The Laboratory’s Interior Furnishings program recently revamped its Web page to improve the ordering of office furnishings and products.
Lab employees can use Web tools available at ipsr.lanl.gov online to facilitate the ordering of office furnishings and products through the Web site. The Web page is accessible from the Lab’s home page in the “Services” directory. The site requires smartcard authentication for access.
For jobs totaling more than $50,000, or jobs for more than six new work stations, the Interior Furnishings program, part of the Space and Site Management (SSMO) Office, will develop the procurement documents needed to purchase products or services.The program has competed about a dozen projects in the 2005 fiscal year, said Pat Nelson, Interior Furnishings program team leader (SSMO-SMFP).
“We have proven that the competitive process brings the best value for products and services to the Laboratory,” said Nelson. “Our role is to work with the requestor to clarify design, perform quality reviews and verify that the vendor quotes meet customer requirements. We are planning on expanding our scope to assist customers with the coordination of installations, the disposal or reuse of used furniture, and the coordination of any crafts such as painters, electricians or carpenters.”
For jobs less than $50,000, Lab employees can order basic office furniture by selecting the “Furniture Online Catalog.” Buying the furniture from the catalog is similar to purchasing it from any other catalog, except that all the manager authorities and approvals must be in place, said Nelson. Some products will be expedited to local vendors as the pricing has been preset. Once the employee reviews and submits his or her Interior Planning Service Request form for accuracy, the employee will receive a confirmation email with a project number. Any queries regarding that order can be directed to ipsr@lanl.gov by electronic mail.
Employees can still submit the older version of an IPSR form for special product or design assistance located at the same Web site.
The new Web site also will offer items that are in stock, new or slightly used items as part of a furniture reuse program. Last year, the Laboratory saved more than $533,000 by reusing office furniture, Nelson said. “If an office needs an item but doesn’t have the funds, we can place them on a list in case that item becomes available,” Nelson said. To be placed on the reuse list, write to pan@lanl.gov or pablot@lanl.gov by electronic mail identifying what is needed.
The furnishings Web site also links to the Lab’s ergonomics home page. The Interior Furnishings program works closely with the Laboratory’s ergonomics program to align the ergonomics demo room with the products in its catalog. This will support the ability to “try-before-buy,” potentially reducing the procurement of un-useable product, Nelson explained. The ergonomics program offers a more extensive range of office accessories that are available through the JIT program or the Lab’s purchase card program. These items have been pre-approved for procurement. The ergonomics home page is located at http://int.lanl.gov/safety/ergonomics/ online.
Beginning in the 2006 fiscal year, which started Oct. 1, there is a 20 percent recharge placed on every order for products and services rendered. In the past, the interior furnishings program had been funded from the institutional infrastructure budget. Senior management decided that in fiscal year 2006, the program should be supported instead through recharge, Nelson said.
“Our goal is to improve customer service by providing more focused service while maintaining the technical interface between the requestor, local vendors, procurement and the manufacturers,” Nelson said.
