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Back to Office Fitout Case Study
A large, existing COS customer located in Melbourne wanted to entice employees to spend more time in the office. To discover what could motivate employees to spend more time in the office, the customer conducted a survey of all staff, pinpointing several specific products highly sought after by employees.
Snapshot
One of the key pieces of equipment mentioned in the survey was sit-stand desks, but the survey identified multiple incentives, including the availability of fresh fruit, more plants around the office, recycling facilities, better chairs, keep cups and more. The fit-out spanned six floors, requiring a strategic approach to logistics and installation.
The customer identified the top six requests and created a 90-day project to action these items. As the sole supplier to this customer, COS was tasked with sourcing furniture and other products to action the project.
The Situation
The initial request from the customer came to the Furniture Specialist Team, but both the scope and nature of the fit out needed the help of teams from multiple departments. It was determined that COS would need to source hundreds of locally made sit-stand desks, along with chairs, keep cups, monitor arms, recycling bins and custom bin labels within the 90 day project window and then complete the entire fit out during a three week period in January 2025 during which the customer would close the office and have all staff work from home for the duration.
The Solution
A COS team made up of Heidi Darragh, the Account Manager for the customer, Tina Mitchell, a Tactical Solutions Specialist, Nicole Riseley, a Furniture Specialist and Sharna Pankhurst from the COS Solutions Support Team acting as Project Manager was formed to source and supply product as well as oversee the project. Weekly meetings with all stakeholders were held to ensure the project was on track and everyone involved knew any relevant information.
A walkthrough of the customer’s building with members of the COS team was organised so as to get a better idea of the layout and overall requirements of the job. A team from Method Recycling was also invited to do a walkthrough to determine how many and what styles of recycling bins would be needed for the project.
It was determined that the project would require:
- 70 x 60L Method Recycling bins (Mix of Red, Yellow, Blue, Green and White bins)
- 10 x Method Recycling 3 Bay Connectors
- 70 x large black bin labels
- 2 x 20L Method Recycling bins (Red and Yellow)
- 2 x small black bin labels
- 3 x custom adhesive labels (Green Organic, Red Landfill, Yellow Mixed Recycling)
- 75 x 8oz Natural Huskee Cups with lid
- 75 x 8oz Charcoal Huskee Cups with lid
- 378 x Electric sit-stand desks
- 126 x Dual gas lift monitor arms
- 140 x 3-lever Black Team Air Tack Chairs
In addition, 400 existing desks had to be removed and broken down into component parts for recycling.
The Success
Given the scale of the project, COS collaborated closely with the customer and third-party tradesmen, holding regular toolbox meetings to maintain onsite safety and prevent any issues. Ongoing communication and frequent site visits by the COS team allowed for quick issue resolution, ensuring a smooth, efficient, and high-quality fit-out that exceeded the customer’s expectations.
The COS team worked closely with the customer’s IT and Tech department to ensure a seamless transition, with all workstations fully equipped and powered for an effortless return to the office. Despite a tight timeline and the challenge of recycling 400 existing desks, the project was completed ahead of schedule in just two and a half weeks
In the month following the fit out, the customer saw an immediate increase in employees returning to the office. The hotdesking set-up drove a steady rise in desk bookings from February onwards, with numbers remaining strong. The immediate effectiveness of the fit out also resulted in the customer’s CEO personally commended the initiative, awarding the internal team responsible for leading the project and expressing appreciation to the COS team for the expertise and execution.
“We cannot thank COS enough for their exceptional service and support during our recent desk uplift project. With extremely short notice, they stepped in and delivered both high-quality goods and skilled labour, ensuring that the project was completed seamlessly and on time. Their professionalism, efficiency, and willingness to go the extra mile were truly impressive. The entire team demonstrated outstanding responsiveness and adaptability, helping us meet our deadline without compromising on quality. Their commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction was evident throughout the entire process. Thank you again for your incredible service - we look forward to working with you in the future!”