by Gladson Ronad
A freelance writer based in Dubai.

Whether you are a new or established company, your office furniture set-up comprise an essential part of your business, especially in terms of function, comfort and style. As work can be often simplified with functional equipment, and comfortable chair and table set-ups may enhance productivity for the staff, a stylish over-all set-up may also impress clients and lead to increased business revenues. B2B Buyers Digest spoke to some office furniture people in Dubai and gave some recommendations in choosing the right office furnitures.

One of the first things that an organised company looks for is a filing system. Then come the workstations, chairs, wall fixtures, partitions and other additions that add value to the working atmosphere.

“An office is not just about tables and chairs but about the aesthetics. The color, texture, wood used and placement of the furniture, all makes a big difference to the overall look of the office,” says Nima Ranjbar, Marketing Manager, Bafco.

Bafco, according to Nima, was the first turnkey solution prvider for office interiors, in the region. While others have followed suit, the demand for turnkey solutions has only increased over the past five years. Now, with the construction boom and more offices setting up their regional base in Dubai , the need is increasing,

Talking about the sectors from which most office furniture clients come from, Yogesh Gurnani of Al Safeer Furniture LLC remarks, “Of course, our end-users are mainly architects and interior design companies but at the same time end-users of our products too walk into our showrooms looking for an ‘everything-under-one-roof' solution.”

Nima agrees with Yogesh, but still thinks that the demand will continue to come from consultants who prefer to deal with companies like Bafco due to their large volume requirements.

With no official statistics available on the office furniture industry in the UAE regarding imports and exports, there are exhibition and market research agencies, who in collaboration with furniture companies, are collecting and collating figures that will indicate trends to help make buying decisions.

“The demand right now is very varied,” states C. Nandakumar of O.F.I.S.

“We get all kinds of customers – those who want to buy products that fit their budget, and then there are others who have bigger budgets. These people want ergonomic solutions that will boost productivity in their offices because of comfortable seating and aesthetic working environments,” Nandakumar adds.

Most office furniture companies categorise the functions of their products as follows:

• Aesthetics
• Functionality
• Ergonomics
• Intelligence

So here are some essentials of what an organisation should look for in terms of office furniture:

Filing System

Organisation is crucial for anybusiness so that people can find documents whenever they need them. The solution is a filing cabinet, for which you will pay around Dhs 350 for a new one; workable alternatives for those on a tight budget are small storage boxes individually available for around Dhs 40 each from places like IKEA etc.

Desks/Shelving

Almost everybody needs a desk in the workplace regardless of the role they play in the company. Desks come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, so be sure that you find one that is most comfortable and practical for your employees.

Simple desks can be found for under Dhs 100 and can stretch up to Dhs 300 for something that offers more facilities, space and perhaps more style. Know how much space you have in your workplace or things could get too crowded and impractical if you buy something too big, one large desk may be ok, but six large desks in a small office could seriously affect the quality of the working conditions.

Is the furniture you buy comfortable? Remember that either you or your employees will be using the furniture for many hours a day; something stylish but uncomfortable or oddly shaped can affect the comfort and productivity of your staff.

It is vital to know whether an employee's desk is right for them. Is it at the right height to allow comfortable work; are there drawers or keyboard racks that affect the space available for using the desk? If you are in doubt then either get the person who will be using the desk to test it, or evaluate space and height needed before buying.

If you have bought a PC and a desk to use together, are you certain that they will fit the spaces available? There are many different types and sizes of PCs, and many different types of desks, by measuring the spaces you intend to fill, you can be sure that your purchases will work together effectively.

If you buy an item such as a desk, you need to know whether it is adjustable. If an employee leaves, and a new one takes over the desk, can they adjust it (or other items such as their chair) to make it comfortable for their use?

Shelving (or storage units) will be something that you will need if your workplace is used to store information (books, magazines, discs, CDs, etc). Again, you have to consider what space you have available and the budget available. Pine wood furniture is always cheaper than woods like mahogany and black ash.

Chairs

When buying chairs for your employees it is important to remember that they will be using them for many hours a day. They should therefore be as comfortable and supportive as possible, with the aim of your employees maintaining a healthy posture.

By paying a bit more for adjustable height chairs with arm supports and a high-back, your employees can setup their work environment to be comfortable, and therefore be more productive. This is especially important when your employees are using computers, and may be sitting in the same area for long periods of time.

Office chairs cost from under Dhs 150 to well over Dhs 400, depending on the size, material, adjustability (some have adjustable/inflatable back support), and features.