two, to three, to four people with ease. And with the mobile whiteboards, carts, and podiums impromptu meetings are a breeze. Go from your traditional rows of desks to teams without missing a beat. Berco | www.bercoinc.com | 888.772.4789 | NeoCon Booth #8-4102
New RHOMBII Lectern The front of the new RHOMBII lectern supports a flat panel between 42 and 50 inches in size. This allows for the display of logos and graphics to engage, add interest and help students, professionals and other audiences retain the information being delivered. The lectern is also available with a solid wood panel on the front. The back of the lectern is designed to support multiple presenters with holders for bottles of water and organizers for file folders. Bretford Manufacturing | www.bretford.com | New NeoCon Showroom #355
Sector BBF’s new Sector line is a compact modular desking and storage furniture solution suitable for a wide variety of work settings including conventional office, alternative office environment and work at home. The new collection is mobile, lightweight and easily adaptable to the office’s changing needs. Sector’s contemporary designs support today’s technology with robust wire management capabilities, adequate storage and ample work space. Sector products meet ANSI/BIFMA standards and are backed by BBF’s 10-year warranty. Bush Business Furniture | www.bushfurniture.com | Booth # 7-4102
The Jazz Collection Designed by Jane Wicks for cf stinson, this collection celebrates Jazz with patterns that are optimistic and playful. All patterns include Agion active antimicrobial built in to the bleach cleanable, post-consumer fiber. cf stinson | www.cfstinson.com | 800-841-6279 | NeoCon Booth # 8-4067 continued on page 31 MAY 2010
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JUNE 14–16 THE MERCHANDISE MART CHICAGO NEOCON.COM
PRODUCED BY
NEOCON
2010: PRODUCT PREVIEW
continued from page 29
VERDE VERDE is a comprehensive collection designed to address today’s office requirements in the reception, conference, private and general office areas. A wide selection of sizes and shapes in two finishes are offered as part of Cherryman’s In Stock Nationwide program. Cherryman Industries | www.cherrymanindustries.com | NeoCon Booth 8-2114
Self-Returning Swivel Seat The Self-Returning Swivel Seat is a fixed seating system designed for nurse alcoves that combines functionality and style with safety. A contemporary and comfort-conscious design paired with smart engineering make the Self-Returning Swivel Seat the perfect solution for any high-traffic working environment. The seat returns to its original position every time. Almost every part is customizable to meet even the toughest specifications. Clarin Seating | www.clarinseating.com | 800.323.9062 | NeoCon Booth #7-4037
Enea Lottus Collection Enea Lottus, designed by the Barcelona-based design trio Lievore Altherr Molina for Enea of Spain, offers a full range of options from chairs to stools to tables. The collection is suitable for many applications including meeting spaces, cafeterias, and more and brings a simple and clean design aesthetic to live/work settings. Coalesse | www.coalesse.com | 866.645.6952 | NeoCon Booth #1032
2010 Colors Collection Community brings new life to classic designs with a burst of color. The 2010 Color Finish Collection from Community offers popular choices from the Sherwin Williams color wheel for convenience in design coordination. The collection easily pairs with designs and components through all series offerings from Jasper Group and its family of brands, JSI, Community and Klem. DuraTex, Jasper Group’s low emission topcoat, completes the collection by significantly reducing hazardous formaldehyde gases. Community by Jasper Group | www.communityfurniture.com | 800.457.4511 | NeoCon Booth #3-111 CET Designer 2.4 NeoCon award-winning CET Designer, used by Steelcase, Haworth, Teknion, Spacefile and soon Mepal, launches the latest version of its design and specification software. In addition to a robust graphics engine that handles huge projects, CET Designer offers Revit, Google SketchUp and CET Movie Studio Extensions. The ProjectSymbols Extension includes more than 80 percent of office furniture industry products. CET Designer produces photo-realistic renderings, accurate bills of materials and complete installation instructions. Configura | www.configura.com | 616.242.6262 | Booth No: 7-7046 continued on page 32 MAY 2010
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Filmore Lounge Series Armless chair options and horizontal back design allow this collection to gang, offering endless design and specification possibilities. Filmore is also available with a tablet arm, making it perfect for meeting or study sessions. DAR RAN | www.darran.com | 800.334.7891 NeoCon Booth # 3-345
