Coordinating product testing (Interiors)

Nobody knows best except the designer and the drafter.

As much as safety and functionality is concern, we need to test to make sure the product is;

1) Functional

2) Compliance with safety 

3) Able to be assembled, operated, and displayed as agreed

The following explains each topic in details;

1) Functional

Functionality test includes ensuring;

i) Furniture that is supposedly collapsible can be done smoothly 

ii) Furniture that has a rotational feature should abide to a rotational radius

iii) Furniture that has a movement feature such as sliding, spring-loaded, and quick-release should be tested and work as pe requirement

2) Compliance with safety 

i) Furniture that has a tricky centre of gravity should be tested on a prescribed height and distance to prove it will not topple

ii) Furniture that has to hang on the ceiling and wall must be tested with professional engineers' certification approval (PE certified). You will have to also consider a vibrational test if the area is close to the railiways, roads, and airports. 

You should also work with professional to advise customer on the mounting method and its relevant process to ensure safety when assembling and during operation.

iii) All electrical wirings and connectors should be designed safely for the user. 

iv) Any automatic movement should be tested and certified by relevant professional engineers. Speed of movement, and height of mounting is often the safety concern.

3) Able to be assembled, operated, and displayed as planned

i) All components and parts can be assembled smoothly and easily by the user

ii) All furniture that has a feature and function should be tested as per requirement 

iii) Aesthetical furniture should be fabricated to meet the display requirement of the designer and relevant stakeholders

Tips

Before agreeing to fabricate, you should advise the sales team on potential testing and trial fabrication that will incur an additional cost. They should add into the quotation to the customer. 

You need to be firm and logical when advising customers what can be done and what can't. An alternative solution has to be proposed.

It is a known process to send a delivery note (DN) or a goods received note (GRN) to the customer for signing after they have checked and received all the parts. This ensures accountability.