When it comes to moving an office or business space, there is often some confusion surrounding the difference between furniture and fixtures and office equipment. Perhaps your office contains all of the above (furniture, fixtures, and office equipment), but you’re unsure whether FF&E services would necessarily apply to you. Read on to find out more about what constitutes FF&E and the difference between furniture and fixtures and office equipment.
Furniture, fixtures and equipment, often abbreviated to FF&E, can refer to a wide range of items that may be found in an office environment, but are not found in an office environment alone. FF&E items can be found in retail stores, hotels, restaurants and a variety of other business locations. Furniture could refer to couches and other seating in lounge areas, office desks and chairs, bar stools, bedside cabinets, clothing rails and more, depending on the setting. Fixtures might include shelving or lighting, and equipment might include printers, cash registers, telephones and more.
While the term “office equipment” could refer to some of the items mentioned above, office equipment would most likely refer to fax machines, photocopiers and other similar equipment that facilitates production in an office environment. On the other hand, staplers, paper and other inexpensive items would likely be referred to as “office supplies”.
Because FF&E items depreciate quickly, FF&E services can be beneficial to businesses in any industry that require furniture, fixtures and equipment for a set period of time, with the option to swap out FF&E for a more modern look after this period is complete. FF&E services can help keep a business looking fresh, modern and high quality without wasted investment.
As part of the FF&E process, your FF&E provider should be able to move your furniture, fixtures and equipment for you in the event of a relocation or new FF&E set up. In fact, if you choose a 3PL to provide FF&E services, your 3PL should be able to take care of shipping your FF&E items, warehousing them until needed, staging new items, and moving old FF&E out, as well as moving new FF&E in.
FF&E services are also very helpful for businesses with multiple locations that are designed to look identical. FF&E services can enable you to fit multiple locations with the same furniture, fixtures and equipment to provide a clean look of uniformity. A good 3PL team can also change out the FF&E in multiple locations in a short time frame to ensure all locations receive an updated look at the same time. This could include everything from a change in store layout, to a brand new color scheme.
We hope you now have a better understanding of the difference between furniture and fixtures and office equipment.
Beltmann Integrated Logistics is a trusted 3PL offering a wide range of FF&E services for businesses of all kinds, including those in office buildings, retail stores, restaurants, hotels, hospitals, doctors offices and hospitality venues. With broad experience, our team can be trusted to provide the best FF&E solution for your needs.
Contact Beltmann Integrated Logistics and start planning to move furniture, fixtures and office equipment today.