LED Lighting EcoBrite by Lotstar Limited provides energy-saving, mercury-free and cutting edge technology LED lighting products with a variety of styles, brightness and power that meet today's market needs. A wide selection from dimmable LED to state of the art slim 17mm thick flat recessed LED panel with remote color control provide color and lighting effects in various lighting environments. EcoBrite-LED by Lotstar Limited | www.EcoBrite-LED.com | 408.605.5335 | NeoCon Booth #7-2099
Flurry Flurry high-density polypropylene stack chair features signature cut-outs on its contoured back, while a waterfall seat provides enhanced comfort. Able to stack 25-high on a dolly or 10-high from the floor, its space-saving capabilities are endless, and with eight contemporary colors to choose from, Available options include clear ganging connectors, glides for hard surface flooring and an accompanying dolly for maneuverability ease. Encore Seating | www.encoreseating.com | NeoCon Booth # 8-4022
PRINCETON Desking System The PRINCETON fully modular desking system provides maximum functionality in the least amount of space. Catering to the collaborative workplace, PRINCETON offers a wide selection of self-supporting worksurfaces, personal storage, filing and organizational unites that are easy to move and reconfigure. Global Total Office | www.globaltotaloffice.com | NeoCon Booth #1035, 10th Floor Primacare The Primacare collection of lounge, dining, guest and patient room seating offers back seat curvature and built in lumbar support with replaceable seat covers and replaceable and/or removable seat cushions for easy cleaning and germ removal. The waterfall cushion design eliminates leg discomfort and enhances circulation. Available in a wide variety of textiles, Primacare's wood feed and frames are available in an array of finishes all top coated with an anti-microbial additive. And, the entire collection has a 350 lb. seat capacity. GLOBALcare | www.thinkglobalcare.com | NeoCon Booth #1035, 10th Floor continued on page 33 MAY 2010
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CITE Collection by Lacasse CITE is the next step in the evolution of collaborative and innovative teaming environments. This freestanding collaborative furniture system is perfect for team-based organizations that need an office environment with outstanding high-end esthetics and functionality at a competitive mid-market price point. The blend of materials with translucent acrylic inserts and aluminum accents lend the collection a truly modern flair. Complete with unique double-sided storage elements, CITE is the solution to create refined and distinctive teaming workspaces. Groupe Lacasse | www.groupelacasse.com | 888.522.2773 | NeoCon Booth #1042
Fine Art Prints on Alternate Substrates Select from thousands of images printed in any size on any of five unique substrates, featuring sustainable bamboo, lightweight aluminum, luminescent acrylic, eco-friendly cotton canvas or archival art paper. Whether your goal is LEED certification or simply a unique décor option, our fine art prints on five alternate substrates offer earth-friendly solutions to transform your space and offer maximum visual impact. H. Marion Framing & Art Consulting | 847-562-1222 | Booth #8-2075
Valance With its smooth and tailored contemporary styling, Valence looks at home in any tasking or conference environment. Molded seat and back foam create the perfect sit for all day comfort – at a surprisingly affordable price. Available with mid- back or high- back styles, multiple arm and control choices, and a seat slider. Highmark | www.highmarkergo.com | NeoCon Booth # 110 - 10th Floor
Nucleus Seating The new Nucleus work chair offers a clean, contemporary look that delivers a personalized, comfortable sit. The use of high-tech materials in the seat and the back help Nucleus deliver comfort in a very slender profile. The internal structure of the seat is made from a unique suspension material that is stretched over a contoured frame and over-molded with foam to provide a soft initial feel and responsive, lasting support for virtually all body types. The chair back features ilira-stretch M4, a mesh fabric with a four-way stretch that moves with you. The lumbar support is designed into the back and requires no manual adjustments. The Nucleus line includes a work chair and guest chair – both with or without arms. The guest chair is available with casters or glides and stacks four high. The ilira-stretch M4 back material is offered in three neutral colors: Vanilla, Fog, and Black; and the seat upholstery is available in all HON Core, Select and Smart finishes. HON | www.hon.com | NeoCon Booth #1130 continued on page 34 MAY 2010
