Stay Inspired

Today we’re going to talk about inspiration, where we draw it from, and hopefully encourage you to keep pursuing it.  Some people are inspired by their achievements and so continue to pursue the accomplishment of these goals for inspiration; rather than basking in the admiration of their art, they continue to paint with a renewed appreciation for other artists.  At the same time, other people may draw their inspiration from the beauty of such art, and the admiration of witnessing a purpose fulfilled.  This is our everyday life, look around you and you will observe those pursuing their dreams, and those that admire them.  One is no better than the other, and often times we draw inspiration from a number of sources or other people.

If I were to challenge you, it would be to know what inspires you.  Is it your work?  Maybe an after work hobby?  People?  Whatever it may be that inspires you, I would urge you to pursue after that.  Nothing is as exhilarating, as fulfilling, as working for a cause that you wholly believe in.  And if you don’t know or have difficulty finding what inspires you, than my recommendation would be to take an aspect of your life that you’re already focused in and search for the beauty in it.  Once you find the beauty, the love for a goal that may otherwise be mundane, you change your perspective from one of observation to admiration, and your attitude from indifference to engaged.  I say this from experience, as it’s not hard to see that people don’t grow up inspired by office furniture, but through focus and perspective, here I am inspired every time I tackle a large project, or wrestle with unrealistic expectations, because I know that I just may be able to find the solution that others may have overlooked.

The reason why I wanted to bring up inspiration is because the last few newsletters we’ve been highlighting how design does matter, but never really why we believe that design does matter; is it just a tag, a catchphrase?  Absolutely not, the truth is that it’s an idea, an idea that inspired me six years ago and continues to inspire me when I am reminded of it.  The concept that a chair is more than a chair, a desk more than a desk, and the way an office is planned out actually does matter to real people, with real responsibilities, and sometimes very real financial and physical expectations.  When an organization needs to fit fifty people in a space designed for twenty, without impeding on output or productivity, while having only budgeted for ten, those are real obstacles where there are no cookie-cutter solutions.

In taking a more in-depth look into it, we can relate back to studying philosophy, where throughout the course of our studies we’re challenged to dream, to push the boundaries and to chase after the unknown, whereas in contrast when studying history we learn about moderation, understanding the truth about our situation and making calculated risks.  At first glance it seems that there is significant gray area when you study great leaders and try to distinguish their philosophical ideologies with the results gained through their actions, and how they accomplish the seemingly impossible.  However upon further study you see that the risks taken aren’t that unfathomable; they are clear about what inspires them and make decisions – whether the decisions seem for better or worse – that lead them to help glorify that inspiration.

 

Glorify what inspires you and pursue it.  Whether it’s in office furniture or art, for instance I don’t start out each meeting thinking about what I want to walk away with, not at all, instead I know that I’m inspired by designing a solution that encapsulates an idea, and so I strive in order to understand that idea – be it a floor of office furniture or a complex systems application – in order to determine the building blocks to an ideal solution.  I strive to live an inspired lifestyle, because that’s what invigorates me, makes we want to wake up and tackle whatever the world has to throw at it.  I urge you to stay inspired, to change your world such that you continue to be inspired, so that others may look upon you in admiration and draw inspiration from your actions.

Until next time, go change your world.

 

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Cell:250.869.5304 Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

Total Office Makeover Completion: United Way (Video)

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

Total Office Makeover Progress: United Way

The office make-over is coming along nicely!

 

However there are still a few pieces that need to be changed, such as this 'amazing' table:

 

And this makeshift cabinet:

 

And maybe this tall storage cabinet as well:

 

But otherwise we're almost there!  HUGE shout-out to Heather from Sticks and Stones Design Group, the team at the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, Benjamin Moore, Concept Electric, Suite Reno' Solutions, Staples and everyone that participated in the competition!

 

More details to come!

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626  Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

HIMSS - Humanscale T7

HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 52 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations are headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia.

One of Total Office's manufacturer partners 'Humanscale' will display an array of ergonomic healthcare IT solutions, such as the T7 mobile technology cart, at HIMSS13, March 3 – 7, 2013.

