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The Office Furniture Glossary

The Office Furniture Glossary

Glossaries can be extremely helpful, we all know this, and especially advantageous if they include pictures!  In fact, think of how many articles that have a reference to a picture that’s included with a description so that there‘s no question about what‘s being talked about. Super easy to understand, right?

Today is another proud moment for CSS Office Solutions Inc., as we’ve recently created our very own GLOSSARY of terms!  This reference is a beginner’s guide to basic terms related to office furniture, and office moving.  The glossary of items can be found within our website’s Resources page.

When I first started working in the office furniture industry early in 2005, I had no idea what an overhead was, or a hutch, or a ped.  What “hand” on a desk meant, right or left, I thought maybe it was the hand that was most dominant for the worker, little did I know back then that it refers to an L-shape desk and what side the return is on.  And even further learning that deciding on what hand to use in your office has a lot to do with your office door!  Who knows these things?  Fast forward and here I am, someone that knows these things!  I’ve learned a whole new set of terms specific to the industry of office moving.  And truth be told, I can still be seen referencing our own glossary to ensure I’m following along.  Not like Brent, he really does know all these terms, and maybe even better than the back of his hand!  He’s one of those naturals that has worked in the industry for long enough, that these terms become second nature to know and reference.  But that’s not the case for everyone.

At CSS Office Solutions we’re very much the provider of all sorts of solutions, so when it became clear that we could assist our clients a little more in the terminology we use, we happily sought out to solve a problem!  We’re natural problem solvers, in all aspects!

Industry terms are titled industry terms for the obvious reason that they’re specific to an industry.  If you’re not in the industry, or know someone in the industry, chances are there may be a lack of knowledge or understanding around the terms being used within that industry.  There are times when we get so wrapped up in our own knowledge, that we forget to slow down and ensure our clients are familiar with the terms we’re using.

We love educating our clients and providing them with the necessary tools to make them successful in their role.  And so, after seeing the gap ourselves in trying to conduct a general search for the common terms we at CSS use consistently, or the right definitions we would expect to see, and having an even harder time finding pictures of all the terms we use, we decided to use our internal expertise.  So, we did it!  We created a glossary of definitions ourselves!

Our glossary includes the common terms you would expect to find in a furniture database.  Plus, it covers everything from what variety of equipment you’d see CSS use, plus included pictures or diagrams and definitions that showcase the difference between a lateral file cabinet and a vertical filing cabinet.  Not too sure of the difference yourself?  Check it out on the glossary!

It also includes some terms and items that are not commonly known, or that have different terminology used depending on the provider.  For instance, what CSS refers to as a file cart, can also be known and used as an electronic cart – same, but different. 

There is a total (as at today) of 29 items listed in the glossary, which of course is nowhere near an exhaustive list we could create!  If there’s a term that is still unclear, or perhaps there’s a term that you would love to see included in this list that isn’t currently included – call us, email us, contact us and let us know!  After all, this list is for YOU, the customer (and, has also been a great tool for onboarding new staff to the industry!).

CSS is known as subject matter experts and trusted advisors in the office furniture industry.  This is one piece of the industry puzzle that we can help our clients and customers put together to grow their knowledge and understanding of the terms we’ve learned, and not just take for granted that we know!

Creating this glossary also helps with common language and dialogue.  When common dialogue prevails, we’re all winners!  Common language is a key component and necessary for efficient communications.  With our clients, with our co-workers, and even with our suppliers, having a common dialogue is really important to us, and we’re happy to be filling in the gaps so that our clients are showcased as the superstars that they are!

Do you have a question, or would like to see a particular phrase or term included in the glossary?  Reach out and let’s start a conversation!  At CSS, we’re always going the extra mile for our clients, and this is just one example of what that means.  Happy reading!

Cheers to closing the terminology gap!

The CSS Advisor, the CSS Client Newsletter

Delivered to your inbox monthly, with all the latest and greatest!

Another client newsletter you have to read?  Well, it is actually our first in over 30+ years of business…

Sure, some say that newsletters are outdated and not useful.  Thinking back, I remember what someone said to me at a conference in 2017 when I shared how thrilled I was to finally have received the QR code decal to link our website for putting on our trucks. The person’s reply?  “I didn’t think people used QR codes anymore?”  Well, look where we are right fricken now?  Huh?  QR codes everywhere!  Everywhere!

So, that correlates with my thoughts on newsletters, they’re never going away, and will be with us forever.  Their popularity rises and falls, but I truly believe that is all comes down to what is included in the newsletter.  Some I love and read right through to the end; others are painstakingly difficult to understand what message is trying to be sent – these are the ones that I don’t make it to the end of.

