If your office is in the market for reception stations, do some initial research before you meet with cubicle suppliers. You need to put together detailed information about your office space and furniture requirements, and find out what your administrative staff needs.

Start with the floor plan of the space you will use for reception stations. You can either provide a scale drawing of your office or a rough estimate of your available space. A designer can take more detailed measurements later in the purchasing cycle, but knowing the basics ahead of time can help vendors understand what you need.

Then find out what your administrative staff expects out of their reception stations. What will they use them for? Do they need enclosed space for several private conversations, or a larger work area for processing paperwork? Will they meet with other employers in their workspace? Will they require built-in storage or separate file cabinets? These factors will influence the size, wall height, and surfaces of the reception stations you choose.

Allot plenty of time before purchasing reception stations for your office. If you consider buying a cubicle from a vendor’s available stock, you can get set up within a week. Otherwise, a dealer can help you customize a new or remanufactured reception station in three to six weeks.