Buying office partitions – or systems furniture, in the lingo of the manufacturers – can be tricky. While you'll want partitions that look good and provide all the privacy your employees need, buying brand new systems furniture can be very expensive: thousands of dollars per workstation. Most small to medium sized businesses should consider remanufactured office partitions as a way to save money.

In addition, choosing a supplier for your office partitions is important. You don't want to get stuck with partitions that you can't add on to or repair because the supplier won't stand behind their products.

New or used office partitions
While new office partitions and cubicles are surprisingly expensive, a truly remanufactured office partition is indistinguishable from a new model. It’s an excellent way to save money without sacrificing quality: more than half of the systems furniture market is for remanufactured partitions.

As part of the remanufacturing process, used office partitions, cubicles, and accessories are completely taken apart and inspected. Factory technicians Metal parts are sanded and painted or powder coated. Fabric is completely replaced and missing parts are supplied. Parts such as pedestals and shelves are often installed brand-new. These remanufactured office partitions are then sold to small and mid-sized companies for as little as half their original cost.

Buying a remanufactured office partition isn’t like buying a used car – you don’t have to choose from what’s on the lot. Just like buying new, you’ll be able to pick a brand and model of partition and select the fabrics and colors you like. In some cases you’ll actually have more choices of fabric and finishes than you would buying new.

Surprisingly, a remanufactured office partition often comes with the same warranty it had when it was new – even a lifetime warranty, in some cases. Custom remanufacturing jobs like this can often be turned around more quickly than new orders, and cost on average 30% to 50% less than similar new systems. Unless you’re buying large lots – around 1,000 cubes or more – remanufactured partitions offer the best combination of quality and price.

Choosing a dealer
The best way to choose an office partitions dealer is to interview at least four or five different potential suppliers. If possible, meet them in person to review colors, fabrics, and accessories. Most suppliers will want to visit your location to measure the available space you have to work with and recommend a layout that meets your needs.

Make sure you start your interviews with a standard list of questions: how long they've been in business, who they use for installation and how much it costs, what kind of warranty they offer on their office partitions. Using a consistent set of questions makes your job easier when it come time to compare the various vendors.

The quickest way to find qualified prospects is through BuyerZone’s free systems furniture quote request service. Once you submit your request, we can match you up with as many as six different dealers so you can compare prices and services and determine which is best for your business.

Read more about how to choose the best systems furniture dealers.