Visitors to the booth will be able to get a hands-on experience with a number of new products that were built with the caregiver in mind. Among them is the revolutionary T7, which expertly combines Auto Fit™ technology that enables the cart to automatically adjust to the caregiver’s entered height in just one easy step and Power Track™ steering, which implements a fifth wheel for exceptional maneuverability. For even greater ergonomic usage, all controls on the T7 are within the shoulder width of the caregiver. The T7 also offers two different tilting monitor arm options, both of which accommodate a vast range of individuals, including those with bifocals. Due to its low center of gravity, the T7 has excellent balance and stability for smoother, safer use. Brilliantly simple in both form and function, the T7 has a completely encased wire management system, which mitigates both clutter and infection control concerns. And it has an optimized power system and battery, with SLA and lithium battery options.

In addition to the T7, Humanscale will display a number of ergonomic healthcare IT products that redefine the caregiving experience. The innovative ViewPoint V6™ ergonomically accommodates caregivers in sitting or standing positions and features flexible monitor arms to encourage patient-caregiver interactions.

If you want to learn more about HIMSS, Humanscale or the T7 product, feel free to call us at 250-717-1626 and we'd be happy to help!

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

Don't Pay - Trade!

Total Office is commited to helping new businesses thrive and being involved in the business community.  One way to achieve both of these points, is our alignment with TEC (Trade Exchange Canada), our special offers for new businesses, as well as various 100% trade and 50% trade deals, updated on a weekly basis.

 

We strongly believe in the community that TEC has built through connected businesses with each other and fostering relationships that may have never happened without the opportunity to trade products and services from one another.  One comment I often hear is how the experience that a trade customer receives is often the needed boost in word-of-mouth to help propel the business forward, especially for new businesses!

 

Below is an excerpt pulled from TEC's website to help better illustrate their business model:

Trade Exchange Canada has always had a goal of helping small and medium sized enterprises (SME's) through seasonal or cyclical economic downturns by introducing them to a new customer base, conserving cash, interest free financing, utilization of excess inventory and many other ways. Trade exchanges and barter flourish in slow economic times. We are poised and ready to take on new business and we are setting up the fundamentals to ensure that those new businesses that join our group are treated professionally.

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

United Way Makeover!

This is one of the before pictures of United Way!  We're excited to be a part of the complete office make over, in conjunction with Sticks & Stones Interior Design, the Juice 103.9, Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and the amazing and generous donors at Benjamin Moore, Concept Electric, Suite Reno' Solutions, Staples, and others not listed here. 

 

Below is our initial concept of the new space!

 

We look forward to the completion of the project and to see the amazing and well deserving people at United Way in their new digs!

 

 

 

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

DDM - The Federal Government's best-kept Secret

The Federal Government’s best-kept Secret:

We’ve defined the Future Office as being the best practices of today now applied as a general practice; simply put, when we find a better way to do something, we trend – slowly as global entity, but like a wildfire in small groups.  A perfect example of a wildfire spreading quickly is the Government of Canada and whom better to study of leading by example than our very own government?

What does the Government of Canada have to do with office furniture?  And even more to the point, what do they have to do with best practices that can be reproduced for profitable revenue growth with small business?  Would not the argument be brought up that entrepreneurs are a distinct opposite of government unionized employees?  And that by trying to divulge value through practices by one for the other would be futile at best, but mostly weak and unsupported?

All of the theoretical questions really boil down to a mathematical equation that is as simple as two words: how much?  As in how much is it going to cost right now, how much is it going to cost in the long run, and how much am I going to benefit from it financially if I went with this option?  For a broader perspective and the more inquisitive mind, the financial benefit itself is broken into different categories: such as how much will this depreciate for tax purposes, how much will it increase productivity, how much will it retain value in the sense of adapting to changes down the road?

We see then, that there are layers of complexity to the simple question of ‘how much’, but that in those two words we encapsulate not only entrepreneurial small-businesses, but proactive large corporations to government offices at every level.  These two words fuel the decisions that every person with purchasing authority has to make, whether it’s a five-thousand or five-hundred-thousand dollar capital acquisition, we absolutely need to know and justify ‘how much’.

All of this brings us back to the Government of Canada and the massive amount of work that they have put into determining ‘how much’.  Not only have they done it from a high-level perspective, but they’ve taken into consideration some integral market trends and workplace-analytics, in order to comprise one of the most comprehensive guidelines on workplace standards available.  Workplace 2.0 is a forward-thinking and articulate concept introduced by Public Works and Government Services Canada in order to modernize how the public service works, and more importantly narrow down the ‘how much’.

