FF&E logistics questions, answered
The questions commercial project teams normally have to ask by email before they can shortlist a logistics partner.
What does FF&E logistics include?
FF&E logistics covers inbound freight and container receiving, reconciliation against packing lists and purchase orders, condition documentation and quality control, warehousing, inventory control in WarePulse, room and floor allocation, sequenced delivery, white-glove installation, deficiency management and packaging removal. Next Movement runs that chain as one coordinated operation.
Do you work with interior designers and developers?
Yes. Interior designers, design firms, developers, general contractors, hotel groups, hospitality renovation teams, procurement firms, property and project managers, and commercial fit-out teams are the core audiences for this service. Placement can be executed against renders, floor plans and furniture schedules supplied by the design team.
Do you provide white-glove FF&E installation?
Yes. A standard installation scope covers unloading, unpacking, furniture assembly, placement according to plans or designer direction, beds, desks, casegoods, seating, standard artwork, standard mirrors, accessories and miscellaneous non-licensed fixtures, final positioning, packaging removal and punch-list support.
Can you receive furniture before the installation date?
Yes. Receiving merchandise in advance and warehousing it until the site is ready is a normal part of an FF&E program. Goods can be received from containers, trailers and skids, recorded into WarePulse, stored for the project period, then picked and delivered against the installation sequence.
Do you inspect incoming furniture for damage?
Standard receiving documents external condition and photographs visible irregularities or damage. Enhanced receiving and quality control goes further: cartons are opened and the merchandise itself is visually inspected within the approved inspection scope.
What is the difference between standard receiving and enhanced QC?
Standard receiving verifies the shipment against its reference, reconciles quantities against the packing list and purchase-order information, identifies SKU and article numbers, documents external condition, photographs visible irregularities, records merchandise into WarePulse, assigns a warehouse location and completes putaway. Enhanced QC additionally opens cartons, visually inspects the merchandise, identifies visible finish defects and damage, checks for obvious missing components where practical, photographs findings, documents deficiencies, repacks where appropriate, places affected goods on hold and escalates for client disposition.
How much does enhanced FF&E QC cost?
Enhanced receiving and quality control is $35 per labour-hour. That is the customer-facing rate. It is billed hourly because inspection time depends on what is actually inside the cartons, and it is the one exception to the flat-rate project pricing used for defined FF&E scopes.
What is OS&D?
OS&D stands for overages, shortages and damages. It is the umbrella term for receiving exceptions: more merchandise than expected, fewer pieces than the paperwork states, visible damage, concealed damage found on opening, incorrect merchandise, documentation discrepancies and other exceptions that prevent a clean receipt.
How are damaged or deficient items handled?
The exception is documented, photographed and recorded against the inventory record. Affected merchandise can be isolated or placed on hold so it does not accidentally proceed to outbound delivery or installation before the exception is resolved. The project contact is notified with the documentation, and the merchandise moves only on an authorized disposition. Documentation supports a claim but does not guarantee its approval or the assignment of liability.
Can inventory be organized by SKU, floor, room or project phase?
Yes. Inventory in WarePulse carries SKU and article references, quantities, warehouse locations and allocation to room, floor, unit or project phase, so a delivery run can be built to match the sequence the installation crew will actually work in.
Can clients view their warehouse inventory?
Yes. WarePulse includes client-facing surfaces — a customer inventory portal showing stock, allocation and available units, and a control tower showing order visibility and warehouse service status — so a project team can see its own inventory without being given access to the internal console.
Can you handle expensive or designer furniture?
Yes. High-value and designer FF&E is handled under project-specific instructions, which can include additional condition documentation, protective handling requirements, designated storage or segregation, written handling instructions attached to the inventory record, controlled release and hold workflows, project-specific insurance review and declared-value considerations where applicable.
Can crews wear unbranded professional attire?
Yes. Crews can arrive Next Movement branded, or professionally dressed in neutral, unbranded attire, depending on the project or client requirement. Unbranded presentation is useful when the crew is expected to operate as a neutral extension of the design or project team, such as on client-facing reveals and model suites.
Do installers bring tools?
Yes. Crews bring standard professional installation tools and equipment for the approved scope of work. Manufacturer-specific or proprietary brackets, hardware and components should accompany the merchandise; where a proprietary component is missing, it is documented and escalated rather than substituting or modifying high-value furniture without authorization.
How do you protect finished floors and walls?
Through floor protection on delivery and installation routes, protective runners where appropriate, padding and moving blankets, door and corner protection, furniture protection during staging and placement, careful work around finished millwork, and documentation of sensitive or pre-existing conditions where appropriate. If a site condition creates a meaningful risk of damage, the crew escalates it rather than improvising to maintain production.
