Office Fit-Out Buying Order: What to Lock Before You Talk to a Factory

Most office furniture delays don’t start in production. They start when a distributor or fit-out team sends a PO with pretty photos and fuzzy sizes.

If you’re sourcing from an office furniture manufacturer in China for a commercial fit-out, lock the order of decisions below. It saves two weeks of email ping-pong and a container of wrong returns.
1) Floor plan before product picks. Mark doors (with swing), columns, windows, and power. A four-person workstation cluster that fits a blank rectangle may not fit once a column sits in the bay. Room names and headcount per zone beat a vague “open office for 40 people.”
2) Walkways and code paths. Leave about 900 mm behind seated staff where people pass. Main routes toward exits or meeting rooms feel better near 1200 mm. If local rules are stricter, use those. Tight aisles show up as complaints in week one — not as a factory defect.
3) Zone the furniture types. Reception, open workstations, manager offices, small meeting rooms, and storage each need different specs. Don’t force one desk model across the whole floor. For lobby pieces, measure the wall and return side first — see Wholesale Reception Desk Measurements  For open floors, decide 2/4/6 clusters before you chase colors — see Modular Workstation Clusters .
4) Material grade on paper. E0 or E1 melamine-faced boards are common on export projects. Thickness differs by part: tops often 25 mm on executive and conference pieces; carcasses may be thinner. Write grade and thickness on the BOM, not only in marketing copy. Details: Melamine Board Grades for Furniture 
5) Custom vs catalog. If you need logo labels, odd sizes, or drawer changes, say OEM/ODM up front and send a short brief — quantity, destination, ship window, and what must be exact. Template thinking: OEM/ODM Brief for China Factory 
6) Sample or trial before bulk when the order is large. One workstation set or one reception desk ahead of the main batch costs less than correcting eighty wrong units. Mixed and trial orders are normal with factory-direct suppliers who run boards and furniture under one system.
7) Packaging and install notes. Knock-down saves freight; assembled units move faster on site. Ask for hardware bagged per set and a clear drawing. Damaged dark corners on executive desks are expensive to fix after delivery.
Lanran Furniture manufactures commercial office furniture and boards as an integrated source factory — executive desks, workstations, conference tables, reception desks, chairs, and ANGESEN melamine panels — with OEM/ODM support for brands and distributors. WhatsApp / Tel: +86 185 1643 1435 · www.lanranfurniture.com
Send the floor plan and a simple item list (not only mood-board photos). That’s the fastest way to get a usable quote for a commercial office fit-out.
CTA: Share your floor plan for a factory quote → inquiry form on www.lanranfurniture.com or WhatsApp +86 185 1643 1435