To learn more about purchasing furniture for the University, please explore the following resources:

1. Before You Buy Furniture provides information you'll need to begin the ordering process
2. Steelcase Overview provides information about UCSB's contract furniture vendor
3. Buying Non-Steelcase Furniture explains when you're allowed to purchase furniture from non-Steelcase vendors.

Steelcase: On September 1, 2001, the University of California finalized a new contract with Steelcase, Inc. According to the contract, the following types of steel and laminate furniture must be bought through Steelcase:

• Tables
• Chairs
• Filing cabinets
• Free standing steel and laminate desks
• Bookcases
• Paneled office systems
• Task chairs and side chairs

For UCSB, Steelcase is represented by bkm office environments, inc. They are located at 2111 Portola Road, Suite A in Ventura, and their phone number is 805.882.2120 or 805.339.6388. The initials 'bkmoe' used throughout this document represent "bkm office environments, inc.".

Selected Steelcase product lines are available at http://bkmsd.yourensync.com/ucsb while a variety of stock items can be delivered to your office within 4 days by ordering through http://www.stores.ucsb.edu/index.htm. Furniture not included in the contract can be purchased from either bkm office environments or other vendors .

Where to begin?
To order furniture on-line, please visit either http://bkmsd.yourensync.com/ucsb or http://www.stores.ucsb.edu/index.htm. For more complex orders or to discuss your needs with bkmoe, please phone 805.882.2120.

Questions?
Please call either bkm office environments at 882.2120 or Purchasing at 893.8025.

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Before You Buy Furniture

Here are some important items to consider before purchasing furniture for your office or workspace.

• Space Planning: Asking key questions can help you order furniture that's best for your workspace. Will the furniture you want fit into the space you have? What type of furniture is best for your type of work? Will you need to move your furniture in the future? You may be able to answer these questions on your own or through the bkmoe ordering process.

• Budget Planning: Matching your furniture choice with your budget can be a challenge. You'll often get the most for your money by working with a designer during the ordering process. You may work with a designer from bkmoe or another vendor, though if you use a non-bkmoe designer, you will need to work in conjunction with the Contracts Office before the designer can begin work. If you aren't sure of your budget, request a budgetary quote before obtaining an order-ready quote.

• Ergonomics: It's important to consider ergonomics, as office furniture is something you'll use every workday for a very long time. Explore this topic with your designer, bkm office environments, or explore this topic at http://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/units/ergo/ergo.html. Ergonomic products can be ordered in conjunction with, or separately from, your furniture

• UCSB Storehouse: When you need single furniture items or furniture for a small project, check the UCSB Storehouse web site http://www.stores.ucsb.edu/index.htm. The Storehouse stocks a selected supply of chairs, file cabinets, bookcases and ergonomic products for delivery to your office within 4 days.

• Furniture Quality: The quality of furniture varies among manufacturers, and cost is directly related to quality. When you buy furniture for UCSB, it must be a commercial or institutional grade so it can withstand the daily use in your workplace. Choose finishes and construction materials that will enhance the life cycle of your furniture. Avoid furniture that contains particleboard! State of California, Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation TB-133 regarding furniture construction and fabrics must be observed when buying furniture for public areas such as libraries, classrooms, and faculty or student lounges. Ask the vendor for industrial- or institutional-quality products. Home-use quality is not recommended.

• Delivery time for furniture: Check how long it will take to receive your furniture at http://bkmsd.yourensync.com/ucsb This site provides information about your specific order and when it will be delivered. If you wish to reduce delivery time, ask your bkm office environments representative about the Steelcase Express 12 program.
  

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Steelcase Overview

Steelcase Contract: On September 1, 2001, the University of California awarded the mandatory furniture contract for all UC campuses to Steelcase, Inc. Steelcase products consistently rank high in quality among major furniture manufacturers, and the contract assures UC campuses of the most competitive pricing structure and highest level of service.

Furniture types covered by the contract: When you buy steel or laminate furniture of the types listed below, the contract specifies that you must buy Steelcase products.

• Tables
• Chairs
• Filing cabinets
• Free standing steel and laminate desks
• Bookcases
• Paneled office systems
• Task chairs and side chairs

Other types of furniture can be purchased from either Steelcase or from other vendors.

