Specification & Design FAQ
Part Two of our 4-part FAQ series is dedicated to the questions we’re asked most often about our Specification and Design services. If you missed Part One: Rendering FAQ, you can read it here. Our goal is to answer as many of your questions as possible, so if you have a question that didn’t make the list send us a message!
How much does it cost?
All projects are charged on an hourly basis, so the total cost depends on the complexity and size of your particular project. If you would like an estimate for the cost and turnaround upfront, just let us know in the early stages of communication.
What software do you use?
We use several software programs to build and specify office furniture, mostly Configura, Project Matrix, 2020 Technologies, and AutoCAD.
How quickly can you complete a project?
This depends entirely on the project itself. For small projects, we can often accommodate same-day turnaround. For larger on-going projects, we can dedicate multiple designers to help things move quicker.
What information is needed to kick off a project?
In order to get the quickest response and start date for your project, we suggest providing the following information:
- Most importantly, we need to know the deadline — by this, we don’t mean “asap” or even the absolute date your bid/project is due, we need to know the furthest out due date that the return project will be accepted.
- Project brief scope – station, office, and/or miscellaneous station and room counts and what you need from us. Providing the project name also speeds up our process of logging and starting the project.
- Do you just need the drawings now? We typically send clients the drawings for approval prior to running specifications to avoid spending hours on the projects for layouts and specs that will only change down the road.
- Do you need drawings with quick budget specs? These will not be order entry specs and should only be used as preliminary budgets, not hard numbers to quote on end users.
- Do you need drawings and order ready specifications? These specifications are ready for order entry and are complete with finishes and all options selected.
- Manufacturer and series information so we can choose the RSC designer with the most experience for your needs.
- Visuals — RSC will not commit to a project (or turn it away) sight unseen. Providing visuals enables us to accurately estimate the turnaround, cost, and number of designers needed to complete the project.
What kind of experience do your designers/specification analysts have?
Each member of our staff has years of experience working for furniture dealerships and manufacturers in their past combined with ample training upon hire at RSC. They’re incredibly familiar with the specification and design processes and, together, have extensive knowledge of all product lines.
What manufacturers can you specify?
Our team can specify hundreds of manufactures including the following major manufacturers:
Knoll, Teknion, Allsteel, Haworth, Steelcase, AIS, Kimball, Herman Miller, Inscape, and more.
Can you check a project that we built and specified ourselves?
Yes, we do provide spec checks. Simply send over the AutoCAD and BOM’s and we’ll check for accuracy and identify any errors in the drawing and spec.
Have a project that you could use some specification and design assistance with? Contact us here or upload your files for a free estimate.