When we talked about the future office not being some distant and creative office-scape, we also indicated that it would be all of the best practices of today being adapted by myriad different business and accepted as general practice.  The ‘edge’ that some businesses have now in productivity and adaptability, will soon be the ‘norm’ in the marketplace.  The leaders in industry have to keep implementing new ways to gain tangible financial benefits in order to maintain an ‘edge’ over other businesses in the marketplace.  This is how the future office is really inevitable, because nobody in business is going to sit around wishing and hoping to drive down costs and increase productivity, they’re going to take action, take risks, and manufacture successes.

The Government of Canada, through Workplace 2.0, manages to encapsulate a majority of the best practices being used by small businesses and corporate offices, and articulate them clearly within a set of guidelines that anyone can follow.  They maximize sustainability for long-term forecasting as well as capitalizing on the cost-of-acquisition benefits from minimization.  I’m hesitant to use the term ‘minimization’ because there was a time when that just meant shrinking workstations, so perhaps the term I should be using is ‘optimization’.
Work space is being optimized, not to just decrease the amount of real-estate being used per employee – which is in itself a cost savings – but to better utilize the dead-space being used in that employee’s indirect absence.  Its re-envisioning spaces and implementing systems that connect staff and employ work-flow techniques that actually improve task-efficiency rather than just say it will.  Workplace optimization is decidedly the heaviest hitter when the contestants for total-cost-of-acquisition are brought into the ring, and still a key player in terms of total-cost-of-ownership, alongside sustainability and adaptability.

To focus in on the original topic, this is something that the government has done on a ‘need-to-know’ basis, and the way I’d like you to understand that is that this Workplace 2.0 is something that you ‘need-to-know.’  It wasn’t drafted for small businesses or corporations – it was designed to be implemented throughout government offices – however the data compiled not only actually helps propel small business and corporations in a revenue-positive way, but because it is frighteningly crucial to your bottom-line, and you need to know and best understand what your bottom-line is, period.  

Workplace 2.0 Summary and how Design Does Matter:

• Implement sustainable best-practices whenever possible:

here’s a lot of green-washing going on with everyone trying to jump on the bandwagon of sustainability, but some tried and tested standards involve ISO 14001 certification and LEED considerations, from material sourcing radius to recyclable content.

Other sustainable aspects involve strategic future planning, including accounting for space inventory, utilization analysis, standards and guidelines as well as space plans.  This will help determine the flexibility required by the product and save costs from a total-cost-of-ownership perspective. 

• Optimize space in a manner that isn’t focused on workstation minimization, but employee work-type and corporate culture adherence; the government of Canada has also given sq. meter standards per type of employee, we can learn a lesson from this by adapting our space planning metric from generally-accepted standards to a more progressive and customized model:

Scrap the old space-planning metric!  The new workplace planning equation takes into account multiple factors that contribute to the healthy, mixed planning environments required today.  It does require a more complicated footprint, but only due to the added benefits to managing an adaptable bill of parts.

• Impact the office ecosystem by allowing natural light and maximizing on non-inhibiting and natural chance-meeting conjunctions:

Productivity and ergonomic studies prove consistently over-time both means and methods for improving the working environment and boosting productivity output from your employees.  Ask your consultant about the best methods to capitalize efficiency gains from your physical space.

All of this points to the two words we talked about: ‘how much.’  At the end of the day, a good interior designer can make most furniture lines look good and permeate with the end-user’s design statement, however it takes careful planning and consideration through the owner’s project management team, to the interior designer, the dealer and the manufacturer, in order to capitalize on the best we’re able to deliver ‘how much.’

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Cell:250.899.5541 Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

Horizon Takes FX Award for Lighting Products

Humanscale’s Horizon has earned top honors in the Lighting Product category of the FX International Interior Design Awards. Hailed for huge technological and aesthetic advances in an energy-efficient light source, Horizon topped six other finalists for the top slot.

 

The prestigious FX International Interior Design Awards evaluate the very best in interior products and projects from both British and international design talent. Organized by FX magazine and judged by an independent panel of design experts, the FX Awards consider notable points of design, material content, and the success of the solution, among other criteria.