Do you remove packaging and debris?
Yes. Packaging consolidation and removal is part of a standard installation scope, so a room or floor is left in the condition the schedule requires. Volume-heavy disposal, recycling requirements or municipal restrictions are identified in the project quotation.
Can you provide one installer or a large crew?
Both. Crew scale runs from a single installer for a service call, to a small crew for a floor or a day block, to multiple coordinated crews working areas in parallel, to large multi-shift project teams for a full-property program. Single-installer service calls are currently a Greater Montreal Area service and are subject to availability.
Can you support phased, night or weekend installations?
Yes, where required and scheduled. On active large projects, day, night and weekend work can be supported, crews can be coordinated across phases, and additional resources can be reserved against project milestones. Labour for major programs is planned in advance rather than assembled on the day.
Do you work outside Montreal?
Yes for large FF&E, commercial and multi-phase projects, which can be coordinated throughout major Canadian cities and their surrounding markets. Smaller-scope projects and service calls are currently focused on the Greater Montreal Area. Travel and mobilization for out-of-market project work is quoted upfront.
Do you work in the GTA?
Yes. Toronto and the surrounding Greater Toronto Area is one of the markets where large FF&E and commercial project work is coordinated. Applicable WSIB documentation or clearances for crews assigned to Ontario projects can be addressed as required during project onboarding.
Can you secure dedicated warehouse capacity for a major project?
Yes. Next Movement operates warehousing and storage as an ongoing service, and most projects are handled within that capacity. For major FF&E programs that require substantial contiguous space — roughly 8,000 to 25,000+ sq. ft. for a limited project period — dedicated project capacity can be secured and selected against the project’s square footage, inbound schedule, inventory composition, storage duration, location, dock and equipment needs, access, security, fire and building requirements, insurance requirements and proximity to the installation site.
Can clients visit project warehouse facilities?
Facility visits can be arranged by appointment for an active or contracted project, subject to facility and security requirements.
Do you bill hourly or flat-rate?
Defined FF&E projects are generally quoted on a flat-rate project basis rather than open-ended hourly billing. The exception is enhanced receiving and quality control, which is billed at $35 per labour-hour because inspection time depends on the contents of the shipment.
What are your standard FF&E rates?
Published baseline rates are: decommissioning labour $350 per room; disposal and hauling $170 per room; combined decommissioning and disposal $520 per room; 20-foot container receiving $375; 40-foot container receiving $750; 53-foot trailer receiving $900; skid receiving $10 per skid; warehousing $2.30 per sq. ft. per month; pick, label, load and standard 20-foot truck delivery run $615 per run; hotel-room FF&E installation $750 per room; and enhanced receiving and quality control $35 per labour-hour. These are standardized baseline rates for defined hotel and FF&E scopes and are not universal quotations.
How are travel and mobilization charged?
Because FF&E projects are quoted flat-rate, any minimum mobilization requirement is incorporated into the project quotation. For out-of-market projects, applicable travel, accommodation, transportation, mobilization, specialized equipment and facility costs should be identified in the flat-rate proposal upfront rather than appearing unexpectedly during the project.
How far in advance should an FF&E project be booked?
Major FF&E programs should ideally be coordinated well in advance so labour, warehouse capacity, transport and sequencing can be reserved. Small local assignments may require less advance planning and are subject to availability. The binding constraint on a large program is usually warehouse capacity and crew reservation, not truck availability.
How are schedule changes handled?
Construction schedules move, and Next Movement plans for that. Schedule changes are accommodated where resources allow. Cancellation and rescheduling terms are project-specific and provided in the applicable quotation, particularly where labour, trucks, travel, equipment, facilities or third parties have already been committed.
Can you provide insurance documentation?
Next Movement maintains commercial insurance and can coordinate certificates of insurance and project-specific insurance requirements before mobilization. Applicable WSIB documentation or clearances for crews assigned to Ontario projects can be addressed as required during project onboarding. Coverage details and limits are confirmed in the applicable project documentation.
How is client confidentiality handled?
We do not disclose non-public customer information, project documentation or site media without authorization, and we apply the same confidentiality standards to new clients. NDAs are respected and executed where required, and site-photography restrictions are respected on site.
How does someone request an FF&E project quote?
Use the FF&E project intake form on this page. It captures project location and type, approximate size, room count, warehouse square footage, inbound container or trailer volume, storage duration, expected first inbound date, target installation date, desired quality-control level, installation requirements, high-value items and insurance requirements. Documents such as furniture schedules, inventory lists, packing lists, room matrices, floor plans or RFP specifications can be sent by email after initial contact.