Poetry in motion. Lust. Not exactly the words one expects when talking about office furniture.
But Steelcase does just that in the advertisements for its new Leap technology chair, which promises healthier sitting and higher employee productivity.
After spending $35 million to design a product, it’s important to make a strong impression, especially when there are scores of other companies working equally hard to catch the attention of busy executives.
Bob Winther, president of Canton-based Morris Office, says the Leap chair is a big seller, even with its hefty price tag. When it comes to workplace modernization, the extremely ergonomic chair is sort of the Ferrari of the pack, and its popularity is a strong indicator of the premium placed on employee comfort.
“If you’re walking around two minutes every hour trying to stretch out your back, that doesn’t end up cheap,” says Winther. “The chair may save you $500 to $1000 on benefits. A chair like this could pay for itself, even if you threw it out at the end of the year, which you obviously aren’t going to do.
“What manufacturers are trying to do is say, ‘Pay attention. This stuff is costing you money.’”
The Leap chair is just one of many innovations in office equipment that promises a more productive work force, and all signs point to a future in which the boxy, cubicle-filled office space is on its way out. In its place will be a more comfortable, mobile and smarter environment for employees to do their best work.
But this evolution brings with it fundamental changes in the way people traditionally think about work. The size of your office is no longer tied to your status with the company.
“It’s not the higher up in the organization you are, the more space you get,” says Winther. “It’s more oriented to what you physically do.”
For example, a company’s engineers should have private offices, but also a common work area where they can easily consult with each other. The accountant may work in a private space where he won’t be bothered, while the customer service staff is located in an open environment that fosters a collaborative effort in dealing with questions from clients.
To create these different environments, office equipment manufacturers offer ceiling-to-floor workspaces that, when installed, look like private offices. They come in various sizes and can be easily paneled to match the aesthetics of the rest of the building.
Once you’ve made that change to the office, there are plenty companies that want to help you fill the space with furniture. Michael Hardin, sales manager for Cleveland-based S.Rose Inc., says office equipment suppliers are cashing in on the idea of putting wheels on desks and chairs as a way to facilitate teamwork.
“The user has the ability to intuitively reconfigure his or her work space,” says Hardin. “What we’ve found is that since that the products’ introduction, a couple of things have happened. We’ve seen lots of companies begin to become interested in that way of doing business, and, as a result, a lot of other manufacturers have introduced similar products.”
But if you think mobile office furniture is a little too much for your firm, Hardin says business owners may be surprised to learn that even conservative companies have integrated the products into areas of their businesses where collaboration between employees is important, such as marketing, advertising and PR departments.
“Obviously, if you have a traditional law firm, you’re probably not going to order an entire floor of this type of product,” he says. “But within most organizations — even if it’s a conservative organization that wants to use desks, credenzas and those types of things — there is an opportunity for these products to be used.”
How to reach: S.Rose, (216) 781-8200; Morris Office, (330) 499-1030
Jim Vickers ([email protected]) is an associate editor at SBN.