June 21, 2013—At the NeoCon 2013 contract furnishings show in Chicago June 10-12, Allsteel Inc. introduced an intuitive online calculator to help answer two common customer questions: “How much space do we need?” and “How much will furniture cost?” The Square Footage Budgeting Calculator was developed to help customers make more informed decisions about furniture as it relates to real estate usage. It provides users with a preliminary furniture-pricing estimate on a square-footage basis, helping to determine initial budget and space needs earlier in the furniture planning process.
The intuitive tool, which scored a Gold Award in the Best of NeoCon Competition under the Software Technologies category, was designed to help customers make plans prior to visiting Allsteel resource centers or other showrooms, but Allsteel says it can be used by anyone regardless of whether they are an Allsteel client or not; no personal information (including e-mail address) is required.
While the calculator is not intended to be a quoting tool, it does generate a pricing estimate based on three levels of finish: low, medium, and high grade. It is available in two versions — Quick Calculator and Detailed Calculator — both free for use on the company’s Web site. First, the Quick Calculator provides a cost estimate of Allsteel furniture per square foot based on the most common space sizes. The second version is a Detailed Calculator that provides more space size options to supply a better estimation of furniture cost for a project. The pricing provided in both versions reflects a discounted rate based on the amount of furniture being considered.
The calculator also provides printable visual renderings for a variety of workstation sizes, private offices, and shared common space applications in each version.
Also entered in the Best of NeoCon Competition was The KITS Collaborator—Mobile Edition, in the Software Technologies category. “The KITS App” is a “revolutionary” tablet-based ideation, space visualization, and selling workflow tool designed to improve productivity for manufacturer and dealer sales professionals, which should help FMs visualize their projects as well (Allsteel furniture only).
Allsteel Inc., headquartered in Muscatine, Iowa, with Resource Centers throughout North America, has been designing, building and delivering award-winning workplace furniture solutions since 1912. As the originator of the lateral file, Allsteel continues its commitment to innovation with its extensive product portfolio. As a dedicated steward of sustainability, Allsteel was reportedly the first contract furniture manufacturer to have all products certified either Indoor Advantage or Indoor Advantage Gold, and the entire product line can contribute to LEED credits.