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Healthcare in Harmony The Harmony sofa/bed provides seating space for up to three adults by day and a sleeper for one by night. Its clean lines fit with multiple room styles and decor. Wood legs and optional wood arm caps are available in thirteen finishes. Simply unfold the back cushion for a comfortable sleep surface. No additional floor space is required as with conventional day beds. Other options include anti-microbial polyurethane arm caps and laminate or upholstered front drawers. HPFI | www.hpfi.com | NeoCon Booth #8-2062 M8 – Flat Panel Monitor Arm Through its unique and clever design, the M8 high-capacity monitor arm accommodates the widest range of monitors available today—any monitor from 8 to 42 pounds. And with an innovative crossbar assembly, it supports dual-monitor configurations up to 40 pounds. In addition to a sleek, modern aesthetic that complements any modern workstation, the M8’s modular design features interchangeable links that can accommodate any application. It offers 11.5” of dynamic height adjustment and up to 22” of depth adjustment, as well as an integrated cable management system that organizes wires and hides unsightly cable clutter. Humanscale | www.humanscale.com | 800.400.0625 | NeoCon Booth #351 Truman collection, from Harter by izzy+ The Truman lounge chair, bench and table do a bit of everything, from helping CEOs make decisions and MBA students study, to welcoming hotel guests and making waiting more than bearable. Simple elegance makes the new Truman collection from Harter by izzy+ look great from any angle. With airy cast aluminum framework and signature plyform seat base, Truman scales up or down with different finishes, and textiles from Momentum Textiles, KnollTextiles, Ultrafabrics and Spinneybeck Leather. izzy | www.izzyplus.com | www.harter.com | 800.543.5449 | NeoCon Showrooms #1150 and #11-100 Broadway + Broadway+ mixes style, design, function and technology in one series. Technology integration is seamless with cable access in workspace, kneespace and storage components and an optional fold down modesty panel for access to building power and data. New for Broadway+ is double height storage and a convenient tool rail. Offering ten veneer finishes, five color finishes, two glass styles, and three metal finishes, five Satin Nickel pull options. DuraTex, Jasper Group’s low emission topcoat, completes the collection by significantly reducing hazardous formaldehyde gases. JSI | www.jsifurniture.com | 800.457.4511 | NeoCon Booth #3-111 Lyra Lounge Seating Collection Lyra offers a fresh, modern interpretation of a classic design iconography that provides a powerful, yet understated visual language to complement virtually any environment. Wood, steel and fabric come together within a wide range of configurations and options, allowing the product to be adaptive in its response to varying levels of formality. KI | www.ki.com | 800.424.2432 | NeoCon Booth #1181 continued on page 35 MAY 2010
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Campos Campos incorporates features such a synchronous mechanism, tension adjustment, options for a seat slider or adjustable lumbar pad, and a mesh or upholstered backrest. The line also includes large casters, backrest height adjustment, the choice of 2D or 4D armrests, and a polished aluminum or black plastic base. Kimball Office | interstuhl | www.kimballoffice.com | 800-482-1818 Kimball Office Chicago Showroom, 325 N. Wells St., Ste. 100
Less is More Combining the simple elegance of glass with the precision of cast aluminum, ALUR walls transform what was once hidden into an inspiration of form and function. Natural light cascades through the clear glass walls. Architectural details are accentuated. Mechanical components are beautifully concealed. Finally, a wall system that is truly alluring. MAiSPACE | www.alurwalls.com | 973-448-7744 NeoCon Showroom #1056A
Wabi-Sabi is Mayer Fabrics’ collection of recycled polyester fabrics reflecting the Japanese aesthetic and Zen concept of finding beauty in things imperfect, impermanent and incomplete. The world of Wabi-Sabi encompasses metaphysics, spiritual values, state of mind and moral precepts as well as material qualities. Our patterns remain true to these concepts through uneven patterning and simple design elements. The color palette of Wabi-Sabi is primarily earthy with neutrals, olives, rusts, deep blue, turquoise and marigold. Mayer Fabrics | www.mayerfabrics.com | 800.428.4415 | NeoCon #8-6062
