Ch 16 Furniture & Furnishings Documents and Procurement

Question 1

Who uses furniture documents to supply the necessary goods and complete the installation?

Answer 1

Dealerships, Showrooms, and Manufacturers

Question 2

Why are the furniture and furnishings documents typically not part of the construction contract?

Answer 2

Because of the different way furniture is procured and the laws under which merchandise is bought and sold.

Question 3

Furniture drawings are required to show . . .

Answer 3

the extend and locations of furniture. If existing furniture is being reused, the furniture plans also show what existing furniture is being used and where it should be placed. (Separate new and existing furniture plans may be required because installation companies require one set of plans and the moving company requires another).

Question 4

Furniture plans may also include . . .

Answer 4

Equipment (copiers, printers, microwaves, etc).

Question 5

Drawings for custom-built furniture may be grouped with . . .

Answer 5

the other furniture drawings.

Question 6

For projects with construction, furniture plans MUST be . . .

Answer 6

separate from the construction plans or other plans due to the lack of space and confusion it would cause to mix furniture and construction on the same plan. Even placing the furniture on the interior telephone and electrical plan, as it is sometimes done, can be confusing if not done carefully.

Question 7

If no construction is involved, the furniture plan may be . . .

Answer 7

the only floor plan drawn.

Question 8

BIFMA

Answer 8

Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturer’s Association - Many of the standards for commercial office furniture has been promulgated by this institution, and ANSI has approved these standards. The BIFMA standards define the specific test to be used for each standard, the laboratory equipent that can be used, the conditions of the tests, and the recommended minimum acceptance levels.

Question 9

ANSI/BIFMA X5.1, American National Standard for Office Furnishings

Answer 9

General Purpose Office Chairs - This standard provides manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, and structural adequacy of office chairs, including criteria such as swiveling/tilt mechanisms, seating impact, front and rear stability, back durability, and footring durability.

Question 10

ANSI/BIFMA X5.2, American National Standard for Office Furnishings

Answer 10

Lateral Files - This standard provides manufacturers, specifiers and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, and structural adequacy of freestanding lateral files.

Question 11

ANSI/BIFMA X5.3, American National Standard for Office Furnishings

Answer 11

Vertical Files - This standard provides manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability and structural adequacy of vertical files. This includes evaluating unit stability, lock mechanisms, drawer cycle, case racking, unit strength, and the interlocking systems, among other criteria.

Question 12

ANSI/BIFMA X5.4, American National Standard for Office Furnishings

Answer 12

Lounge Seating - This standard provides manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, and structural adequacy of free-standing lounge seating. It describes the means of evaluating the function and safety, independent of construction.

Question 13

ANSI/BIFMA X5.5, American National Standard for Office Furnishings

Answer 13

Desk Products - This standard provides manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety, durability, and structural adequacy of desk and table products, including table tipping. The acceptance levels are based on actual field and test experience of BIFMA members.

Question 14

ANSI/BIFMA X5.6, American National Standard for Office Furnishings

Answer 14

Panel Systems - This standard provides manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a common basis for evaluating the safety and performance requirements of panel-supported office furniture systems as well as nonloadbearing screen panels. It includes tests on modular systems and panel supported components such as work surfaces and storage units.

Question 15

ANSI/BIFMA X5.9, American National Standard for Office Furnishings

Answer 15

Storage Units - This standard provides manufacturers, specifiers, and users with a common basis for evaluating the performance requirements for freestanding, mobile, and wall-mounted storage units.

Question 16

ANSI/BIFMA/SOHO S6.5, American National Standard for Office Furnishings

Answer 16

Small Office/Home Office - This standard provides performance and safety requirements for storage and desk furniture intended for use in the small office and home office.

Question 17

BIFMA G1

Answer 17

Ergonomic Guidelines for VDT Furniture Used in Office Work Spaces - This standard provides guidelines for furniture intended for computer use by applying the measurable principles and design requirements of ISO 9241 parts 3 and 5, which are, respectively, “Visual display requirements” and “Ergonomic requirements for office work with visual display units”.

