How do schools evaluate furniture options?
Durability | With energetic young users, school furniture must be engineered to endure. Robust construction and good raw materials combined together certainly cannot go wrong.
Ergonomics | Ergonomics means “designed to minimize physical effort and discomfort, and hence maximize efficiency”, which says it all. Let’s face reality. Children are so glued to gadgets, that even their lifestyles have become as sedentary as office goers. This science of comfort and preservation of good postural health is more critical than ever before.
Safety | Educators are all too aware about furniture being a critical element of safety in the classroom. Because children follow very different safety standards. Safety means much more than just supervision. It is important to provide a safe environment where teachers can focus on the core function of pedagogy.
Flexibility | The classroom is increasingly becoming a dynamic space. The arrangement and orientation should be flexible and easy to reconfigure. It is noticed more and more, that attention spans are getting shorter. Change brings in excitement and enthusiasm, and helps keep students engaged. Transformation is also needed to keep pace with newer teaching methods and technology. The concept of multi-functional spaces too demands that the furniture should be light, stackable, folding and mobile.
Maintenance | Well-made school furniture should be easy to maintain, and one less thing to worry about. It should be a matter of wipe down and relax, not some major refurbishing project!
After-sales service | WYSIWIG – What You See Is What You Get
Surely school managements would want the entire supply to match the sample shown. Its vital to evaluate the credentials and facilities A manufacturer would assure consistent supply of small additions and spares in the future. An importer may not have the same commitment.
Cost | Last but not the least, the factor that vexes: Cost! The life cycles of products under comparison from different vendors, should be the key factor in decision making. The commonly made mistake of trying to save on the initial procurement cost, often forces a major replacement cost within a short period of time. What may initially appear to be higher is actually cheaper in the long run, in terms of return on investment.
January 10, 2018