Stella Series The Stella Series features a 100% UV-finish coat for added durability. As a part of Mayline’s REAL Office casegoods family, Stella offers exciting new options with its unique mobile storage features and contemporary design, as well as matching conference tables and reception stations. Mayline Group | www.mayline.com | 800-822-8037 NeoCon Showroom #1147
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Renegade From private office to open plan and teaming to mobile workforces, Renegade is the perfect balance of collaboration and personalization. This go anywhere and look great laminate casegood series gives durability a new sense of style with mix and match surface and chassis options, layered surfaces and tiered storage. Offering fully assembled and shell based components for additional versatility, Renegade also earns SCS Indoor Advantage and level 2 certifications which can contribute to LEED points. National Office Furniture | www.nationalofficefurniture.com | 800.482.1717 Chicago Showroom 325 North Wells Street, Suite 110
Beyond Conference Seating The versatile Omada conference chair’s design features a self-weighing adjustable tilt mechanism and an adjustable, distinctively profiled mesh weave back that distributes body pressure evenly while maximizing circulation. Optional, fully adjustable arms have soft, wide armrests that offer comfortable forearm support and yet are low enough to provide clearance under most work surfaces; Omada is also available with fixed cantilever arms. A slide feature is optional for the upholstered seat, and the back comes in 30 mesh colors that span the spectrum from neutral to vibrant. Nienkamper | www.neinkamper.com | 800.668.9318 | NeoCon Booth #365
Ergonomic Seating Neutral Posture's newest ergonomic office chair features a woven mesh backrest with built-in adjustable lumbar support. Interchangeable fitted sleeves are available in a variety of colors and fit over the backrest, allowing the chair’s image to be changed based on its surroundings and the user’s unique personality. Neutral Posture | www.neutralposture.com | NeoCon Booth #10-153
OFCDesk IDC 2011 OFCDesk IDC 2011 allows project migration between AutoCAD and Revit while creating and providing thousands of Revit families. Along with solving interoperability, IDC 2011 features a Typicals and Favorites tool, IDQuote for quoting and specifying, unlimited access to AutoCAD and Revit content, automated processes and more! OFCDesk | www.ofcdesk.com | 877.OFCDesk | Booth #7-8035
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SPACE 818 The new SPACE 818-series executive high back chairs feature form-fitting backs in U.S. manufactured Matrex material. The 818-series also offers seat finishes in a choice of matrex, mesh or leather. For added versatility, the 818’s innovative design includes a smooth-glide seat sliding mechanism, one touch pneumatic seat height adjustment, deluxe 2-to-1 synchro tilt control with 3-position lock, anti-kickback, tilt tension control, height adjustable padded arms and arched five-star metal base with oversized dual wheel carpet casters. Office Star | www.officestar.net | NeoCon Booth #8-1042
Bliss Mid and High Back Chairs Have a happy, blissful day! The Bliss chair with contoured seat back provides the perfect seating experience, while the flowing curves ensure superior back support. With a floral pattern or standard black, Bliss has style for every workplace. Make Bliss part of the everyday office experience or please guests in conference areas for cheerful meetings with limitless productivity. Safco Products | www.safcoproducts.com | 800.328.3020 | NeoCon Booth #: Suite 331
On Time The portable On Time chair is ideal for meeting rooms & multi-functional settings in businesses, schools, hotels or training centers. The seat flips up & the sides fold into a compact envelope just under 10". Options like casters, glides, suction cup feet and ganging enable multiple room configurations. The On Time portable conference chair's compact design, modern shape and wide range of accessories provide a versatile and stylish alternative to traditional stacking and folding chairs. Sedia Systems | www.sediasystems.com | 866.892.6130 NeoCon Booth #7-4054
media:scape Introduced at NeoCon 2008, media:scape now offers new settings to increase connectivity. The first HDVC display creates a visually impressive environment to help people feel closer to colleagues in different cities or clients halfway across the globe. It incorporates life-sized screens, surrounded by lounge seating with ledges, to show people in real scale. The second HDVC display is a sleeker setting with a camera positioned on the ledge of a large, standing media:scape table. In addition, media:scape can now host an array of connected devices including the iPad, iTouch and iPod. Steelcase | www.steelcase.com | NeoCon Booth 3-300 continued on page 38 MAY 2010
