Free Office Spring Cleaning Check Up

As Martha Stewart says, “there are few rites of spring more satisfying than the annual clean.”

For companies, however, the pleasure is part of an ongoing process of making sure the business environment allows for maximum productivity.

Your spring cleaning may never become effortless, but with Office Space Solutions services you can make the project more manageable –  and even enjoyable.

Let us give you a free spring cleaning check up.  Our services include:

• Clean Up
• Space Planning
• Cubical Cleaning and Moving
• Storage
• Phone and Computer Wiring
• Maintenance Tips and Tricks

We employ certified experts and office space professionals at very reasonable prices.  Let us walk the property with you and discuss ideas on how we might be able to assist you with your spring cleaning.  There is no obligation or risk so give us a call at 480-325-5555 to schedule your free inspection today.

ROC #217516

Voice & Data Cabling Terms & Definitions

• 10Base T: IEEE 802.3 Ethernet LAN standard, with data on CAT 3 or Cat 5 twisted-pair (TP) wiring, with a data rate of Mbps.

• 100Base T: IEEE 802.3 Ethernet LAN standard, with data on CAT 5 twisted-pair wiring, with data rate of 100 Mbps.
• AC: Alternating Current. All electrical outlets in a home operate at 120V, 60Hz.
• Amplifier: An active electronic device to increase the amplitude of a signal.
• Analog: An analog signal is a waved-shaped signal that represents information in a continuously variable and directly measurable physical quantity, such as voltage. The standard telephone signal is an analog signal.
• Attenuator: A passive device to reduce the amplitude of a signal.
• AWG: American Wire Gauge. AWG is the standard gauge for measuring the diameter of copper, aluminum and other conductors.
• Baseband Video: Raw video signal video source (e.g. camera or VCR). Typically appears at a yellow phone jack labeled “Video”.
• Broadband Video: Modulated video signal. Usually comes from an antenna or CATV feed and contains many channels. Also applies to output of modulators. Typically carried on coax cable and connects to F-connector labeled “CATV/Antenna”.
• Cat 5, 5e & 6: Category 5, 5e & 6 is a performance class for cables, jumper cables, jacks, connectors and interconnection components. The performance level and testing is specified in the EIS/TIA 568A commercial wiring standard.
• CATV: Community Antenna Television, commonly referred to as cable TV, is a TV signal received over a cable.
• CCTV: Closed Circuit Television, such as a security or safety camera.
  
• CEBus: Consumer Electronics Bus, a residential consumer product communications standard developed by the Electronics Industry Association (EIA).

• Coax: Coaxial cable. A center conductor is surrounded by a dielectric, a shield and an outer insulator. The signal is unbalanced, and the shield provides noise immunity. General used for broadband TV transmission.
• Digital: Information that is encoded in a series of “1”s and “0”s.
• DBS: Digital Broadcast Satellite.
• Decibel (dB): a logarithmic ratio used to indicate signal strength. Gains and losses expressed in dB should be added and subtracted (not multiplied)
• HVAC: Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning.
• Insertion Loss: The loss of signal die to attenuation or power splitting through a passive device.
• IR: Infrared, commonly used by remote controls.
• ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network, residential or commercial digital telephone service.
• Jack: The female connector, usually mounted in a faceplate or on equipment. Accepts a plug.
• Jumper Cord: A short, connectorized cable, which interconnects two jacks, e.g. from equipment to a wall plate.
• LAN: Local Area Network. The most common LAN today is the 10baseT network.
• Mbps: Megabits (millions of bits) Per Second.
• NIU: Network Interface Unit (or NID: Network Interface Device). A small box, usually mounted on the outside wall of the house, which is the boundary between the phone (or cable) company wiring and the house wiring. Also called the demarcation point.
• Off-Air TV: Broadcast Television received by an antenna.
• Plug: A male connector, usually on a cable. Plugs into a jack.
• POTS: Plain Old Telephone Service. Also referred to as “analog” telephone service. Includes voice, fax, and modem.
• T568A: Designation for the pin assignments in a modular jack. Most appropriate for use in the residence.
• TP: Twisted-Pair Wire. A twisted pair consist of two insulated copper wires twisted together. Cat 5 cable is 4 twisted pairs in a common sheath. The twisted provide balance and noise immunity. Generally used for analog voice and digital data (LAN) transmission.
• UTP: Unshielded twisted pair.

