Ask a Designer, Custom Residential, Interior Design
What is FF&E Procurement?
If you’re working with an interior designer, you may be wondering how you’re going to acquire all the amazing items they’re helping you select for your space. We have the answer: FF&E Procurement. It’s one of the many ways we work to help you get the most out of your project!
July 21, 2022
What is FF&E procurement and purchasing? The very simple answer is: we purchase stuff and deliver it to you. The more complicated answer is that procurement is a service we provide to help you get the most out of your project by taking on, on your behalf, the many complex logistics that go along with procuring, shipping, delivering, and installing the fixtures, furniture, and accessories that complete your space.
I bet you are thinking “Well goodness, I can do that!” And, in some cases, of course, you can! But there are a lot of things that go into procurement and purchasing that I bet you are not thinking of, and a lot of benefits to having help to do it, as well. Let’s boil it down.
What happens during FF&E procurement?
The process of procurement actually starts before the procurement phase begins. While your project is in its design phases, we use our network of trusted collaborators and retail partners to identify and select the right source for your products.
After we’ve sourced the products right for your project, the procurement phase begins. We gather quotes, make purchases on your behalf, process payments, track all receipts of purchases, monitor shipping, confirm delivery, observe delivered goods for quality and damages, and can help you negotiate returns, if needed.
We maintain close relationships with designer-only brands, showrooms, fabricators, manufacturers, and more to make sure we can find exactly what you’re looking for at a price point that fits your budget. Many of these connections are only available through your design team, so the route you go for procurement will impact the types of products we’re able to specify for your project.
If you’d prefer to do procurement on your own, we’ll prioritize specifying products from retail sellers you’ll have easy access to. On the other hand, when we provide procurement services, we dig into our deep well of collaborators to give you access to products you might not otherwise be able to use. We are also able to use and negotiate industry discounts that allow us to pass along savings to you.
What are the benefits of letting us help you with FF&E procurement?
Maybe you’re still wondering why you can’t just do this all yourself. Well, in addition to the awesome benefits just mentioned, there are some other cool ways we’re able to provide great value to your project by taking on purchasing and procurement.
Custom Design
Because of our industry connections, we can bring that extra level of design to your project, with access to custom pieces made just for you and your space.
Say we have built in a banquette for your eat-in dining nook, and you want to add in a cushion for some comfort and softness to the space. We have relationships with workrooms and fabricators who do this all the time. They ask us questions, and we know the answers: welt, tufting, foam content, dimensions, railroad the fabric or back it, and the list continues.
Most workrooms are only open to the trade, so working with us gives you the opportunity to work with expert craftspeople you may not have been able to utilize otherwise. Once we work through all the details to make the piece just right, we send you a quote for us to purchase.
One of a Kind
Our access to lots of resources and vendors not available to the average consumer means we scour vintage sites, one-of-a-kind sources, and have alliances to local and global artisans. What this means for you is really, really cool stuff you can’t get anywhere else!
While most of this selecting occurs during the design phases, a lot of these items are, again, only available to those of us in the trade. So, without a resale and purchasing department, these items are only available through us, your friendly design advocates.
Economy of Scale
When did the world get so complex? In general, the larger the project the more complicated it is and, therefore, the easier it is for our team to navigate procurement and purchasing versus the average homeowner or client.
We’ve created systems that help us track and compile all your items. We assume the last thing that you want to do on your Saturday morning or weekday night is scour emails from vendors for confirmation and status updates. Letting us do that for you is one of the many ways an interior designer can help so you can spend your time thinking about something else.
Onsite Coordination
We are problem solvers! We love to be onsite and navigate your installation and placement. Once your install comes around, we get excited about putting the final touch on your space and are happy to be onsite to make sure all your purchased items look great, get placed just so, and make your space really sing!
FF&E Procurement is an awesome service we provide that helps take the stress out of purchasing so you can focus on more important things — like how amazing your project is turning out!
Learn more about Board & Vellum’s FF&E Procurement Services
Our FF&E Procurement Process
Now that you know what it is, how exactly does it work? When it comes to acquiring your project’s FF&E, the process might seem confusing and complicated. But it doesn’t have to be! Sure, it’s complex, but we can help you get there. With the right team and interior designer at your side, the FF&E procurement process can be simple — even fun! Learn more about how you get from start to finish, in Our FF&E Procurement Process.
