Decommissioning Office Furniture: a Sustainable Preowned Furniture Lifecycle
Written May 30, 2024, by Erica Perez, Project Manager/Business Development, Decommission Division. Originally published Dec. 9, 2021.
Decommissioning office furniture is more than just clearing out old items; it's about embracing a cycle of sustainability and renewal. At Rework, the processes of office furniture liquidation and decommissioning are central to our mission, transforming workplaces one piece of furniture at a time. Rework has been helping businesses repurpose and liquidate office furniture since the early 90s, and we take pride in our dedication to sustainability and transforming used office furniture items into premium, eco-friendly solutions. Our commitment to sustainability aligns with the growing demand from our clients to conscientiously get rid of office furniture with environmentally responsible options. Each month, our eagerly anticipated 'Just off the Truck' series showcases a selection of newly available, preowned office furniture pieces, ready for immediate online access and in our Chicago showroom. See how Rework transforms preowned office furniture through meticulous decommissioning, sustainable practices, and an engaging showroom experience, ensuring each piece meets modern workplace needs and environmental responsibility. When you're ready to liquidate and sell office furniture, trust Rework to handle the task with care and expertise.
What does decommissioning office furniture involve?
hat exactly is “decommissioned” furniture? It refers to items removed from businesses during closures or relocations. However, at Rework, decommissioning office furniture goes beyond mere removal—it represents a commitment to responsible asset management and environmental stewardship. Instead of disposing of old furniture in landfills, we specialize in repurposing these assets. Our facility decommissioning services are designed to manage the entire lifecycle of your office assets, from initial removal to the landfill diversion of recycled office equipment. Furniture suitable for reuse is transferred to our warehouse, while other preowned furniture and equipment are either sold wholesale to other dealers or donated to charities. This approach allows us to divert millions of pounds of waste annually! As an industry leader, we have differentiated ourselves as a consistent and reliable national furniture liquidation partner dedicated to the responsible diversion and disposition of furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
Our 'Five Day Onboarding Process' underscores this commitment. Upon receipt, we meticulously coordinate each step to ensure furniture is showroom-ready within five days, emphasizing efficiency and precision. Any discrepancies in this tightly managed process can lead to delays, highlighting our dedication to operational excellence and environmental responsibility.
From Reception to Review: Starting the Furniture Decommissioning Process
The first day consists of receiving the furniture at our docks in the Chicago, IL suburb of Forest Park. We frequently handle the arrival of multiple trailers at our facility, each filled with a variety of office furniture items. The unloading process is meticulous; our team is both lean and nimble, consisting of three dedicated warehouse employees who work tirelessly to ensure every item is unloaded efficiently and safely. Once everything is securely inside our warehouse, our rigorous quality control (QC) process commences. This QC process involves a detailed inventory check and thorough inspection of each piece. Any furniture not meeting our high standards is sent to our on-site repair department for refurbishment. We aim to unload and QC every piece of furniture on day one.
During the initial two days, furniture that passes inspection is moved to our showroom for a thorough cleaning and sanitization, preparing it for its next life. We clean all surfaces to ensure each item is pristine and ready for reuse, which we lovingly refer to as the furniture’s ‘second act.’ After the inventory is officially accepted and received, photography begins. Capturing the furniture from multiple angles for our website listings is a careful and meticulous process, especially the subsequent photo editing required to showcase our products accurately.
Research and Stage: Repurpose Office Furniture for a New Life
Once images are captured, we craft detailed descriptions for each piece, including measurements, to ensure comprehensive documentation by day four. Our experienced writers excel in creating precise descriptions, which are particularly challenging for discontinued or unique ‘one-off’ pieces. Fortunately, the Rework team’s familiarity with furniture pieces, brands, and manufacturers helps us research thoroughly and provide an accurate portrayal of each SKU. For larger decommissioning projects — such as liquidating large corporate offices with rows of cubicles — multiple SKUs are processed for all those products, so our warehouse team works diligently to appropriately account for every item.
In parallel to descriptions being written, photography edits are typically complete and back in the hands of our talented showroom coordinator on day four. This is when the “magic” happens. Furniture is thoughtfully staged, encouraging customers to envision creative and functional workspaces. Our showroom consists of multiple vignettes of furniture that mimic a variety of workspaces and functions. Walking through our showroom offers a unique experience to observe the diverse configurations of high-quality, preowned furniture. Our goal is for our customers to be able to envision this furniture working for their unique workspace. We invite clients to visit our showroom to personally test the products, although online purchases are also available for convenience.
Finalizing Decommission: Tagging and SKU Setup for Pre-Owned Furniture
By day five, our showroom coordinator meticulously prepares tags for each piece, each featuring a QR code directly linking to the online listing. Once the SKU is officially registered, the item is available for immediate purchase. Our inventory moves quickly, so we encourage our customers to contact us without delay if they find an appealing item or to make their purchase directly through our website.
Decommission Office Spaces with Rework
At Rework, we decommission office space through targeted sustainability initiatives. Our reupholstery and liquidation efforts are more than just office furniture recycling — they're about innovatively extending the life of office furniture. By integrating these sustainable practices efficiently, Rework adheres to and advances industry standards for environmental responsibility, providing clients with sustainable office solutions that are both functional and forward-thinking. If your organization is undergoing a redesign, relocation, downsizing, or looking to sell office furniture, Rework offers comprehensive commercial liquidation and decommissioning services. We specialize in acquiring and revitalizing large quantities of matching, gently used office furniture. Partner with us early in your office transition plan to ensure a seamless and successful decommissioning process.
We're also committed to sustainable practices and providing exceptional deals on preowned office furniture as part of our sustainability practice. Discover the quality and variety of our selection at our Chicago area furniture showroom, schedule a virtual interior design appointment, or contact us for more information. We look forward to helping you enhance your workspace with furniture that supports environmental responsibility.
With over a decade of experience in the commercial interiors and real estate, Erica currently serves as a Project Manager and Business Development professional for the Decommission Division at Rework Office Furniture, focusing on sustainable decommissioning of corporate office spaces with an emphasis on landfill diversion. As a member of the E&I Committee for CREW Chicago, she is passionate about empowering women in the industry. Outside of work, she enjoys watching sports and traveling with her family.