Steelcase product lines are available through http://bkmsd.yourensync.com/ucsb, while a number of stock items can be delivered to your office within one week by ordering through http://www.stores.ucsb.edu/index.htm

You should be aware of these sections of the Steelcase contract:

• Delivery and installation services
• Design services
• Discounts and pricing structure
• Timetable/lead time

Other sections that may be of interest to you:

• Loaner chairs
• Problem resolution
• Reconfigurations
• Rental furniture

How to buy Steelcase furniture: If you plan to purchase furniture from Steelcase, contact bkm office environments to obtain catalogues, product literature, samples, and to discuss your needs with a company representative. You will also find information on http://bkmsd.yourensync.com/ucsb .

Mandatory agreement: Although this is a mandatory agreement, if you believe you have reason to purchase furniture covered by this contract through a vendor other than Steelcase, please contact Purchasing at 893.3001. Purchasing management will be consulted to determine whether an exception can be made.

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Steelcase Delivery and Installation Services

UC's contract furniture buyer is Steelcase, Inc., and their local vendor is bkm office environments (bkmoe). bkm office environments carries out Steelcase's contract commitments in procurement, delivery and installation:

Delivery and Installation services include:

• Receiving, inspecting and staging. bkmoe saves you time by taking care of these procedures for you.

• Processing lost or damaged claims. On full-service orders, bkmoe will process claims for lost furniture or furniture damaged during manufacturing or shipping. On product-only orders, bkmoe will assist in the claims process.

• One-step delivery and installation. bkmoe usually delivers and installs furniture in one day.

• Disposal of packing materials. bkmoe will remove all packing materials after installation.

• Product demonstrations. You will receive printed instructions for chairs and computer support tools. If you would like a demonstration of a product, just ask the bkmoe installers.

• Verifying space configuration. bkmoe installers will make sure the new furniture conforms to the workspace plans and specifications.

• Follow-up after installation. bkmoe installers create a punch list of items that may be missing, damaged or incorrect. bkmoe will then resolve each item on the punch list to ensure customer satisfaction.

• Storage. In some cases, bkmoe charges storage fees when the UCSB customer can't receive the order on the agreed upon delivery date.

  • Orders under $20,000: bkmoe will store, at no charge, furniture that arrives before the delivery date for up to 15 calendar days. You may be charged storage fees if you can't accept delivery within 15 days from the agreed-upon delivery date.

  • Orders over $20,000: bkmoe may charge monthly storage fees. Additional charges for storing and retrieving items may also apply. You may need to submit a separate purchase requisition to cover storage fees.

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Steelcase Discounts and Pricing Structure

Steelcase pricing is based on the product price in effect at the time of order, with a few exceptions that are covered by the Steelcase-UC contract. List price increases occur once a year at the most and usually don't exceed 3.5% for the entire product line. All price quotes are firm for at least 90 days.

The two tables below show how to compute discount pricing using Steelcase's discounts on various types of furniture. The first table shows the discounts when additional charges apply; the second table shows discounts when there are no additional charges.

On this first table, additional charges include:

• Design Services: 2% of list price. Design fees apply when a designer helps plan workspace design, provides budget guidance, advises with product selection, or offers other essential services.

• Installation services for projects of $50,000 or less: 6.25% of list price.

• Installation services for projects of more than $50,000: 4.5% of list price.
  

This table shows Steelcase's discounts for various types of furniture when additional charges do not apply:

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Steelcase Design Services

As part of the UC-Steelcase contract, bkm office environments provides design services that include:

• Design drawings
• Workspace planning
• Budget planning
• Verification of electrical and data connections
• Recommendations for fabric, material, color, and produce choices

To request a bkm office environments designer, please call 805.882.2120

Deciding if you need design services: When you begin the ordering process, bkm office environment's representatives will work with you to decide if you need design services for your project. If you need design services, bkmoe will include a design fee. If you don't need design services, the design fee will be waived. If you disagree with the bkmoe representative's assessment, UCSB's Materiel Manager and the bkmoe representative will discuss the situation and make a joint decision on the fee.

