First off, what exactly is FF&E?

FF&E stands for Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment. It includes all movable elements within a building that make a space functional, such as chairs, lighting, shelving, and appliances. Without FF&E, a completed structure is just an empty shell.

FF&E is handled differently on each project based on the client and the project type. In some projects, an interior designer or FF&E consultant specifies every piece. Others follow strict brand standards or rely on owners to manage equipment selection.

In these cases, the workflow may follow OFCI, where the owner furnishes the product and the contractor installs it. This method of procurement is called OFCI (Owner Furnished, Contractor Installed). This differs from CFCI (Contractor Furnished, Contractor Installed), where the contractor both provides and installs the item.

Regardless of delivery method, tracking and managing FF&E is complex. Hundreds or thousands of items must be specified, approved, and coordinated with drawings and schedules.

So how do interior designers, project controls, and procurement keep track of all this complexity?

Every building type has its own FF&E needs. Offices require desks, chairs, and lighting. Healthcare facilities rely on clinical equipment. Hospitality projects include casegoods, soft seating, and operational equipment. The volume of items grows quickly. Each piece must be coordinated with drawings, schedules, rough-ins, finishes, and accessibility.

Project team members often track hundreds to thousands of FF&E items through design past construction. Options need to be considered. Costs assigned. Final choices need to be approved. Procurement, delivery, and installation statuses need to be recorded. Documentation needs to be recorded, compiled, and handed over to the owner.

Making matters more complicated, almost everyone on the job is involved in this process (even in a small project), and everyone needs to know different things at different times to do their jobs. Here are some examples:

• Clients need to view the look and feel of the furniture options before approving the selections.

• Manufacturers need detailed specifications of the objects selected.

• Project Controls requires delivery schedule, product certifications, and logistics information.

• Technicians must know what equipment needs to be installed where, and what should be included in the work installation package.

• Owners are concerned with product documentation, warrantee information, and maintenance requirements.

And this isn't even an exhaustive list!

Traditionally, this information lives all over the place: spreadsheets, sketchbooks, and design files. But, there’s a more efficient way to stay organized. Whether you are an architect or an interior designer, this article will walk you through the typical FF&E process and give you tips and tricks to keep everyone on the same page.

Step 1: Design the Schematic Layout

The FF&E process often begins during schematic design or feasibility studies. At this point, the furniture and fixture details are still conceptual. Designers typically create test fits, which are schematic layouts using generic placeholders to represent potential furniture or equipment arrangements.

A test fit helps evaluate circulation, spacing, and functional requirements. It allows the design team to ask questions such as:

• Does the layout provide the correct quantity of furnishings or equipment?

• Is the space functional for its intended users?

• Are adjustments required to meet accessibility or client needs?

Pro-tip: With Layer, designers can share early furniture layouts in an interactive model viewer. Clients can review the arrangement directly inside the model viewing tool.

Step 2: Gather Specification Data

Once layouts are confirmed, the next step is gathering FF&E specification data. Designers research vendors, attend trade shows, meet manufacturer representatives, and evaluate options for quality, pricing, and lead time. Specification data usually includes dimensions, finishes, model numbers, and warranty information.

Manual tracking across spreadsheets can lead to version errors and data loss, so many teams maintain this information in a specialized FF&E software. This ties data like specification info, cut sheets, and product images together and helps ensure that everyone on the project is referencing a single source of truth.

When the library is linked to design tools such as Revit, any updates to FF&E elements remain synchronized with schedules, room data sheets, and specification sheets.

This approach keeps documentation consistent throughout design development. It also creates a single, searchable source of truth that supports collaboration between designers, vendors, and clients.

Step 3: Present the FF&E Selections to the Client

After collecting data, designers present FF&E selections for client review and approval. This step may require multiple meetings depending on the project scale. Clients need clear visuals, accurate pricing, and current lead times to make informed decisions.

Layer can help you create digital concept boards linked directly to the FF&E products, making it easy to reference them during meetings.

Step 4: Procurement

After the client approves the FF&E package, the project moves into procurement. Procurement involves ordering items, tracking delivery schedules, reviewing submittals, and coordinating communication between vendors, contractors, and designers.

Procurement requires managing a large amount of information. You may work with a procurement agent or manage ordering directly. If you manage it yourself, lead times are critical. For example, specifying a chair with an eight month lead time when occupancy is scheduled in six months will cause delays.

You will answer vendor questions, evaluate alternates, and track changes in availability. Items must arrive on site at the right time. Early arrivals may require storage. Late arrivals may delay construction.

With Layer, you can make it easy for the GC, owner, designer, and procurement agent to view one shareable dashboard with up-to-date statuses for each piece of FF&E. You can even design spec sheets right in our platform.

Read FF&E Procurement Explained →

Step 5: Receive Delivery, Installation, and Punch List

FF&E has started to arrive on site, now what? Verification begins.

Each item must be inspected for damage or defects before installation. Larger projects often assign this task to procurement agents or contractors.

If there is damage, you’ll need to take photos and notate who is responsible for fixing or replacing the damaged item. If not, you or the contractor may be liable for damages down the road. You could also miss return windows to the vendor.

You likely are not responsible for the physical installation of FF&E, but you may be the primary point of contact to coordinate it. You can help the process run smoothly by providing easy-to-interpret furniture plans, lighting schedules, and installation information from the manufacturers.

With Layer, you can track FF&E items that have been delivered and approved for installation. You can use our pre-configured template to create a punch list to document that everything is installed correctly and without damage.

Read more about managing FF&E during CA →

Step 6: Client Handover

You’re almost there! Everything is installed and the client is happy. Now what?

Once installation is complete, you must prepare handover materials. These include manuals, warranties, and vendor information. If you provide an as built Revit model, you can link each FF&E item to its digital record.

This creates a comprehensive Owner’s Manual that supports long term building operation.

Looking Beyond Spreadsheets

In our experience, a software tool linked to Revit is the best solution for capturing, organizing, and sharing FF&E project data. This makes it easy to streamline communication in one dashboard, not in separate documents and folders. Doing so will reduce, if not eliminate, the number of errors that arise from using disparate communication and documentation channels.