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dna Modular Lounge Seating and Tables The dna collection of modular lounge seating and tables goes beyond the traditional requirements of lounge seating. dna was designed to meet the needs of today’s new collaborative spaces for increased flexibility and reconfigurability and provide access to power and communications. Modular design allows components to connect on all sides for maximum planning flexibility. Modular units are reconfigurable by the user. dna was created by Acer Design in conjunction with Teknion’s in-house design team. Teknion | www.teknion.com | 877.TEKNION | NeoCon Showroom #1048
Office chair ON ON dynamic seating encourages the back to adopt a more natural and relaxed range of motion, therefore helping to avoid backaches. At the core lies Trimension, three-dimensional synchro-supporting kinematics, just as flexible as our knee and hip joints. The chair offers high-quality design and ease of use: it has just two buttons and the counter pressure can be adjusted rapidly. Wilkhahn | www.wilkhahn.com/ON | 212.229.9455 | NeoCon booth #8-4122
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EMPLOYEE ASSESSMENTS
The Ground G A M E: Common Types of Assessments By Jeff Brown and Tom Davis
In last month’s assessment testing overview we shared a rationale for assessment testing especially in light of personnel costs and the need for personnel to be aligned into productive collaborative teams operating at the highest levels of performance. This month we look at differing types of assessment tests which serve many different purposes. Peter Drucker, 20th century management expert, shared that “Erroneous assumptions can be disastrous.” Specific and focused assessment tests can abate the potentially negative influence of “intuition” or “gut level” decisions. Let’s look at the variety of types of common assessments available.
1. Hard skill assessments Hard skill assessments test an individual's knowledge of technical and administrative procedures. For example, a hard skills assessment might look at how well someone can use MS Word, or how well they understand HIPAA rules or COBRA regulations. Hard skills are relatively easy to observe, quantify and measure. In addition, very little "unlearning" is required because hard skills don't typically involve behaviors that have been developed over many years. MAY 2010
2. Soft skill assessments Soft skill assessments measure how people learn and think. These typically evaluate behavior, personality, attitude, preferences, personal integrity, communication style, leadership and management aptitude and style. Soft skills are more difficult to observe, quantify and measure than hard skills. Our personalities form early as a result of our upbringing and environment. Our behaviors are often deeply ingrained, making soft skills much more difficult to learn as well as to "unlearn." For this reason, organizations will often make selection decisions based on people's soft skills and then provide the necessary hard-skills training.
3. Job performance assessments These typically come in three types: 180 degree, involving feedback from oneself and one's direct reports; 360 degree, involving feedback from supervisors, peers, direct reports, oneself, and customer loyalty assessments in which one's customers provide feedback.
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4. Job-matching assessments These typically measure a person's potential for success in a particular job. The individual's cognitive abilities, interests, motivations and behavioral traits are quantitatively assessed, scored and compared against the organization's top performers.
Assessments can also help organizations successfully navigate mergers, acquisitions, divestitures or reorganizations by helping them select the people who will best serve the needs of the future organization by moving forward in a manner that minimizes disruptions and maximizes success. Objectivity is especially valuable during times of change and systemic confusion.
5. Onboarding and Ramping Up When an employer has more insight into the capabilities and behaviors of the candidates selected, the organization can better prepare the employee and manager to work together. For example, the employee might respond better to certain communication and management styles, or have particular strengths or weaknesses that the manager must be prepared to proactively address. When a manager has this information, they can usually "ramp up" the employee’s productivity quickly, navigating critical early stages of employment in which an employee gains confidence and enthusiasm for job and employer.
