FF&E means furniture, fixtures and equipment, the movable items that fill a finished building. Orders usually come from different factories on different dates, so the installer is the one holding it all together. Here is how to judge a candidate.
Check one: warehouse space
Furniture arrives weeks before the building is ready, so the installer needs a warehouse. Ask how much space is available, how goods are labelled and counted, and whether you can visit. O'Brien's runs a 30,000 square foot warehouse at the same Sparks site as its office and truck yard.
Check two: the receiving process
Every carton should be checked against the purchase order the day it arrives, and shortages or damage written down while the delivery driver is still there. Ask to see a sample receiving report. A clear report is the record you will use to talk with suppliers.
Check three: installation crews
Ask who installs, how they are supervised and how rooms are sequenced. Good crews work from the room schedule and place each piece from the plan, room by room. Related pages: FF&E services, hotel FF&E and dormitory FF&E.
Check four: schedule fit
Opening dates drive everything. Ask how the installer handles late shipments and what the plan is if the building is not ready. A storage-in-transit arrangement can hold goods until the rooms are released; read about storage in transit.
Check five: damage handling
Furniture is damaged at the factory, in shipping and on site, and each source has a different owner. A photograph taken at receiving and a written note tied to the purchase order make it possible to file a claim with the right party.
Ask how damage is recorded, who repairs it and how replacements are tracked. A written process beats a verbal promise.
Check six: the punch list
Ask for a sample punch list from a past project, with names removed, so you can see how detailed it gets. A useful list names the room, the item, the problem and the person responsible, with a date for the fix.
A project ends with a punch list of items to fix. Ask how it is produced and closed out, and who signs it off. Rooms are only done when the list is clear.