Question 18

Most interior design projects have separate ___________ for construction and for furniture and accessories.

Answer 18

Specifications

Question 19

What is the common way of purchasing furniture in residential work?

Answer 19

Many interior designers select furniture for the client and assume the responsibility of writing purchase orders and coordinating delivery and installation. In this case, furniture specs are NOT written. The selections that are approved by the client are directly listed on the purchase order that is sent to the furniture dealer. This is the procedure most commonly used for residential work.

Question 20

If a designer selects the furniture but turns the job of ordering, installing, and billing over to a dealer, who does the dealer contract with?

Answer 20

The dealer contracts directly with the client and assumes all responsibility.

Question 21

How are furniture specs written on larger jobs where a quoted price is requested from one or more dealers bidding on the job?

Answer 21

Specifications must be written to clearly state the client’s requirements. These specifications not only list in detail all the individual items required but also state bidding requirements, responsibilities, installation procedures, and methods of invoicing.

Question 22

Trade sources including . . .

Answer 22

Manufacturers, dealers, representatives, suppliers, contractors, and craftworkers who provide the goods and services necessary to complete an interior design project.

Question 23

Sales Reps

Answer 23

Commonly the designer’s primary source of information about the products they represent. They provide samples, quotes, give out catalogs and other info, help with spec writing, and can contact the manufacturer directly if special help is required or custom manufacturing is requested by the designer. They typically DO NOT order products, handle delivery, or take care of installation.

Question 24

Factory Rep/Manufacturer’s Rep

Answer 24

Work directly for one company as an employee of the company.

Question 25

Independent Reps

Answer 25

Work for themselves or for a small sales group. They often represent several products. The products may be related, or different. Most manufacturer’s do not let an independent rep handle competing products.

Question 26

Line Chart

Answer 26

Lists all the manufacturers and/or products that the rep handles.

Question 27

Dealerships

Answer 27

May represent one or more manufacturers and provide any number of services. Manufacturers’ dealers carry only the products of one manufacturer. Independent dealers, like independent reps, carry a variety of manufacturers’ products, and, in some cases, have the exclusing right within a geographic region to represent and display a manufacturer’s product. Full-service dealerships maintain a showroom, provide design services, assist with purchasing, handle delivery, and install the furniture at the job site.

Question 28

Showrooms

Answer 28

Showrooms are established for the primary purpose of displaying samples of the wares a particular manufacturer makes. Some showrooms are restricted to one manufacturer while others are more like wholesale stores. Designers may purchase directly through some showrooms for items like furniture or lamps. The designer would have to establish credit with the showroom and have a resale license. In other cases, the showroom is for viewing samples and getting product information only; the actual ordering is done through a contractor, tradesperson, or dealership.

Question 29

Mart

Answer 29

A building that contains many different showrooms for the design trade.

Question 30

What are the three ways a designer can proceed with furniture procurement, depending on the agreement with the client?

Answer 30

(1) The designer can give the furniture specifications to a dealer or furniture rep who then assumes the responsibility for writing purchase orders, arranging delivery, troubleshooting problems, and billing the client directly. (2) The designer acts as a purchasing agent for the client, writing purchase orders to send to the dealers, manufacturers, and vendors, and following up on other paperwork, in addition to coordinating delivery and installation and then handling any problems that occur. (3) The designer acts as a reseller of goods. He/she write purchase orders, accepts deliveries, arranges for installation, collects money from the client including taxes, and pays the manufacturers or vendors.

Question 31

In most situations, the interior designer is responsible for what sequence of activities related to ordering furniture, fixtures and accessories (usually when the designer is acting as the client’s purchasing agent or as a reseller)?

Answer 31

(1) First step after furniture has been selected is to receive a sales agreement or contract proposal signed by the client. This obligates the client to pay for the items listed in the agreement. If such an agreement is not signed, the DESIGNER IS OBLIGATED to pay for the goods if the client does not. (2) Once the client has signed the agreement, a purchase order is written, which is a form sent to the vendor/mfg that lists the items to be purchased, including the exact catalog numbers, prices, shipping info, and other data. IF MORE THAN ONE VENDOR/MFG, then each needs a separate purchase order. The PO will also serve as a record for the design firm. It is also used as the basis for billing the client if payment is made directly to the designer.

