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Most office furniture will be shipped either ready-to-assemble (also referred to as RTA) or fully assembled. Ready-to-assemble products will require customer assembly, while fully-assembled products will be ready to use immediately. 

When choosing between RTA and fully assembled furniture, it’s important to realize that not every person is suited to the needs of each type. Take a look at the financial, time, and space requirements that typically come with RTA and fully assembled furniture before you make your purchase.

Cost 

Budget is always a concern for companies, so deciding how much you are willing to spend on your new furniture before you begin the shopping process is important. 

RTA furniture will always be less expensive than fully-assembled furniture because ready-to-assemble items typically ship broken down into a more compact box. Because RTA boxes are smaller and easier to fit into a truck, they often ship via UPS, which dramatically lessens the cost since most shippers consider the weight and dimensions of the item when determining how much to charge for shipment. 

If you choose a fully-assembled piece of furniture, be prepared to pay more for the convenience of not having to assemble the furniture and the high price of shipping a larger item. Fully-assembled furniture takes up far more space, typically requiring freight shipping for products as large as a desk. If budget is your top concern, RTA is the way to go.

Convenience 

If you’re willing to pay a little extra for a fully-assembled desk or filing cabinet, then the convenience factor will be well worth it. Depending on the manufacturer, RTA furniture assembly can range in difficulty. You may need to simply attach the legs to a desk’s body, or you may need to do intricate work that can take multiple people and hours. 

 

When you buy a fully-assembled chair, bookcase, or desk, you can expect to start using your new furniture right out of the box. Fully-assembled furniture is assembled at the factory and shipped just as it’s pictured on the website. Simply unbox it, place it where you want it in your office, and you’re good to go! The extent of your assembly may be inserting shelves into a bookcase. 

 

If you’re setting up a new office that needs to be ready to go in a short time or if you simply don’t have the time to spend a weekend putting desks and filing systems together, then fully-assembled furniture is your best option.

 

Space Constraints 

Before considering buying a fully-assembled piece of furniture, be sure you have the space to accommodate it. If you’re ordering a fully-assembled chair, you probably won’t need to be concerned about getting it into your office, but be careful when selecting fully-assembled executive desks, conference tables, and other large pieces. 

When ordering larger pieces of furniture, measure the area where you expect to use the desk or table to ensure that it will fit, regardless of whether you’re ordering something fully-assembled or RTA. While RTA furniture typically ships in compact boxes delivered to your door, fully-assembled furniture that ships freight will require you to have a loading dock to accept the package. 

If your company building is small or you work from home, ask a sales representative for more information on inside or white glove delivery options. Not only does your office need to be large enough to accommodate a larger piece of furniture, but your doorways need to be big enough, too! Measure doorways and hallways leading into your office to ensure that the furniture can make it inside.

Whether you select a piece of RTA or fully-assembled furniture, both offer high-quality, durable products that can withstand everyday use in an office setting. Once you’ve determined which factors are the most important to you and which will cause an issue with your furniture purchase, shop NBF.com for our wide selection of either RTA or fully-assembled products.

 

Furniture Maintenance

More From NBF

Hoteling the Right Way

Hoteling refers to the practice of providing employees with a workspace on an as-needed basis. How does it work? Essentially, companies that utilize hoteling are looking for ways to reduce operating costs by leasing a smaller office and maintaining fewer resident employees. Workers reserve desk space when needed rather than having a permanent workstation. 

This method can be especially effective in offices where employees frequently work from home or are out in the field (such as with outside sales staff). If you’re thinking of incorporating a hoteling program for your business, make a game plan ahead of time and consider the following.

Reserve Private Offices First

Don’t let hoteling space overrun your entire floor. Be sure to block off space for permanent employees and managers first. Use the remaining space for temporary workers and telecommuters. Although hoteling in an open area can be an effective solution, it’s important to maintain private offices for meetings and one-on-one conversations. Often, employees who usually telecommute will come to the office specifically for meetings—ensure there is a designated space or room where conferences can be held without distractions.

Create Clear and Concrete Hoteling Policies

Lay out the rules and define them clearly in the beginning to alleviate any confusion between hoteling employees and permanent residence employees in the future. In your policy manual, include information on how the employee should book the office space, how they should use it, and how they should leave it at the end of the day.

Provide Hoteling Employees With a Place to Keep Their Belongings

Permanent employees typically keep their coats, purses, and wallets safe at their desks, but hoteling employees don’t have the luxury of a space to call their own. Provide every visiting worker with a safe place to keep these belongings so they can feel comfortable leaving items behind during meetings. The easiest way to accomplish this is to equip each hoteling desk with a mobile filing cabinet that has locking capabilities. You can further increase the functionality of the office by purchasing files with padded cushions on the top. This way, managers and other employees can use the file as a seat during impromptu conversations at the person’s desk.

Consider Hoteling Work Habits

Not all employees have the same working styles, and not every job entails the same type of work. For example, a team of graphic designers collaborating on a project may require a large shared workspace, while an accountant working on a solo project may need a quiet cubicle to get the job done.

Implementing hoteling in your corporate office can be an effective way to save money and provide telecommuters with an open invitation to stop by any time.

 

The Benefits of Adjustable Height Desks

So maybe you’ve heard—sitting is the new smoking. But is it true? We wanted to get the opinion of someone who recently switched from sitting all day, every day to alternating between sitting and standing, so we arranged an interview. We interviewed Jay Miller, who works for a financial services firm that recently outfitted its office employees with adjustable height desks. Here’s what he had to say:

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