Furniture & Furnishings
Corporate·Initial Outfitting (C·IO) embraces……
“a growing body of work that examines the relationship between the physical environment, human responses, and consequent outcomes. Evidence-based design (EBD)—or the process of basing decisions about the built environment on credible research to achieve the best possible outcomes is being used by a growing field of healthcare architects, practitioners, researchers, and administrators to better understand the impacts of the healthcare environment on healthcare outcomes, including patient safety outcomes.”
“Objects, such as furniture, require careful EBD research to fully understand the role those objects play in realizing desired organizational and staff outcomes. FF&E will be bought and replaced multiple times during the 30-year-plus-lifetime of most facilities. Industry demands much from these common objects, ranging from embodying an organization’s brand, providing patient comfort and support during stressful times, enabling staff to work efficiently and safely as a team, and perhaps most importantly, not contributing to staff and organizational harm.”
“Facility managers, designers, and others charged with the responsibility of recommending furniture purchase options for c-suite approval face a dizzying assortment of choices, complicating the furniture evaluation and selection process. First-time costs frequently dictate furniture selection that overlooks facility life cycle costs and organizational performance improvement goals.”
C·IO assist healthcare leaders in making informed furniture investment decisions to improve healthcare outcomes across the furniture lifecycle. Our project teams utilize a comprehensive EBD checklist as a communication tool to stimulate discussions among design team members healthcare leaders, administrators and facility managers.
“Furniture and furnishings typically, include the more common objects, such as chairs, sofas, tables, systems, built-in furniture and artwork; it does not include the patient bed (which has become more equipment-like) or carts that support medical procedures.”
Our team facilitates strategic planning and programming, through design, and during operations for all types of healthcare facilities by:
Examining existing facility furniture for life expectancy
Working with healthcare facility infection control and safety committees
Developing furniture standards
Conducting return-on-investment analysis
Working with interior designers to develop proposed furniture solutions, room layouts and product specifications
Evaluating manufacturer product specifications, brochures and websites
Meeting with manufacturers and furniture dealers to evaluate their furniture
Developing contract specifications for furniture & furnishings purchase
Completing post-occupancy evaluations
Medical Equipment and Low Voltage Systems
Corporate·Initial Outfitting (C·IO) understands that……“advanced medical equipment technology is being utilized in every corner of the hospital, early planning and end-user input is imperative with regard to it’s integration during construction”.
“Due to it’s complexity and the interdependence of dozens of systems and components, technology integration requires a thoughtfully developed and carefully executed strategy. Even with a growing trend toward standardization and open platforms, there are still many compatibility challenges to address in advance”.
“Medical equipment and low-voltage technology systems involve the transfer of data, audio and video, and include a wide range of applications: telemedicine, operating room integration, patient entertainment, nurse communication systems, patient monitoring, staff and asset tracking, security, RFID and dozens of others”.
“Technology planning that is too late and not well-organized can cost a project enormous time and money, as well as frustrate the entire team”.
To ensure a smooth technology integration, any new or renovated facility project will benefit greatly from our comprehensive medical equipment planning. C·IO’s medical equipment planning professionals recognize that user input is critical to success……
“The healthcare facility reaps huge benefits from incorporating the voices of nurses and other end users in the design process, including fewer change orders, improved clinical morale, and better workflow and patient experiences. Based on information gathered from vision-casting sessions and user-group meetings, levels of need will emerge as “must have,” “should have” and “would like to have”. This process includes examining existing infrastructure to determine if it can be kept and expanded for use in the new construction. This is a good time for the medical facility to identify preferred vendors — those the facility already knows well and would like to work with. The budget is refined based on the levels of need. What initially started as a “would like to have” item might get placed in a future capital project to make room for more “must have” items”.
C·IO will distribute request for proposals and procure the required commodities or prepare procurement packages enabling the healthcare facility to purchase from vendors directly. C·IO’s knowledge of the marketplace will provide value here, because we have experience working with a broad field of vendors. Our project team will……
“Ensure all vendors are able to work with each other, it is critical that everyone understands the importance of collaborative technology. All vendors must be collaborative and work as a team with the shared goal of a successful project”.
Finally, C·IO will review bids, conduct vendor interviews, direct contract negotiations, consider warranties, end-user education and training for medical equipment and technology vendors. Our project teams will conduct site visits during construction, effectively manage requests for information and ensure efficient communication with the construction teams to avoid expensive change orders. These key steps are crucial to ensure that medical equipment and technology systems meet the needs of staff and patients.
Industrial Equipment
Our expertise in project management of material flow systems and automated storage and retrieval systems……“reduce project risks by integrating technology, providing functional expertise and experience to identify problems and engineer solutions. Enabling systems and solutions to perform seamlessly when change is a constant churn is no easy task”.
That's why companies are embracing Corporate·Initial Outfitting’s (C·IO’s) experience in project integration as a value-added solution to their industrial equipment requirements…… “Project integration management is key in the context of technology deployment, data validation and business process changes”.
“Material flow systems are designed for driving, sorting and disbursing goods in an efficient manner so your team can achieve your throughput goals. Conveyors play an essential role in material flow throughout your facility. C·IO’s project team has the experience and knowledge to integrate the conveyor solution best suited for your needs on time and within budget.
“Automated Guided Vehicles have enhanced the material handling process of manufacturers around the globe by creating a safer work environment, by reducing material and facility damage, improved accuracy levels, reduced operating costs while also increasing productivity. AGV’s operate free ranging which provides flexibility as the vehicles are not restricted to a specific route but can transverse spaces by means of any route”.
“Most businesses that incorporate large-load automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) store and handle full pallet loads moving at high volumes in and out of a distribution center or manufacturing plant. But other business types may also benefit from the solution. Large-load AS/RS solutions are suitable for products requiring tight security, such as pharmaceuticals and biomedical shipments, or climate control, such as frozen goods; and uniform/stable loads that do not require frequent operator attention”.
“Automated storage & retrieval systems are dynamic storage and retrieval systems that optimize your storage space and increase your productivity. The horizontal carousel is a reliable solution for warehouses, distribution centers, hospitals and more”.
“For nearly 100 years, the vertical carousel has been satisfying the needs of clients around the globe. Vertical carousels consist of shelves that rotate up or down via the shortest path, automatically delivering items to an ergonomically positioned pick window”.
“The Vertical Lift Module (VLM) is one of the leading vertical storage systems available in today’s market. The vertical lift module (VLM) consist of two columns of trays in the front and rear with a robotic inserter/extractor operating in the center delivering trays to an ergonomic work counter using an integrated controller and/or software. From hardware to electrical components to finished goods, the vertical lift module (VLM) provides a fast, efficient storage and retrieval solution”.
We pride ourselves on providing cost effective, reliable and ergonomic lifting solutions for your facilities material handling needs. Often integrated with an Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS) such as a Vertical Lift Module (VLM) our cranes promote operator safety while allowing your facility to store and retrieve heavy items in a fast and efficient process.