Steps in Purchasing Furniture

Purdue University has developed office furnishing standards and polices to promote efficient use of space and operating funds. Click here and scan to Furnishings to read Purdue's furniture guidelines.  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.  Click here for customization options regarding  Haworth's Zody Chairs.
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 Schillo at 481-6219. Contact Linda Patten at 481-6214.

What Happens Next

  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

1. 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 may be involved.  Note: Intrascape provides complimentary design services for new furnishings purchased through them.  This complimentary service covers the preliminary furniture layout, one revision, and the price quote.  If no purchase is made after 6 months, department will be charged design time.  See Design Fee Tab for more detailed information.
2. 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).  The Buyer will have an Agreement Form for department signatures indicating the process and what charges could be incurred are understood.
3. After you have reached an understanding of your needs and desired office layout, the designer will create both a flat and 3-D drawing which will be emailed to you and the Buyer.
4. The designer and the Buyer will schedule a meeting with you 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.
5. A second and typically final meeting will be scheduled to review the revisions and get your approval on the drawing. Note: If additional revisions are made at no fault of the designer, there will be fees for the designer's additional time.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Be advised! Once the purchase order has been placed it cannot be canceled or changed without incurring fees from the manufacturer.  Furnishings purchased are ordered specifically for a particular project and cannot be returned without substantial fees and changes.  Such costs would be the responsibility of the department requesting the cancelation or change. 
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 installation services quoted are based on the scope of the project at the time of the quote and include the items identified on the drawing(s) prepared by IntraScape and approved by the end user and Purchasing.  The service will include the inspection of the new furnishings, wiping the new furnishings clean of smudges and dirt, as well as removal and proper recycling/disposal of cardboard, trash and other materials. 

Installation services do not include the cleaning of existing furnishings and equipment that are being reused unless this service was specifically requested and the required labor is separately designated and quoted.  Items not illustrated or noted on the drawing(s) prepared by IntraScape are not included in the labor quotation.

All furnishings will be installed as per the approved final drawings.  Requests for changes to the approved space plan or to the project scope, such as additional items to be moved that are not noted on the approved drawings, are to be made to the Buyer who will then contact IntraScape for a revised quotation.  IntraScape and its staff will not provide additional furniture moving and installation labor without authorization from the Purchasing Buyer.

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.

Design Fees

Purchases for New Furnishings

Depending on the furniture manufacturer and the designer used there can be fees for office furniture design.  Typically IPFW purchases Haworth office furniture from IntraScape, the local authorized Haworth furniture dealer.  Although the pricing structure between Haworth and IPFW does not include space planning and design services, IntraScape provides these additional services to IPFW.  IntraScape's complimentary service allows for one initial design consultation as arranged by the IPFW Purchasing department.  This initial design consultation results in a furniture layout and three-dimensional representation of the layout.  The complimentary service is extended to include one revision to this layout  and one price quote for the final layout.  Should additional layouts and quotes be needed, the client will be charged an hourly rate of $60.00.

IntraScape will not provide billable services until it receives written authorization from the IPFW Purchasing staff.  When applicable, additional services fees are noted as a separate line item on the furniture quote.  If no new furniture purchases are made against these quotations within six months from the drawing or quote date, departments requesting the services will be billed for the services provided.

Reconfiguration of Existing Furnishings

Projects involving reconfigurations of existing furnishings, whether or not additional furniture items are required, will be charged the rate of $60.00 per hour for consultations, design, CAD drafting and space planning.

Process

All requests for furniture purchases, whether new or reconfiguration of existing workstations, are to be directed to Linda Patten or Jennifer Schillo.   Linda or Jennifer will schedule the Intrascape designer to meet with the department.  At this meeting the buyer will have a Design Agreement Form explaining what and when fees are involved.  The reconfiguration section also includes an estimate of design time that the designer will provide.  This information will give the department an idea of cost.  If the project results in additional design fees, the designer will notify both the buyer and the department contact stating the cause and the number of additional hours expected.  The designer will not proceed with additional hours until the department has approved in writing. 

 The purpose of this process is to keep the department informed of the project, the costs being incurred and give the department an opportunity to consider their best options.

Moving Furniture

Haworth Furniture

Haworth furniture has a lifetime warranty except for fabric.  To avoid violating this lifetime warranty, moves or reconfigurations must be completed by an authorized Haworth installer.  There will be a charge for this service.  Please contact Linda Patten at 16214 to get an estimate and schedule the move.

If the project involves reconfiguring the furniture, a designer will be needed to ensure that the furniture will properly fit in the new area and that it meets all ADA and fire safety requirements.  The designer will verify that the furniture is structurally stable and will order any necessary support pieces.  There will be an additional charge for the designer’s time and any new pieces required.  Contact Linda Patten at 16214 to schedule a designer to meet with you  to discuss your plan and provide an estimate.

Warranty on Haworth furniture will be void if anyone other than an authorized Haworth installer moves the furniture.   Haworth will charge to replace or repair furniture if the warranty is voided.

If you have questions or require any assistance, please contact Linda Patten at 481-6214.

Steelcase Furniture

Moving of Steelcase furniture on campus can be completed by Physical Plant personnel.  A work order must be submitted through the Physical Plant web site using “Schooldude” to request these moves or changes.

Steelcase furniture repairs should also be requested through Physical Plant.  If they are unable to make the repairs, they will notify the requesting department and Purchasing.  Linda Patten or Jennifer Schillo of the Purchasing department will work with the requesting department to hire an outside vendor.  The requesting department will be responsible for the repair charges.  

Click here to open a work order in Physical Plant’s Schooldude system