6. Managing assessments The most successful managers can adapt their style in order to unlock the full potential of each of their employees. Employee assessments help the manager understand their core own behaviors and capabilities, as well as those of their employees. This heightened level of awareness is extremely valuable for motivating the employee and navigating situations involving conflict, stress, or frustration. Assessments can also be used to select, motivate and manage teams by identifying weaknesses and opportunities to build on the complementary strengths of team members.
7. Developing assessments These help in identifying and prioritizing the skills and behaviors an employee needs to change to improve effectiveness. Once training investments have been made, assessments can be used to help drive accountability for behavior change by tracking ongoing development from benchmark.
Selecting the right assessment Considering the wide array of employee assessments available, how should you select what's best for your organization? Every business has its own unique needs; every team has its own chemistry. When reviewing the various assessments ask the following questions: What is the purpose of the specific assessment tool and how will it help accomplish our objectives? How does the assessment help us understand the whole person and give us a more substantial basis to make important career and employment-related decisions? ls the assessment instrument unbiased, fair and appropriate to all groups of our target population who will be assessed? ls the assessment procedure and instrument adequately reliable for our use? ls the assessment procedure and instrument valid for our specific purpose? ls understandable and comprehensive documentation available for the assessment instrument? ls training and support provided for assessment administrators to ensure that scores are interpreted properly? ls the data from the assessment instrument secure? ls the outcome of the assessment simple enough to enable managers to interpret the results or is a certified professional required?
Assessments: Summary of benefits
8. Planning assessments Assessments can play a powerful role in strategic workforce and succession planning by giving an organization a common language and process for evaluating and discussing current and future talent needs.
Employee assessments help reduce:
They can help identify high-potential employees and build sufficient "bench strength" to guard the organization against disruption from unplanned departures of key employees.
Conflict between manager and co-worker
Cost of theft Insurance premiums Training and development investments
Absenteeism and involuntary turnover Risk of employee failure continued on page 39
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Poor customer experiences
of Labor’s publication http://www.onetcenter.org/guides.html “Testing and Assessment: An Employer's Guide to Good Practices."
Hiring employees not fitting your culture Recruiting and on-boarding time and expenses Cost of a bad hire
Jeff Brown founded Comprehensive search in 1983 and is its President. He has held line management positions with Milliken and Company and Armstrong World Industries. He holds a Masters degree in Psychology. He can be reached at 706.884.3232 or via e-mail at jbrown@comp-search.com.
Employee assessments help improve: Employee engagement utilization, productivity and retention Management productivity and effectiveness Team chemistry, productivity and success Customer satisfaction and loyalty
Tom Davis is a Senior Consultant for Comprehensive Search. Prior to that he held executive positions with dealerships in Central and South Florida representing manufacturers such as Steelcase, Knoll, The HON Company, Kimball Office and National Office. Davis can be reached at 888.801.6550 or via e-mail at tdavis@comp-search.com.
Organizational climate and culture Strategic workforce and succession planning Communication between managers and employees Post merger and acquisition integration Organizational alignment and efficiency For a more in depth understanding of the questions and the principles of assessment, please download the US Department
MAY 2010
Comprehensive Search is the endorsed Search firm of the Office Furniture Dealers Alliance. They represent assessment products of Profiles International who contributed to this article.
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Illuminating on
dealers
LIGHTING By Bill Conley CFM, CFMJ, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow Commercial lighting or illumination is the deliberate application of light to produce some aesthetic or practical effect in the workplace. It includes the use of both artificial light sources, such as lamps, and natural illumination from daylight. The integration of all building components in a workspace plan is critically important to the overall success of the indoor environment. Good lighting design is an example of this, as lighting energy use in most buildings can be cut at least in half while maintaining or improving lighting quality; a lighting retrofit has the best return on investment (ROI) of any energy-efficient technology with typical payback periods between 14 and 18 months. Illumination requirements must be assessed for each use area within the building. This requires an analysis of lighting quality to ensure that glare and/or an incorrect color spectrum will not adversely affect the occupants of the area. Space planning, furniture, interior architecture and paint palettes must be melded with lighting design to ensure that competing factors are not evident and that the area and lighting solutions complement each other.
