For those who procure contract and educational furniture for offices, hotels, hospitals, care homes and schools, a free online resource can help ensure a smooth project delivery, save time and money.
Launched this week, National Furniture Specifications (NFS) is for anyone specifying, developing or reviewing tenders for contract and educational furniture.
NFS is a comprehensive, easy-to-use guide and tool for creating specifications. Produced by the Furniture Industry Research Association, it aims to provide technical support to help eliminate potential misunderstandings along the supply chain.
“There are many things to take into consideration when specifying furniture, such as ergonomics, sustainability criteria, the frequency of use, average length of time in use and the end-users. Specifications and tender documents can be complex to write, with a requirement to include the correct British, European and International furniture standards,” says Phil Reynolds, director of the Furniture Industry Research Association.
He continues: “With regular changes to standards and little room for error, suppliers find that the knock-on effect of an incorrect specification can be expensive and time consuming for everyone involved. NFS is a resource which is available to everyone and our aim is that by using this resource you can create a furniture specification that ensures all products specified are suitable for their intended use and fit for purpose.”
The NFS Guide covers everything about procuring contract and educational furniture, including the factors to consider at tendering stage, what to look for in a supplier, how to evaluate bids and shortlist products, certification schemes, preparing and reviewing tenders, choosing a final product and a list of current standards for furniture.
The specification tool allows the user to choose the type of furniture from drop-down menus. It then accesses a regularly updated database of all relevant standards to create a specification in the form of a PDF.