 

Adhering to Humanscale’s design philosophy that good design achieves more with less, Horizon was designed for uncomplicated use, maximum comfort, a long serviceable life and a minimal environmental footprint. The first task light to utilize Thin Film LED Technology, Horizon produces an ultra-wide footprint of warm, glare-free 3000K light—excellent for ergonomic illumination and beautiful light in any environment. Its built-in dimmer control offers seven levels of adjustable illumination to allow the user to customize intensity according to each task. Engineered for incredible energy efficiency and a long life of service, Horizon consumes only 11 watts of power and is rated for 50,000 to 60,000 hours of use.

 

Created by award-winning designers Peter Stathis and Michael McCoy, Horizon’s minimalist design complements a wide range of interiors and features few moving parts, ensuring years of maintenance-free use. With no exposed wiring or mechanical fasteners, there is nothing to distract from the luminous quality. Horizon seamlessly balances performance and style to satisfy the focused lighting needs of any environment.

 

Horizon adds the FX award to its growing collection of accolades, which includes a NeoCon East People’s Choice Award, a Bronze IIDEX Award, a Buildings magazine Citation of Excellence, and a Best of Boutique Award.

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Cell:250.869.5304 Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

Teknion Unveils the RBT

Teknion’s innovative, new RBT™ (responsive back technology) task chair is visually and functionally unique. RBT incorporates patented breakthrough technology that represents an evolutionary leap in task seating design, delivering superior fit, comfort and support for people of varying shapes and sizes.

 

RBT works in harmony with the body, (3.6 to 13.6 kg). responding to the shape of the user’s back while supporting continuous changes in posture throughout the workday.

RBT encourages proper posture, promotes dynamic movement and continuously supports changes in posture. The chair back automatically responds and conforms to the back shape and size of the user. The back consists of an aluminum support structure and a user back interface comprising a set of ribs and linkages. RBT works in harmony with the body, responding to the shape of the user’s back while supporting continuous changes in posture throughout the workday.

RBT is a fully featured synchro-tilt task chair with active and passive adjustments.

Passive adjustments include: • Dynamic body-shape conforming chair back moves to assume a range of upright and reclining postures Active adjustments include:

• Seat height
• Seat depth
• Tilt-tension adjustment
• Multiple position back lock
• Height- and width-adjustable arms

RBT has a strong environmental and ergonomic story. It is GREENGUARD® Certified for Indoor Air Quality, contributes to LEED® credits and is compliant with BIFMA e3 level 2. RBT is 100 percent recyclable. In addition, it meets pertinent strength, safety and durability standards such as ANSI/BIFMA X7.1 and ergonomic guidelines such as BIFMA G1, EN1335, ANSI/HFES and CGSB44-232.

RBT was a collaborative effort between industrial designers Zooey Chu and Gary Bacon at Synergy Product Development based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Teknion.

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Cell:250.869.5304 Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/

Total Office Makeover WINNER!

 

During the months of November and December, the Kelowna Chamber partnered with Total Office Business Furnishings, Sticks & Stones Design and 103.9 The Juice to present the $6500 Office Makeover!

Those members that renewed their 2013 membership by December 31st, and new members that joined before December 31, 2012 were entered into a draw to win the Office Makeover which includes: workflow consultation, professional office planning, colour and design advice, furnishings, delivery and installation!

Through the generosity of our (Kelowna Chamber of Commerce) partners, Total Office Business Furnishings, Sticks and Stones Design and 103.9 The Juice and their enthusiasm and social media campaigns, ugly office photos were posted on the Juice Facebook to obtain likes.

We are pleased to announce that the 2012 Chamber of Commerce Office Makeover contest winner is the United Way.

The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce acts as a single powerful voice for their 1200 members and their 25,000 plus employees to promote local business interests. The Chamber provides a cohesive business network for its members to expand their business contacts, value-added benefits, programs, and services aimed at improving the bottom line of Chamber members. Their mission is to foster a positive business environment by providing members with leadership, advocacy and services of value.

*Chamber of Commerce Press Release, January 24, 2013

 

For more information Contact: TOTAL OFFICE Planning Services - Professional Delivery & Installation 420 Banks Road Kelowna, B.C. V1X 6A3 Tel:250.717.1626 / Cell:250.869.5304 Toll Free:1.800.558.DESK (3375) E: info@TotalOfficeBC.ca W:  http://www.totalofficebc.ca/