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NOS renews relationship with Eaton-WrightLine

NOS renews relationship with Eaton-WrightLine

Beltsville, MD:  Today, NOS, a company that provides storage and information management solutions, announces their commitment to provide the Eaton-Wrightline storage solutions in the Mid- Atlantic and Washington DC marketplace.  The length, breadth and quality of the Eaton-Wrightline products that serve many of the needs specific to this area, combined with the strong team at NOS creates a powerhouse of value for the local companies and agencies.

Regarding this commitment, NOS Principal Joe Alvarez stated “We are very excited to be once again fully committed to the Eaton-Wrightline product solutions, the opportunities are nearly limitless for us to help our clients as a result of this partnership.  While NOS has offered a portion of these solutions in the past, this new commitment provides greater access and therefore greater service levels to our existing and future client base.”

Eaton-Wrightline Regional Sales Manager, Cathy Adams, commented that “This partnership with NOS Inc. will allow us to reach the exact market we serve best with a powerful partner, we couldn’t be more excited for what 2017 will bring as a result of this commitment.”

The storage and workspace solutions now available through this partnership include data center racking and airflow management systems, technical environment command and control consoles and modular laboratory furniture systems.

About NOS Inc.: NOS is a company specialized in storage solutions for both physical and digital requirements.  Since 1976, our team of storage solution professionals has been passionately dedicated to providing our clients with the most affordable and comprehensive storage solutions and document management systems possible. No two storage spaces are alike, and so we customize unique designs for your particular workspace to ensure every productivity challenge you are faced with has an efficient solution.

 

 

Has Flexible Lab Design Paid Off? A Decade In Review

Has Flexible Lab Design Paid Off? A Decade In Review

Ten years ago, Stanford University opened the doors of a new interdisciplinary research facility, the Clark Center. This research lab was intended to break down barriers between various academic disciplines, encouraging investigational cross-pollination. Has the university’s effort paid off? Tully Shelley and Seth Meisler analyzed the results for American Laboratory, and reported their findings here.

At the heart of this collaborative effort was the design of the facility – open, flexible, interactive. Labs featured walls of windows where anyone could observe research in progress. The large lab spaces allowed experimenters to co-locate and support each other’s work. Resources could easily be shared, and chance encounters helped researchers come together to solve problems.

Without adaptive modular lab furnishings, the university’s innovative design would have been hard to achieve. Shelley and Meisler discuss how mobile “kit of parts” casework workstations allowed quick reconfigurations when researchers wished to collaborate, or when a research project came to an end. This video shows an example of similar reconfigurable casework:

Shelley and Meisler concluded that the Clark Center’s design has had a positive long-term effect on collaborative research, building a sense of community that supports interdisciplinary investigations. In their words, “With the proper stewardship, along with a well-designed building, collaborative science can flourish.”

 

Photo © Miles – Fotolia

A Tax Deduction To Give Thanks For – The Sec. 179 Rule

A Tax Deduction To Give Thanks For – The Sec. 179 Rule

It happens every year around this time – the season for end-of-year tax deductions. The Section 179 tax rule gives businesses an opportunity to write off as much as $500,000 in new and used equipment costs. Equipment or software purchased and put into service by December 31st is deducted from your business’s gross income – it’s as simple as that. And depreciation boosts the total tax reduction even more.

The tax experts at Section179.org provide in-depth information on this valuable tax strategy, and the calculator from Crest Capital shows the savings.

The key phrase in Section 179 is “put into service.” With only a month left in 2016, many kinds of business equipment simply can’t be delivered and put into service before the end of the year. The good news: There’s a wide variety of high density storage, RFID systems, and modular furnishings on a quick-order program. Talk to your tax advisor, then talk to your local storage professional to find out which new and efficient storage systems can help your business qualify for this attractive deduction. Don’t waste a minute!

 

Photo © russiandoll64 – Fotolia

6 Team-Building Tips for the Collaborative Workplace

6 Team-Building Tips for the Collaborative Workplace

Today’s workplace designs emphasize collaborative spaces – flexible, reconfigurable work areas where staffers come together as a team to address specific tasks. Leading a collaborative team takes some special skills; without them, the best results are hard to achieve, no matter how well-designed the collaborative space may be. Management advisor Tallyfox.com offers these six insights to help build a collaborative team environment:

  1. Set realistic expectations. Clearly communicate the team’s goals, the individual members’ roles, and the reason for the team’s existence.
  2. Build strong leadership. Leaders who are flexible, supportive, and focus on relationships as well as tasks, will produce great results.
  3. Create an environment of trust. Respect and integrity are essential to building trust among all team members.
  4. Support a community spirit. Opportunities for team members to socialize informally outside work will foster a cohesive “family” feeling.
  5. Invest in team members’ skills and expertise. Continuing education supports continuous improvement and makes team members feel valued and valuable. Knowledgeable teams are more productive.
  6. Invest in collaborative technology. Streamlined communications support all of the team-building tips above. Collaborative technology can be electronic devices or specialized software. It can also be adaptive office furniture that facilitates face-to-face interactions, while allowing for a quick change to individual task execution. Whatever form it takes, collaborative technology is vital to a smoothly functioning team.

If you’re adopting a collaborative management style in your business, talk to a design expert about finding the right collaborative technology for your business.

 

Photo © boggy/Fotolia.com

The Benefits of Going In Over Your Head

The Benefits of Going In Over Your Head

It has been a design trend for a decade or more – transforming old factories and warehouses into chic modern office space. These old buildings are often convenient to the city core and they make appealing workplaces for companies seeking to attract hip urban employees. High tech, fashion, creative services, and media are among the many businesses relocating to these upcycled structures.

While each of these vintage buildings is unique, they share one thing in common: high ceilings. The buildings’ former function required a lot of headroom which most of the service-oriented businesses of today don’t need. Designers often make a feature of the extra volume, as reviewed by Karen Kroll in “Building Operating Management.”

The in-town location and industrial-chic look come at a price, however, when compared to more mainstream commercial space. Those high ceilings represent a lot of wasted space when volume is factored into the square-foot rental cost. But there’s good news, in the form of vertical storage. Motorized storage lifts can be adapted to store almost anything, from documents to bicycles, in overhead spaces. Warehouse-style steel mezzanine structures add a second level within a large space. Both of these storage options are comparatively inexpensive, and they fit right in with the urban-industrial look favored by today’s tenants.

If you’re considering a move into one of today’s super-hip repurposed warehouse spaces, discuss overhead storage with your designer. You’ll keep your real estate costs on track, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the design aesthetic.

 

Photo © denisismagilov/Fotolia.com