How to donate used office furniture

If remodeling existing office space, selling your business or moving to a new location, you should consider donating old or gently used office furniture to a charitable organization instead of throwing the furniture pieces away. Local charitable organizations may use the furniture in their offices or sell the furniture for a small profit to other businesses in need of office furniture. Office furniture donations are tax-deductible and reduce the amount of waste in landfills.

1. Conduct a google search or use the yellow pages to contact local or national charitable organizations to determine if they accept office furniture donations. National charitable organizations that accept office furniture donations include the Muscular Dystrophy Association, the Salvation Army, Goodwill Industries International and iloveschools.com.

2. Contact the charity to determine drop-off times as many charities only accept donations during regular business hours. Some charities provide free removal of donated items. Make an appointment to drop-off office furniture or make an appointment for pick-up of items.

3. Inspect all office furniture before donating items to charity. Remove all dust, dirt and other debris from desk tops and tables. Inspect chairs to ensure arms, back rests or wheels work properly. Open and close drawers, check for loose hardware and inspect the furniture for holes in the upholstery.

4. Place extra hardware, screws, nails and other items that came with the furniture in a bag. Let those taking the furniture know that these pieces exist.

5. Ask for a receipt when donating office furniture if claiming the donation as a business tax deduction.

6. Do not donate overly damaged or broken office furniture as these pieces are of no use to the charitable organization. Many organizations provide guidelines for donating slightly damaged or scratched items.

Modular Furniture – “Talk of the Trade”

Whether you are purchasing and installing new modular office furniture or re-configuring existing furniture you may run across some new terms or “Talk of the Trade” industry specific terms and definitions.

OSS has prepared the simple glossary below to make sure you have the “furniture speak” jargon down.

 

Useful Terms:

Assemble Furniture – The process of building furniture from separate components by a professional office furniture installer.

CAD Drawing – Computer-Aided Design (CAD) or computer-aided design and drafting (CADD) is the production of drawings, specifications, and other design-related elements using special graphics and computer programs. CAD drawings are often used for creating floor plans and furniture systems layouts.

Case Goods – Pre-assembled units which are joined together on-site with metal plates and/or fasteners by an office furniture installer.

Cubicle – Small self-contained workspace separated by wall panels. Cubicles can provide audio, visual, informational and territorial privacy to occupants.

Disassembly – Dismantling of existing systems furniture, modular workstations, wall paneling and cubicles into its components. See Also: Teardown.

External Move – Is usually an office relocation that involves trucking services between different buildings.

Furniture Installers – Typically a uniformed Furniture expert who has been certified and/or trained to install, assemble, disassemble, reconfigure, relocate or repair all types of furniture.

Furniture Reconfiguration – Dismantling existing office furniture into its parts and reassembling the components into new arrangements for changing personnel needs.

Glides – Small adjustable feet found at the bottom of panels, desks and workstations used for leveling.

Internal Move – Relocation within an office or within a building.

Knocked Down – (KD) Flat-packed office furniture requiring full assembly by an office furniture installer.

Modular Office Furniture – Office furniture units that can be rearranged or combined in different configurations.

Office Furniture Reconfiguration – Disassembling and reassembling, modifying, systems office furniture for accommodating changing personnel, space and technology needs.

Office Furniture Services – Usually offered by full-service installation companies which may include office furniture consultation, installation, disassembly, reconfiguration, repair, maintenance, refurbishing and relocation.

Office Panel Systems – Provide the support for the work surface, house electrical and data cables and enhance the aesthetics of the work space environment. Office panels also provide visual, acoustical and informational privacy. See also: Wall Panel Systems.

Panel Cart – Specialized piece of moving equipment used to transport disassembled work surfaces, modular workstation panels, conference tables and white boards.

Panel Cleaning – Process that maintains wall panels with specialized cleaning equipment.

