Harkel Office Furniture

Lombard Canada:
New Furniture Standard Saves Money

Establishing a new furniture standard allows Lombard to save money as it systematically rolls out the program to its other offices.

"Kiva Design handled construction drawings for Lombard’s new 19,965-square-foot Montréal office where the new standard program has been applied to first."

When Lombard Canada, one of the oldest property and casualty insurance operations in Canada, decided to create a new furniture standard and rate structure for its eight offices across Canada, it turned to several trusted partners to guide and implement the program.

The lead partner was Designstream, which prepared new furniture standards and the RFP to guide the decision making. Kiva Design handled construction drawings for Lombard’s new 19,965-square-foot Montréal office where the new standard program has been applied to first.. Harkel Office Furniture, the long time office furniture supplier to Lombard, provided the Montréal office with final renditions and Inscape system furniture that was selected as the new standard to replace older furniture.

The selection of Krug’s Contour line for five new office suites and Inscape’s Platform, Planna and Freeform products for 13 supervisor stations and 82 work stations reflect the modern look of Lombard’s new Montréal office, an image that would not have been possible with the existing 25-year-old system furni­ture. New office furniture was also the solution to accomplish a weekend move, since it would not have been possible to dismantle, move and reassemble the older furniture in such a tight time frame.

Designstream and Lombard initially reviewed seven major furniture manu­facturers. This list was narrowed down to three, after showroom presentations and reviewing answers to 12 key questions. These questions were important to Lombard’s operations, covering everything from IT cabling to compatibility of different product lines to manufacturers’ warranty.

Krug’s Contour line offers style and elegance but not at the expense of adaptability. With Inscape’s sleek look and design, Lombard selected a product line that:

• Makes cable management easier.
• Optimizes space usage.
• Provides hidden storage space, eliminating a cluttered look.
• Allows more natural light because of its lower glass panels.

PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

Guidelines for Establishing New Furniture Standards

by Carol Symyk
Designstream

Carol Syrnyk from Designstream prepared new furniture standards and the RFP for the Lombard Canada project. She offers the following guidelines for companies who are looking to standardize their office furniture and systems:

• Engage your designer to describe the process. Many do not realize the commitment of time and energy that is required.
• Identify primary objectives for develop­ing new standards.
• Visit showrooms to become familiar with the latest office furniture trends and innovative workplace solutions.
• Review case studies with similar issues.
• Validate and update current information throughout the process.
• Look at all the options, whether purchasing or leasing new office furniture.