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Knowledge Nuggets about Office Systems Furniture (Track This Article)

Modular office systems furniture dates from 1968 when designer Robert Propst , dubbed “the man behind the cubicle” in the November 1998 issue of Metropolis, invented a counterpoint to the sixties era offices – huge, open spaces filled with rows of desks and chairs and surrounded by closed-in rooms.

Those sterile, virtually one-size-fits-all Dilbertesque cubicles of the sixties and seventies have given way to exciting new designs in systems furniture that add color, pizzazz and personality to today’s office landscape. The wide availability of vibrant or subdued colors; painted, stainless, smooth or embossed metals; and choices in glass and fabric combine to allow office designers to create workspaces that scream success and help attract and hold qualified personnel.

The evolution in open offices advanced substantially when in 1993 MAiSPACE entered the market with a revolutionary concept in manufacturing and design leading to dramatic reductions in price compared to offerings by some of the oldest names in the industry. Unburdened by outdated manufacturing facilities, MAiSPACE started from scratch to create an off-modular stackable panel system with flexibility and performance unmatched in the industry. Included as an industry first is a fully standards compliant cable management system that, together with the system elements, easily adjusts to the Moves, Adds and Changes (MACs) typical in today’s businesses. At price points 40% below its competition, MAiSPACE backs its quality with a lifetime performance guarantee and a guarantee against obsolescence.

Today some 36% of the $11 billion in annual shipments in office furniture products is systems furniture. MAiSPACE, based in Mt. Olive, NJ, is a leading supplier to this industry serving companies where the average churn rate is 40% a year – but can reach 200%. Quality construction using knock-down ready to assemble (RTA) structural systems of 14-gauge cold-rolled steel sets MAiSPACE apart from competitors whose lower quality products can bend and distort, making moves and reassembly difficult if not impossible.

Quality systems furniture can be a lifesaver for companies looking to create attractive workspaces in class B or C buildings without going into hock to landlords who may tack up to $80 per square foot up front or on the lease for tenant build-outs. “That’s assuming you can find a landlord ready to talk build-out to a tenant leasing 10,000 square feet or less,” says Rob Spradlin, who heads up Installations and Project Management for MAiSPACE. “The same applies to contactors. In both instances, companies lose control of their project once they hand it over to a third party. MAiSPACE focuses on small to mid-sized firms – as few as two offices – and helps customers create customizable workspaces without a cost penalty. This provides a broad market base as approximately 25% of business owners lease less than 10,000 square feet.”

Bespoke Office Spaces from $12.00 per Square Foot Installed
“Customization and class need not be costly or a time killer,” says Spradlin. “For example, we recently installed 65 workstations and 24 private offices, including a standards-compliant modular cabling system for $12.00 per square foot. The client selected Coverseal, a proprietary MAiSPACE material in a warm grey color for their work surfaces a sand colored crepe fabric, interspersed with some clear glass for the panel segments. Cabinets and trim are khaki. Move in was 5 weeks after the customer placed the order.”

A call center comprising 486 MAiSPACE agent and managerial workstations in 6 x 6 and 10 x 12 configurations was also completed at $12.00 per square foot installed including cabling runs and customized colors and fabrics. The job met a deadline already shortened by two weeks.

Open offices and common tasking areas help encourage interaction among employees. But there are instances where privacy is essential for productivity. “A BOSTI (Buffalo Organization for Social and Technologic Innovation) study shows privacy can increase productivity for task-intensive knowledge workers 250%,” Spradlin points out. “This is incentive to provide privacy, and modular full wall office systems do that with additional bottom line benefits. That’s because they can be moved and reconfigured at one third the cost of conventional drywall construction.”

Attractive yet functional workspaces become more important due to a phenomenon called the incredible shrinking office. “Sky high rents force businesses to cram more into less,” says Spradlin, noting that floor space per employee has shrunk to an average 200 square feet from 250 square feet 10 years ago. “That includes common areas such as meeting rooms and central storage,” he adds.

Smaller spaces require innovative means of storage to put needed materials close at hand. The MAiSPACE off-modular design supports a wide choice in placement of storage bins, shelving, paper management and lighting options augmented by permanent and movable filing systems for each workspace. Off-modular design also allows flexibility in workspace size, configuration and in locating divider panels.

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