Whatever your reason for newsletter signup, you do you, because at CSS we’re just getting started with this client newsletter adventure!  Whether you’re a person that registers for newsletters to get the discount codes or to see what the latest trends are, we want you all as part of our newsletter audience!

At CSS, we’ve had an internal employee newsletter for a number of years, and so it was about time that we brought some of our knowledge and wit, obviously for your entertainment pleasure, to our clients and the world!  I’ve also learned that it takes a bit more courage, really deep breathing to ease thoughts of “will they like it?”, and a managed platform to initiate a client newsletter.

For a business that’s been around for 36+ years, it brings me great pleasure for when we’re able to announce a new company milestone for CSS. Our very first (yes, in 36+ years, this is our first!), Client Newsletter!

Why we named our newsletter The CSS Advisor?

Well, first we gathered input from our staff – which is always a brilliant exercise to see what fresh minds and perspectives can bring and think of.  After tallying the data, we had our client newsletter name nailed down!  It felt just right and point on for what we had in mind!

At CSS we consider ourselves subject matter experts when it comes to all things office furniture related. We like to be known as the trusted advisors in the industry community and especially with our clients.  Providing trust, along with a high level of integrity is of great importance to us and it is one of the main reasons we decided upon the newsletter name of The CSS Advisor.

As a client, you want the right information, and the proper data to make the most informed, intelligent decision.  At CSS, we do things the right way, not just to get them done, but to get them done the proper way the first time.  Being advisors for our clients is a different perception and certainly not a term that is used frequently when we’re talking about our other local-to-Calgary office service companies.  Why is that? Isn’t that the opposite of how it should be?  The answer, oh you betcha!  You are supposed to have a trusted, no BS relationship with your suppliers, or is that just in my imaginary world?

Either which end of the spectrum you land on in your supplier relationships, CSS has worked hard to transform the mindset of being ‘just the mover’ and to break away from common misperceptions in our industry.  Having been in this area of business for many years, we’re adequately known to advise on all things regarding office furniture, your office moves, your furniture disposal options, your best layout to maximize your distancing and space usage, etc.  We obviously want all of our clients to have a trusted advisor when it comes to making decisions based around your office furniture, space layouts, purchases, supplier options, etc. so why settle for anything less than being able to refer to your supplier as an advisor?  You shouldn’t settle!

At CSS, being the advisors alongside our clients is what we value the most, and we know how sharing our expertise is of great value to all the clientele that we serve.  CSS couldn’t be any happier to be referred to as advisors!  Would you consider your supplier, or moving company, as a trusted resource for your business? Do you refer to the company, or to your main contact at the company as an advisor of yours?  Will they provide you with the advice that suits you and your needs, not just their needs as a supplier?  If you’re not able to immediately answer yes, to all of these thought-provoking questions, then you should likely begin the hunt for a new, more trustworthy company to partner with.

With producing a monthly client newsletter, our aim is to bring content that matters with information that is relevant, to you, to us, and to our industry.  We always see lots of changes when it comes to corporate office moving, vacancy rates and industry adaptations.  We’re constantly adjusting too. It is our absolute pleasure to be able to bring you updates and great content that is more than just fluff for reading!  One discovery we made when we did some recent client analysis, is that some of our clients aren’t even fully aware of ALL of the services we offer!

Imagine that!

Our own clients going elsewhere for services only because we didn’t let them know we offered that too = burn, that stings!

With this information, we knew it was important to appropriately plan our monthly newsletter inclusions – thinking the whole point is that we want you to be excited to read The CSS Advisor each month, and not just hit the delete button.  A section included in each newsletter’s edition is a service feature that will showcase and provide a little more detail about a specific service that we offer.  Perhaps it’ll be a service you’re not familiar with, or are using consistently, or maybe you have another provider completing this service currently.  Obviously, CSS would enjoy having your services simplified, which almost always means using one company for multiple services and product offerings.  We do hope that with showcasing our services in an easy-to-read format in the newsletter it will increase our audience’s knowledge of all that we offer.  The more we can offer to you as a client of CSS, the true one-stop-shop, the better for everyone!

At CSS, we’re all about simplification and making your job as one of our clients easier, let’s achieve that together!

Interested in being part of The CSS Advisor client newsletter community?  Click here for a link that will bring you to our website, where you’ll be able to complete the form to sign up for our monthly newsletter.

Connect with CSS today by phone or email for all your office service and furniture needs and if you’re a company looking for a trusted office furniture advisor let’s start a conversation about what CSS can do for you!