9 Tips for Value Engineering Your Contact Center Cubicles

Written by KOVA Corp

“Do more with less.” How often have you had to put that line into practice in your contact center? From operating costs to workforce scheduling, every dimension of your business has to be scrutinized and made as lean and economical as possible, without affecting performance.

When it comes to the physical assets of your company, like furniture and cubicles, it can be tempting just to buy the cheapest options available, to keep costs low. But putting a little thought into what you’re buying, how it will be used, and how it can actually contribute to (or detract from) employee performance, can turn your purchase into a long-term investment that will save you money in the long run.

Here is your guide to getting the most value out of your contact center cubicles:

1. Choose back-to-back agent stations, rather than a single-sided run of stations. The back-to-back variety share panels, such as the electric and spine panels, so they will end up costing you less.

2. Go with melamine for panels below the work surface. Fabric-covered panels are more expensive, and harder to clean. And melamine will hold up better over time, as well.

3. Seek out furniture systems without loose parts. Kick plates and frame caps can fall off easily. When you choose furniture without those loose parts, you won’t have to deal with the related maintenance costs – and your stations will look better for longer.

4. Buy furniture that comes with a lifetime warranty. It may be a little more expensive, but a lifetime warranty gives you the assurance that what you’re getting is built to last. You won’t have to have it repaired or replaced nearly as often as a cheaper piece of furniture, which will save you money for years to come.

5. Be sure that all furniture you buy meets LEED indoor air quality standards. This is an employee performance issue: when unpleasant chemical odors waft through the building every day, or when allergy sufferers can’t stop coughing and sneezing, performance – and morale – can’t help but be low. Only low VOC and formaldehyde emitting furniture should be used.

6. Pick furniture that can be reconfigured if necessary. If change is needed, or a relocation is imminent, reconfiguring existing furniture is much cheaper than buying all new work stations. Verify that your supplier keeps the engineering paperwork so that it will be easy to reference the parts of the stations when needed.

7. Think through your choice of wire and cable management systems. It should be easily accessible, but still hide the cords. Systems with an access location under the furniture behind sliding doors allow for easy set-up and changes for IT.

8. For acoustic panels, only the spine panel is really necessary. In order to cut costs, you can have the side panels made of a hardboard panel covered with fabric.

9. Ergonomic accessories are not a waste of money. On the contrary – ergonomic chairs, keywords, and monitor arms help reduce repetitive motion injuries, which in turn reduces time missed from work, workers’ compensation costs, and time used to train replacement employees.  Taking these tips into consideration when furnishing a contact center will help to achieve an attractive and functional space that aids you in your never-ending quest to “do more with less.”

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