Eight thousand employees, 70 systems integrators in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, fourteen international branches and Europe’s number one: that is the spectacular company history of Bechtle AG represented in figures. The IT specialist, headquartered in Neckarsulm, offers a wide-ranging product portfolio that meets the individual requirements of many different industries. Business is booming, as is its Belgian branch in Neerpelt. “At some stage, we had to admit that our team had outgrown our offices. That is when we decided to build and to move into a modern office building with our staff,” explains Ruth Wachelder, Managing Director of Bechtle Belgium. An interior designer was commissioned with the design of a suitable furnishing concept that would not only add structure to the open-plan spaces but also distribute the existing ASSMANN furniture sensibly across the three floors of the new building. As the Bechtle employees by then already outnumbered the company’s Canvaro desk systems, the interior designer contacted Rob Lukkesen from ASSMANN’S Belgian specialist retail partner company Buropix. “We had partnered with Bechtle when they moved into the previous building, so we immediately knew what solutions were required. However, the design of the Canvaro desks had changed since then. We therefore had to develop a strategy for combining the old and the new systems in a well-balanced way,” explains Lukkesen.

Planned down tot he last detail

To ensure that the new Canvaro desks perfectly complemented the existing ones, the move had to be completed in accordance with a detailed schedule. A furniture lift was organised especially for the delivery which then lifted the furniture systems to the respective floors from the outside. The old designs from the previous building were delivered first – for a good reason, as Lukkesen explains: “We decided beforehand that the desks in the old design would be hidden by the new Canvaro systems in order to clearly shift the focus onto the new design.” As soon as the old designs had been moved to their allocated spaces, the new desks, which came directly off the production line in Melle, were delivered. Thanks to detailed room plans, the fitters knew exactly where the new Canvaro systems were to be installed – which ensured that everything ran smoothly. “It was a bit like a game of Tetris: the new systems had to be fitted very precisely to the old ones,” Lukkesen recalls. The experts knew what they were doing, and the Bechtle employees were able to move to their new workstations shortly after the start of 2018.

Well-coordinated

The interior designer advised Bechtle to also choose ASSMANN storage systems such as Allvia and Pontis to go with the Canvaro desks. To improve the acoustics in the open-plan office areas, the desks were also equipped with sound absorbing desktop divider panels. In addition, mobile Pontis folding tables were used in the seminar rooms. Thanks to their folding mechanism and castors, they can be rearranged in minutes. With their clear lines and minimalist look, the ASSMANN systems emphasise the contemporary design of the glazed new building. However, the furniture does more than simply look good: “In the IT industry, people mostly work sitting down. It was therefore particularly important to Bechtle and to us to make products available to the employees that have a positive effect on their performance as well as their health. And that is precisely what Canvaro does,” says Lukkesen. The design is not only equipped with an integrated cable organiser but also with a flexible height adjustment mechanism, so it can be adjusted to perfectly fit the respective body size. This is essential as a back-friendly sitting position depends on the size of three things: the person, the chair and the desk. For example, if a tall employee adjusts his office chair to the maximum height to ensure that he is sitting with his knees at the recommended ninety degree angle, the top of the desk may be too low to allow him to sit upright. Long-term damage to his back and neck can only be prevented if the desk can also be individually adjusted. “It only takes a few movements for each employee to adjust their workstation to the size that is perfect for them. This is a major advantage that benefits all employees®– including those who do not actually work at the same desk all the time and move around the building,” says Wachelder.

Project:
Due to growing employee numbers, the company had to move to a larger building.

Specialist retail partner:
Buropix BVBA, Hamont-Achel, Belgium

Client details:
Founded in 1983, Bechtle AG is now Germany’s largest IT systems integrator and supplies around 70,000 hardware and software products to customers all over the world.

Brief:
The new rooms on three floors had to be equipped with height adjustable desks and storage solutions for 65 new workstations.

Challenge:
The company’s existing ASSMANN systems in the old design had to blend in with the current designs in a well-balanced way.