As Project Manager, you have a tricky line to walk. You have to deliver the furnishings your client or company wants, and you want to go above and beyond the call of duty. But you also have to complete the project on budget.
There’s always that line between buying the perfect furniture for the project and staying on budget. This choice often comes down to a fundamental decision: to buy new or used.
The Choice between New and Used Office Furniture
It’s safe to assume that most projects want to start with new furniture as their first choice. You’ll get the most variety and choices. Most people expect new furniture (or most products in general) to be of higher quality when new. You get the supplier’s warranty when you buy new. New furniture can also be a good investment, because contract dealers like Envirotech also have buy-back policies for new furniture.
Used furniture is an especially good choice when you are in a rush or on a budget. Maybe you have to relocate because of a problem with your old building, or you are downsizing. Most contract dealers require six to eight weeks to source used furniture but, due to its vast network, Envirotech can do it in three weeks. Used furniture is less expensive and can be a good choice for a tight budget.
Beyond New and Used Office Furniture: A Third Option
There’s a third consideration that is somewhere between new and used office furniture: refurbished and remanufactured office furniture.
A remanufactured product is one that has been rebuilt to match the original specifications and standards of a brand new product. Sometimes new parts are matched with used parts. If one part is defective, for example, the defective part is replaced with a new part, and the remanufactured product is sold to the same standard as a brand new product, but at a reduced cost.
A refurbished product is one that has been returned to the manufacturer for one reason or another. Refurbished products are then tested to make sure they remain functional and, if not, are repaired by the manufacturer and sold. The difference between refurbished and used is that used products are sold as they are acquired, blemishes and all, whereas refurbished products are tested and repaired.
The advantages of remanufactured and refurbished office furniture is that they are in better condition than used furniture, but still less expensive than completely new furniture, in some cases up to 60% less. Remanufactured and refurbished options are also more environmentally friendly than new options, because they have fewer or no new parts.