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Steps in Purchasing Furniture

Purdue University has developed office furnishing standards and polices to promote efficient use of space and operating funds. Consistent application of these standards will:

  1. Secure a degree of uniformity and versatility in moveable furniture.
  2. Ensure the selection of furniture is properly scaled to office sizes.
  3. Promote consistent treatment of University faculty and staff.
  4. Assure the quality of items purchased
  5. Comply with ADA accessibility issues and ergonomic guidelines.

Our preferred furniture suppliers have been selected based on their commitment to the University’s recommended furniture standards. They have agreed to and support the following:

  1. Use of GSA, U.S. Communities or manufacturer buying agreements established with Purchasing for pricing.
  2. Deliver/ install, inspect/clean furniture and remove cardboard and trash (this does not include removal of existing furnishings or furniture).
  3. Provide design service and office space planning. Some will charge an additional fee for revisions.
  4. Products may be viewed online, via catalogs or at various campus locations.

Purchasing furniture is a multi-phased process. It is best to start early! We believe following these steps will help ensure that you are satisfied with the end result.

Before contacting the Purchasing Department, follow these steps:

  1. Discuss with your supervisor the funding available to purchase furniture. Quality office furniture is expensive even with our contract pricing. Know your budget!
  2. Think about the workflow and space available. Where do you like your computer, your phone, your file cabinets to enhance your productivity. Are their network and phone drops available where needed. These items can also impact your budget.
  3. What furniture pieces do you need i.e. desk, 2 file cabinets, overhead bins. For some ideas, click here to see a list of Haworth Furniture Standards for IPFW.
  4. Now you are ready to get Purchasing involved. The buyers handling furniture are Jennifer Horrom and Linda Patten. Jennifer handles office furniture updates. Linda handles furniture purchases that are part of a construction project. Contact Jennifer at 16219 or horromj@ipfw.edu. Contact Linda at 16214 or patten@ipfw.edu

What Happens Next

  1. The Buyer will discuss your furniture needs and budget with you. She can provide the URL for online viewing of the furniture manufacturer's products, manufacturers' catalogs or suggest sites to visit on campus
  2. The Buyer will contact the appropriate furniture designer. Please inform the Buyer if you have a deadline so she can assist you in finding someone who can meet your needs. If our preferred designers are not available to meet your deadline, we do have the options we can discuss with you; however, design fees will be involved.
  3. The furniture designer and Buyer will meet with you to discuss your requirements. It is very important to have your furniture needs and budget in mind during this discussion. Also consider what your plans are in regard to any furniture being replaced i.e. will it be used in another office, going to storage (long or short term), or going to salvage (department no longer wants it).
  4. After you have reached an understanding of your needs and desired office layout, the designer will create drawings and email a copy to you and the Buyer. The furniture in these drawings will be designated by codes. The Buyer will provide you with a legend to allow you to decipher these codes. Please do call the Buyer should you have any questions.
  5. The designer and the Buyer will schedule a meeting to review these drawings. To expedite the process, and to avoid any misunderstanding on items being purchased we strongly recommend that you closely review the drawings prior to this meeting. During this meeting you will discuss:
    • Layout of the furniture
    • Various items of furniture being purchased
    • Identify any need for revision
    • Ask for ballpark costs - until the drawing is approved you won't receive an official quote
    Usually there is a need for some revision on this first drawing. The designer will address those revisions and email a second drawing to you and the Buyer.
  6. A second and typically final meeting will be scheduled to review the revisions and get your approval on the drawing. Note: If many revisions are made at no fault of the designer, there will be fees for the designer's additional time.
  7. The designer will make any necessary changes to the revised drawings and send the final drawing to the Buyer with the quote. The Buyer will meet with you to:
    • Review the final drawing and quote
    • Discuss color and fabric selections as needed
    • Ask you to sign the drawing constituting your approval. If you need more time to consider, schedule a follow-up time with the Buyer.

      Caveat: It is critical that you understand and approve the layout of the office and what items you are purchasing. A purchase requisition will be based on this drawing. As these items are manufactured to fill your order, the items can not be returned due to error on your part. See the Installation section below for information on resolving defect or damage issues.

  8. After you have approved the drawing, the Buyer will create a purchase requisition and send to the department for signature. Requisition should be returned to Purchasing for entry into the Purchasing system.
  9. If your new office layout requires additional power outlets, open a work order in the P. Plant's school dude system as soon as possible.
  10. Likewise, if any additional network or phone drops are needed, open a track with the ITS Help Desk as soon as possible. ITS will require an account number to charge for this work.

Preparing for the Furniture to Arrive

As soon as the furniture is ordered the Buyer will send a copy of the drawing for your new office to ITS and Physical Plant.

The Buyer will email you when the furniture is being shipped, and will also notify you, ITS and Physical Plant of the installation date. However, you will still need to make appropriate arrangements with those departments (next paragraph has more details). If the installation dates do not work for you contact the Buyer as soon as possible to reschedule.

Prior to the installation date there may be several things requiring P. Plant or ITS to complete before your new furniture can be installed. Open work orders with both departments as soon as you know the furniture installation dates so they can schedule you in. These are some of the things that may need to be done prior to installation:

  1. Removal of existing furniture.
    • If the existing furniture is Haworth furniture the Buyer will make arrangements with the installers to have it removed. In previous meetings, she will have discussed with you if the furniture is being used elsewhere, stored or salvaged.
    • If the furniture is not Haworth you will need to open a work order in P. Plant's school dude system for its removal.
  2. If the room is to be painted also request that work be done via the above link.
  3. If any additional power outlets (P. Plant) or network or phone drops (ITS) were needed get them ordered NOW!
  4. Open a track with ITS Helpdesk to remove any computer equipment and re-install after the new furniture is setup. The equipment must be out of the way before Physical plant or installers will remove existing furniture. ITS will need to know where you want to temporarily store this equipment.

Installation

The furniture installers are expected to carefully look over the furniture and report any problems to the vendor and the Buyer. However, we urge you to also carefully look over the furniture. Verify:

  • Drawers and bins open and close, lock and unlock
  • Keys work
  • Keyboard tray moves and locks into position
  • Chair adjusts as expected
  • Check furniture for any tears, scratches or dents

Report any such problems to the Buyer and the installer, if available.