It was not Wegman Company’s first major installation project for the client furniture dealer. But it was the dealer’s first project for the end user, a global law firm that has been on Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For list every year since 2005.
With the management of both companies closely watching it, this was not a job that anyone wanted to see go sideways. Yet it could have happened were it not for the project management skills, on-site problem solving expertise and all-around adaptability that Wegman Company brought to bear.
Wegman Company is the Facilities Services Network member serving greater Cincinnati, Dayton and Columbus, Oh., Louisville and Lexington, Ky., Indianapolis, In. and Charleston, W.V. from its operational base in downtown Cincinnati.
GeographyLexington, Kentucky.
Project Environment2 floors totaling 75,000 sq ft in a newly constructed suburban building.
Time Frame for Field Work8 weeks.
ManpowerTypically, 8 installers per day with a normal 8-hour work day and occasional
10-hour shifts to counter construction delays.
Installed Product200 workstations, some Allsteel DNA, some Allsteel Stride Benching. 20 private offices featuring Stride Desking with customized components. 5 Allsteel Merge conference rooms and 10 huddle rooms plus Allsteel Relate seating, files and ancillary.
Management TeamHeath Carrier, account managerJeremy Myers, project managerKurt Cosmik, lead installer
Project Overview
The project site was the law firm’s headquarters, in Lexington. Wegman’s mission was to receive on site and install the product sets for 200 workstations, 20 private offices (10 per floor), 5 conference rooms, 10 huddle rooms and file banks. The scope of work was subsequently expanded to include on-site custom carpentry required to create false modesty panels for the file banks.
Some of the workstations were made from the Allsteel DNA line, others consisted of Allsteel Stride Benching components. The private offices were composed of Allsteel Stride Desking with some custom components. The conference rooms feature Allsteel Merge. The seating is Allsteel Relate.
The installation project was on a firm 8-week schedule.
Challenges
- Construction delays had wide-ranging impacts on Wegman Company’s work throughout the project. The Wegman management team remained on high alert throughout the project to resolve and, whenever possible, anticipate these impacts.
- Work being done by other trades above the ceilings presented the particular problem of how to build workstations while avoiding the inevitable dirt and debris falling from above. The Wegman team met this challenge by developing a staging, installation and protection process which saved the customer money by eliminating the need for off-site storage while protecting the customer’s furniture investment.
- With construction producing physical changes to the job site on virtually a daily basis, the Wegman crew was continually changing their work plan and searching for even the smallest efficiencies to help speed the installation work. Inefficient routes and longer-than-expected pushes were many times unavoidable.
- Delayed completion of elevators frequently necessitated unplanned stair carries of product.
- Incorrectly laid carpet that had to be redone caused the Wegman team to do unexpected tear downs and rebuilds.
- Delayed window installations and issues with the painting were other hurdles to be dealt with.
Outcome and Feedback
Noting the working conditions, delays, setbacks and daily hurdles that Wegman Company had overcome, the client dealer’s team expressed appreciation that all steps of the installation had been completed on or ahead of established deadlines. Additionally, they complimented the Wegman project team on the quality of the crew, the quality of craftsmanship and the final outcome of the installation.
Representatives of the architectural firm were similarly complimentary. They said they had not seen such performance under such trying conditions from any other installation group they had worked with.
1 Comment
Great article! I must say, reading this article makes me even prouder of our amazing team of experts! One of resounding comments I hear from our installers is their sense of pride and feeling of accomplishment after an install. Projects such as this one that are filled with the numerous challenges and hurdles this project threw at us, makes me appreciate even more the difference it makes when you have the experience and expertise level our installation teams bring every day to our jobs.
When we’re brought to the table with our partners from the start, we promise to deliver success to our projects and for our customers.