Design categories and charges: Design requests usually fall into one of the categories described below. Each description includes the cost of the design service when applicable:

1. Single or minor purchases that don't require a site visit: No charge
2. Projects requiring a site visit: Charged at 2% of list price of products ordered.
3. Budget assistance: Charged at 2% of list price of products ordered.
4. Large projects: Charged at 2% of list price for up to two dozen configurations and two revisions; additional revisions available at $65/hour.
5. Reconfigurations that use approximately 90% of existing furniture: Charged at $65 per hour.

You may also choose to use a non-bkm office environments (bkmoe) designer. Non-bkmoe designers must have a contract executed with the Contracts Office before they may begin work. Contact the Contracts Office or call 893.4670 for additional information. If a non-bkmoe design firm is used for Steelcase furniture, bkm office environments may charge design fees to ensure the order is ready for submission.

Please note that UCSB Purchasing does not check or guarantee the accuracy of specifications when placing furniture orders.

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Steelcase Warranty and Repair Service

bkm office environments is responsible for damage and warranty claims for Steelcase furniture. If you purchased your furniture through a non-Steelcase vendor, however, you will need to deal directly with the vendor. If you are unable to resolve the issue with the vendor, please contact the Purchasing buyer who processed the purchase order.

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Steelcase Problem Resolution

bkm office environments (bkmoe), the local Steelcase vendor, works with Steelcase, the UC system, and UCSB to resolve problems that may arise when ordering furniture.

Types of problems that may occur:

• It's difficult to schedule an appointment with a bkmoe representative.
• A bkmoe representative misses or arrives late to appointments.
• You encounter problems with scheduling deliveries or installation.
• It's difficult to connect with your bkmoe representative by phone.
• The information you have is unclear or insufficient.
• You have questions about the fees you've been charged.
• You're having difficulties returning a product.
• The bkmoe representative is not acting quickly to resolve problems such as missing parts, damaged furniture or incorrect installation.

What can you do? To resolve problems such as these, send an email to bkm office environments at ucsbsales@bkmoe.com . Include the Steelcase work order number and the UCSB purchase order number.

Send copies of the email to:

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Steelcase Timetable and Lead Time

Steelcase furniture is made to order, and normally takes a minimum of four weeks from the time you first contact bkmoe until your order is received. The timetables below assume you have acquired a work order as well as a purchase order at the appropriate times in the buying process.

• Individual items and projects for one to five workstations or offices generally require a minimum of 7 working days from the time you receive a work order number until you receive a quote. It usually takes 12 days to manufacture and ship your furniture to bkmoe, and it takes another 2-3 days to schedule and perform your installation. This results in an approximate lead-time of 4 weeks.

• Projects in excess of five workstations or offices usually require an additional 2-3 weeks of the design process and 1 additional week for installation. This results in an 8-week lead time.

• Special items and designs can add up to 4 additional weeks to your project, and should be considered carefully in your overall plans. Be sure to ask your designer if there are any unique or specially engineered items in your quote or design.

• Factors that greatly increase order timetables include:
  • Design time
  • Your department's review and approval process
  • Finish selection and review time
  • Changing your request

As the requestor, you are normally in control of these factors. Your designer can assist you in determining the lead -time.

Questions? If you have questions regarding the Steelcase contract, products or purchasing process, please contact bkm office environments at 805.882.2120 or Purchasing at 893.3001.

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Buying Non-Steelcase Furniture

When you buy steel or laminate furniture of the types listed below, the contract specifies that you must buy Steelcase products. This agreement is based on a commitment to use their products exclusively, and purchases at any dollar level may be made without seeking competition.

Furniture types covered by the contract:

• Tables
• Chairs
• Filing cabinets
• Free standing steel and laminate desks
• Bookcases
• Paneled office systems
• Task chairs and side chairs

Furniture not covered by the contract can be purchased from either bkm office environments or from other vendors. Examples include furniture for lounges, patios, and departmental libraries. If you are able to purchase non-Steelcase furniture, please follow the steps on How to Buy Furniture from a Non-Steelcase Vendor.

