What Is FF&E & Why Does It Matter in Banking?
If the right furniture can transform a house into a home, there’s no telling what it can do for your financial institution. Furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) are more than just decorative items — they’re valuable assets that help communicate your brand image, accommodate customer needs and keep your employees happy.
What is FF&E?
Furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) is an industry term referring to movable aspects that have no permanent connection to the structure of a building. While it’s often used as a generic term for interior design pieces, there are some distinct characteristics that determine what it is and what it is not.
Items Considered to Be FF&E:
Chairs
Desks
Tables
Lobby Furniture
Computers & electronic equipment
Drapery
Decorative items
Items That Are Not Considered FF&E:
Consumable products (e.g., food, drink, paper products, ink)
Windows
Floors and tiles
Wall coverings
Plumbing
Built-in woodwork or desks
The Importance of FF&E in Bank Design
The interior of your building represents your brand and culture. It’s one of the first things customers react to when they enter your bank or credit union, which sets the tone for the rest of their experience. Not having the right mixture of elements can hinder your clients from coming in, deplete employee morale and ultimately stain your reputation as a financial institution. It’s the key to staying relevant and distinguishing yourself from the competition.
With that in mind, it’s important to consider every minute aspect when weighing your furnishing options. FF&E purchasing, also known as FF&E procurement, is the process of a business furnishing and equipping its business space.
Here are a few questions to ask throughout the procurement process:
Does the FF&E match your theme and overall design?
Are the elements thoughtfully integrated, or do they appear out of place?
What about the synergy, look and feel of the object?
Optimize Your Bank's FF&E
No matter how minuscule it may seem upfront, every decision about your financial institution’s interior plays an integral role in its overall success. You can’t expect to simply drop pieces in place and end up with a well-furnished facility. Because of the importance and weight behind procurement, many financial institutions hire FF&E experts to bring their vision to life. That’s where we step in.
HTG’s experienced architects have proudly offered FF&E services for thousands of financial institutions. We can maintain vendor relationships, ensure you have the correct number of items and manage the logistics so that you can focus on what really matters — serving your customers and clients.