Question 32

In no case should FFE ordered be placed . . .

Answer 32

over the telephone - too many mistakes and misunderstandings can occur.

Question 33

Purchase orders need to contain:

Answer 33

(1) The designers name, billing address, phone number, fax number, and email address. (2) Space for vendor’s name and address. (3) Space for where merchandise is to be shipped, which is usually different from designer’s address. When an order is to be shipped to a different address, it is called a DROP SHIP order. (4) A unique, sequential indentifying number so each PO can be identified, even if several are sent to the same vendor. (5) Date of PO preparation (6) Space for shipping instructions, such as ship date or the preferred shipping company. (7) “Tag For” information that may include where the item should be placed on the job site, the client’s name, or other identifying information. (8) Space for describing the merchandise, including quantity, catalog number, description and price. There may also be a line item (sequential number) to identify individual pieces of merchandise on on PO. (9) Space for the total price, shipping charges, other charges, and a grand total. (10) Space for an authorization signature by the design firm owner or some other authorized person and the date of signature.

Question 34

How are copies of PO’s distributed?

Answer 34

One copy is sent to the vendor, one copy is placed in a purchase order file in sequential order, for tracking of orders and acknowledgements, and another copy can be placed in the client file. If warehousing service is being used, an additional copy can be sent there.

Question 35

What happens after the manufacturer receives the PO?

Answer 35

They send an acknowledgement, or confirmation to confirm that they received it and to indicate how they interpreted it.

Question 36

What does the acknowledgement include?

Answer 36

It repeats the PO items, quantities, and costs and indicates a scheduled shipping date and how the consignment will be shipped. IT IS THE DESIGNER’S RESPONSIBILITY TO CHECK THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENT AGAINST THE PO to make sure the order is correct. ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO CHECK IS THE EXPECTED SHIPPING DATE. If this is not what the designer wanted, or if the delivery by a certain date is critical, the problem must be dealt with immediately.

Question 37

When is the invoice usually sent?

Answer 37

When the manufacturer ships the merchandise, they normally also send an invoice to the designer at the same time. The designer, or whoever is responsible, pays for the merchandise from this invoice. If the client is paying, the invoice should be sent to the client within 10 days after the merchandise has been received and accepted by the client. If the designer is purchasing at a trade discount and reselling to the client at list price, a SEPARATE INVOICE from the designer must be sent to the client.

Question 38

What should be done with the bill of lading and packing list?

Answer 38

When the truck arrives with the merchandise at the final destination, the number of items should be checked against the bill of lading and the packing list. Any discrepencies between what is actually delivered and what is stated on the bill of lading/packing list should be noted on the bill of lading.

Question 39

Freight Bill

Answer 39

An invoice from the shipping company for the cost of shipping.

Question 40

What should happen when the merchandise is shipped to a warehouse before shipping to a job site?

Answer 40

It should be inspected for any damage that may have occured in transit. This SHOULD BE DONE BY THE DESIGNER/DESIGNER’S REPRESENTATIVE. Any damage should be noted on the bill of lading. Some people also take photos of damaged merchandise to back up claims. DAMAGE MUST BE REPORTED TO THE SHIPPER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Question 41

What is the owner responsible for when form AIA 275/ID General Conditions of the Contract for Furniture, Furnishings, and Equipment is being used and merchandise is delivered to the job site?

Answer 41

The owner is responsible for inspecting delivered goods, but only for the purposes of identifying the merchandise and verifying quantities. SUCH INSPECTIONS ARE NOT CONSIDERED FINAL OR AS CONSTITUTING ACCEPTANCE OF OR TAKING CONTROL OVER THE MERCHANDISE. If damage is found, the owner must notify the contractor, who then has the opportunity to correct the situation.