Lighting standards in facilities are dictated by ASHRAE Standard 90.1, which is typically used in local building codes and for LEED. The standard recommends a maximum of 1 watt per square foot, so lighting in support of furniture must complement, but not add to, existing lighting levels. Opportunities exist for dealers to become an authority on lighting fixtures, LEED and sustainability that will educate potential and existing clients to the advantages that lighting can offer.
Types of Lighting The most prevalent lamps used in interior office spaces are fluorescents, compact fluorescents and LED lighting. New generation T-8 lamps (800 series) and LEDs are improving rapidly over time, creating better, cleaner light while being more energy efficient than their predecessors. (Lamps, commonly called light bulbs, are the removable and replaceable portion of a continued on page 43
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luminaire that converts electrical energy to both visible and non-visible electromagnetic energy.) These lamps should be used in an optimum coordination of overhead lighting and task lighting.
s Glare can decrease worker efficiency. Proper lighting systems reduce glare which helps to reduce eyestrain, thus boosting occupant productivity.
The effectiveness of a lamp, besides the lower wattage used in newer models, is measured in a number of ways.
s On the other hand, over illumination can lead to adverse health and psychological effects such as headaches, stress and increased blood pressure.
s There is Candlepower, or footcandles (fc). One footcandle is equivalent to the illuminance produced on 1 square foot (0.09 square meters) surface area by a source of one candle at a distance of 1 foot (0.3 meters). s There are Lumens. A lumen is a unit of measure of the actual amount of light produced by a light source. s Kelvin relates to color temperature. It is a numerical measurement expressed on the Kelvin (K) scale to describe the color appearance of light produced and of the lamp itself. s A color rendering scale (CRI) of 1-100 determines how 'true' colors appear under artificial light. These are all factors that must be taken into consideration when supplying light in work areas. For instance, the same amount of light is not needed everywhere. Different applications demand different light levels. A desktop needs between 32-35 fc, while hallways and common areas only need 17-25 fc. Floor levels need at least 1 fc of emergency lighting for evacuation purposes. The point is that lighting is not a “one size fits all” situation; office layouts must be designed to bring the right amount and quality of light to the appropriate places.
Task Lighting In the application of task lighting, where the task light is used to increase illuminance on the reading area, the light level is not the only factor governing visibility. Contrast is also important, and a poorly positioned light source may cause contrast reduction, resulting in loss of visibility. Therefore, it can be argued that the most important purpose of task lighting in the office is not increasing illuminance, but improving contrast. s If a lamp is placed so that printed letters reflect some of the light, their contrast against the paper background will decrease. s A lamp type that is not carefully chosen may render text illegible, regardless of illuminance level. MAY 2010
Supplying the correct lighting levels enhances visual comfort, reduces eye fatigue, and improves performance on visual tasks. Well designed lighting can therefore increase productivity and reduce absenteeism. Because costs associated with a building’s occupants greatly outweigh other building costs, any lighting application that improves the indoor environmental quality is worth implementing.
Daylighting It is also important to try and provide layouts and furniture that allow as much natural light as possible into the workspace. Greater reliance on natural light reduces energy consumption, favorably impacts human health and improves workplace performance. Based on research by Carnegie Mellon University and others, daylighting appears to improve productivity and reduce absenteeism by at least 20 percent. A 20 percent increase in productivity by an employee making $50,000 annually yields $10,000 to the company. If an organization can realize even some savings through furniture design and proper integration of natural and artificial lighting, the project would more than pay for itself. And, the more knowledge about lighting the dealer has, the more valuable they become.
Bill Conley, CFM, CFMJ, LEED AP, IFMA Fellow, is the author of the IFMA Foundation’s recently released Sustainability “How-To Guide” Series on Lighting Solutions. For more information, visit www.ifmafoundation.org. Conley is owner/CSO of CFM2, a facility management & sustainability consulting company based in Orange County, CA. He has more than 35 years of experience in the facility management profession and has been a proponent of sustainable operations for more than 17 years. Conley has worked on LEED projects as well as assisted companies in implementing and benefitting from sustainable practices. He received his Certified Facility Manager (CFM) designation from IFMA in 1992 and achieved LEED professional accreditation through the US Green Building Council in 2002.
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