Furniture and fixtures installation is a value-add service typically provided by many companies specializing in third party logistics. Whether it’s for office or home, your furniture installation should begin before the actual day of install.
Planning
Once you’ve provided drawings of the new layout you require, the 3PL will task a project with scheduling the furniture installation. He or she will inspect the site first, identifying all points of access, unloading and storage areas. Doors, balustrades, and any other areas vulnerable to being damaged will be identified for padding protection. A suitably sized team of people trained in moving and installing furniture will next be assembled.
Offsite Staging
A staging area for packing, shrink wrapping, and assembling furniture and other fixtures off-site ensures the whole operation is carried out more efficiently, resulting in lower costs for the job. Typically, your freight forwarder will use its own warehouse for this function, so check first they have sufficient space, especially for a commercial move.
Installation Day
With a plan in place it just takes a team of trained professionals to install all your furniture and fittings to match your requirements. A good furniture installation team will work fast and efficiently, yet still retain the flexibility to modify any variation in your scheduling.
Crates should be loaded onto trucks in such an order that the ones unpacked first contain the furniture and fittings that will be installed first, probably those in the furthest or least accessible recesses of the building.
Furniture should be located precisely as your requirements, but should you change your mind and request certain items to be reconfigured, this should not be met with disdain by the furniture installation team. It should be quite expected, for example, that drawings will not always match reality precisely.
There will inevitably be a lot of packaging material and other debris produced during the furniture installation. A good professional team will clear this up and dispose of it responsibly. They will check all your furniture is level and wipe all surfaces. Any unwanted furniture or appliances that need swapping out, for example old mattresses or television sets, should be included in the installation team’s remit.
If you’re moving to a new office, the downtime costs your business might incur can be considerable. That’s why the furniture installation process must be entirely visible throughout, even if only for your peace of mind. For this purpose, larger 3PLs should have a centralized enquiries desk in place throughout the day.