Reconfiguration – Dismantling existing office furniture into its parts and reassembling the components into new arrangements for changing personnel needs.

Stair Carry – Labor intensive commercial delivery, internal move or external move that involves carrying loads up or down stairs.

Teardown – Dismantling of existing systems furniture, modular workstations, wall paneling and cubicles into its parts. See Also: Disassembly.

Walk Through – When a project coordinator is invited on-site to gather detailed information on a client’s furniture installation or relocation needs. This is usually done for submitting a bid or job estimation.

Wall Mounting – Attaching display boards etc. and securing bookcases and shelving to office walls to provide a functional and safe work place environment.

Wall Panel Systems – Provide the support for the work surface, house electrical and data cables and enhance the aesthetics of the work space environment. Office panels also provide visual, acoustical and informational privacy. See also: Office Panel Systems.

Workstation – A self-contained work area usually comprising of a work surface, free-standing or attached modular wall panels and storage.

Relocation Planning Guide – 6 Step Checklist

The relocation planning process usually begins with a review of the existing lease, notice period and your current obligations and liabilities.

Next,  a clear understanding at the outset of your basic strategic and operational requirements will make the whole moving office process go more smoothly – and save time.

 

We’ll save some of the technical considerations  for later.  But first you might consider;

 

• Where you want to move
• How much space you need; when you need to be in by
• What key features you need your new office to have
• What are your business objectives (including growth plan)
• What type and length of lease you want

Putting together the right project team is critical and should include people who will help facilitate all aspects of the move.   The project leader should be put in charge of the move process as soon as the decision to move office has been made.

STEP 1:  Start early:

There’s a lot to do, so the earlier you start, the greater the chance of achieving the smooth move.   You should start reviewing your options 9 – 18 months prior to your lease expiration regardless of whether you are considering renewing, renegotiation or relocation. It is vital that you allow enough lead-time to increase the amount of leverage and competition between the various options, which can result in substantial savings for you.

STEP 2:  Create a realistic budget:

Creating a realistic office move budget is a critical planning tool that will help you assess your costs and manage them throughout the process.

STEP 3:  Engage the right office move professionals:

The whole moving office process can be complex, stressful and time-consuming.  After people costs, property costs are most companies’ next biggest expenditure. The decisions you make will have an impact on your company’s profitability. Working with the right professional team is the single biggest must-do for any company thinking of moving office. They will guide you through the process, save you money in the long run and also make sure you don’t make any critical mistakes.

STEP 4:  Don’t sign any lease documents without getting legal advice:

Your Property Solicitor will likely negotiate the detail of the lease documentation to minimize your exposure to potential liabilities, and subsequently, to advise you on the implications of the detailed terms in the final documents to ensure you are aware of your ongoing responsibilities.

STEP 5:  Good Internal Communication:

Change can be unsettling for staff and this can certainly be the case with an office move. At the same time as the office move process is going on, your company has to continue to run its business and focus on its existing workload and commitments. However, moving office is a great opportunity to affect positive change management, improvement in business performance, increased morale and momentum. Externally, there are many moving parts to an office move and you need to ensure that everyone involved in the project is regularly updated, especially if there are any changes. If you keep the lines of communication open to all interested parties, internal and external, your office move will have a much greater chance of success.

STEP 6:  Take advantage of the opportunity:

Clear out old files and purge all storage areas of unneeded items prior to moving. Also consider scanning any documents no longer needed in hard copy (remember to dispose of unwanted files securely). Secure storage and/or archiving of documentation is a flexible, safe and cost-effective solution to free up valuable and more costly office space. It can be accessed at any time by arrangement and provides excellent off-site backup for damage limitation in case of fire or other disaster.

You should also take the opportunity to consider the following:·

• Upgrading – Moving your office is an opportunity to update to modern, efficient and space-saving equipment;
• Review existing suppliers – Moving office can provide a trigger for renewing/switching supplier contracts on favorable terms.

At Office Space Solutions we have assisted hundreds of companies reduce their moving stress and enjoy a worry free move.   Contact us today to discuss the details of our office relocation services.