The vendors listed here have negotiated University Price Schedules with the University of California, and are not to be used in lieu of competition. These are not mandatory contracts, but vendors who offer discount pricing to the University of California.

Vendors listed below have provided furniture-related goods and services to UCSB in the past. This listing is not intended as an endorsement by UCSB.

Tip: When buying furniture for UCSB, it must be a commercial or institutional grade so that it can withstand the daily use of the workplace. Choose finishes and construction materials that will enhance the life cycle of your furniture. Avoid furniture that contains particleboard! State of California, Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation TB-133 regarding furniture construction and fabrics must be observed when buying furniture for public areas such as libraries, classrooms, and faculty or student lounges. Ask the vendor for industrial- or institutional-quality products. Home-use quality is not recommended.

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How to Buy Furniture From Non-Contract Vendors

You can only buy certain types of furniture from vendors other than Steelcase. These non-contract vendors can only provide furniture for lounges, patios, and departmental libraries.

Before beginning the process outlined below, please review Before You Buy Furniture and Buying Furniture from a Non-Steelcase Vendor.

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Miscellaneous

Delivery and Storage: You will need to decide when and where you want your non-Steelcase furniture delivered. If you are purchasing a small amount of furniture, the vendor may be able to deliver it directly to your department; if you have a loading dock in your building, then the vendor may be able to deliver directly to your dock. Otherwise, furniture will have to be delivered to the loading dock in Central Receiving. When furniture is delivered to Central Receiving, you will need to arrange for Furniture Services to deliver the furniture to your department. Phone Jeff Goldmann at x2732 to arrange for delivery. Please remember your department will be recharged for this delivery. Note that Central Receiving cannot store your furniture for more than several days.

When can a low value number be used: Departments may NOT use a low value to purchase furniture from non-Steelcase vendors. All non-Steelcase furniture purchases must be done via a high value purchase requisition. To facilitate the ordering process, please submit your requisition through REx (Requisition Express System). Departments risk losing their low value purchase authorization if it's used to buy non-Steelcase furniture.

Furniture Quotes: When buying furniture for your department, you may receive three types of quotes: budgetary, order-ready, and revision. The following explains each type of quote:

• Budgetary quotes provide an estimate of the cost for furniture. You can use a budgetary quote to make decisions relating to a furniture purchase. You may choose to use such a quote to request funds or reallocated existing funds. This quote doesn't usually include detailed workspace planning, drawings, or furniture choices. Furniture designers usually provide budgetary quotes at no charge, but you must ask specifically for this type of quote.

• Order-ready quotes usually include a charge (for example, 2% of the cost of the project for Steelcase orders). When you know your budget guidelines and have chosen the types of furniture, finishes, and fabrics you want, a designer will create an order-ready quote. This type of quote usually includes drawings and an itemized list of products to be purchased, including details on fabrics and finishes. A copy of the order ready quote is faxed to Purchasing at the same time the requisition is created in REx.

• Revision quotes include major and minor revisions of an order-ready quote. Major revisions require the designer to produce new drawings, but minor revisions don't. If you're ordering furniture from bkmoe, UCSB's Steelcase contract furniture vendor, you may request up to two major revisions at no charge. bkmoe and most other furniture vendors charge additional design fees for more than two major revisions.

Hiring a designer: Departments often want assistance with space planning, furniture selection and design. Designers and design firms must have an executed contract in place with the UCSB Contracts Office before beginning work. Complete a Request for Services (LINK) form and send it to the Contracts Office at least two week's prior to the service begin date. The Contract's Office web site has additional information about this process. Designers must submit the furniture information in an accurate, order-ready format, as this information will be attached to the purchase order and will not be checked by anyone in Purchasing.

Lead-time: The larger the order, the more lead-time Purchasing requires. Non-Steelcase purchases in excess of $50,000 must be bid like any other commodity. Specifications must be developed in detail and vendors must be given adequate time to respond to the Request for Quotation (RFQ).

Please contact Randy Stoskopf at 893-3001 or randall.stoskopf@purc.ucsb.edu to discuss the lead-time necessary to process your order. He will provide assistance throughout the bidding and ordering process; please contact him as soon as you know a project is in the pipeline.

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