Interior Design
Our FF&E Procurement Process
When it comes to acquiring your project’s FF&E, the process might seem confusing and complicated. But it doesn’t have to be! Sure, it’s complex, but we can help you get there. With the right team and interior designer at your side, the FF&E procurement process can be simple — even fun!
July 28, 2022
When does FF&E procurement happen? Maybe the better question is how does the FF&E procurement process happen?
The basics are these: we design your space, we give you a quote for things we’re going to purchase on your behalf, you approve the quote and put down a deposit for purchasing, we purchase and track all deliverables then schedule their installation, you provide final payment, and, finally, we install!
Happy client, happy space, happy us.
Let’s break down the FF&E procurement process even more.
Purchasing and procurement isn’t just a one-and-done kind of phase. It spans the length of your project, from design through install and project closeout.
Design
During design, we actually design your spaces. This may include custom pieces or a curated collection of furniture, fixtures, or accessories. During this phase, we present ideas to you with visions and selections for your project
Quote
Based on the items decided on during the design, we compile custom quotes and costs to come up with the procurement estimate for your project and we send this off to you for approval. Our industry “ins” mean we’re often able to negotiate or use existing industry discounts, which we’re able to pass along to you!
Purchase
After you’ve approved the quotes for the items to be purchased, we require a deposit to move ahead with purchasing the items. With the deposit, our team lines up your purchases and gets all your items ordered, confirms payments, and compiles lead times so we can keep tabs on all the items as they are processed.
Track
Once your orders are placed, we get serious about tracking their expected lead times. Throughout the duration of procurement, we monitor your pieces. We track materials and coordinate fabrication completion dates, then we monitor shipping and freight on boats, planes, trains, and trucks to make sure we stay up to date on where your pieces are and when your pieces are expected to arrive.
A lot can happen during this phase (hello, have you heard of the Suez Canal?), and we keep on top of it. Through this process, we monitor items that become unavailable or indefinitely delayed. If something becomes a red flag item, we let you know and provide solutions for your review. Possibly, this means choosing a different color in stock, a complete reselection, or maybe just waiting a little longer.
In addition to tracking finished products, our team also monitors the parts and pieces to make custom items. For example, for a custom ottoman, maybe there are two different fabrics and really cool legs you sourced from India. Well, our team will make sure all those pieces arrive to the workroom and then monitor the workroom to ensure they start your project in real-time when they have the materials they need to proceed.
Schedule
In addition to tracking (and often at the same time), our team will work to schedule installation on your project. Depending on the size of your project, our team will work to install all at once or in phases, either per arrival time to the storage warehouse or by room completion. Of course, all of this is discussed with you to make the most sense for your project and timeline.
Install
This is the fun part. Your goods arrive! Most of our projects will get delivered to our warehouse. Our friendly warehouse partners will provide white glove install and unpack, assemble, and remove packaging waste to your project.
Your project team can also be onsite for installation if requested, and can also provide contacts for art hanging, and other specialty items as well!
Closeout
After we install, we finish our reconciliation and collect the remaining cost for purchased items. And you’re all set!
That’s it! Our goal is to provide great customer service and have you super happy! There is a lot of uncertainty in this industry, and we want to create a project / product that we can all be proud of, in not only the end result but also in the journey!
FF&E Procurement is an awesome service we provide that helps take the stress out of purchasing so you can focus on more important things — like how amazing your project is turning out!
Learn more about Board & Vellum’s FF&E Procurement Services
What is FF&E Procurement?
We pride ourselves on always finding new and better ways to help you get the most out of your project. FF&E Procurement is one of the ways we can do that. Learn more about our FF&E Procurement services and some of the unexpected benefits of having us lead the process in, What is FF&E Procurement?.
