Consultancy

The traditional approach to consultancy is rapidly becoming a thing of the past.

FIRA’s experts are being used less and less for small, technical, troubleshooting jobs and much more for larger, innovative projects. These projects (undertaken both in the UK and overseas) offer technical and / or business solutions and are, more often than not, implemented using a team of consultants.

Whilst FIRA’s skills at troubleshooting will always be useful, our experts’ real strengths lie in their abilities to combine their skills to apply technical, process and business knowledge to great effect.

Larger organisations, and organisations overseas, use FIRA’s expertise to undertake privately funded work. However, part funding from Government for smaller companies is still very much in evidence. This funding enables organisations to:

• Investigate innovative ideas to enable improvements in product, process or service. This could include the transfer of novel techniques from one sector to another.
• Research and development projects aimed at making a business more competitive and efficient.
• Development projects looking at pre-production prototypes of a new process involving significant technical advance.
• Exceptional development projects that would be of strategic importance to the UK

FIRA’s consultants share a wide range of expertise including:

Manufacturing

• business solutions
• environment
• ergonomics
• flammability regulations
• health and safety
• lean operations
• supply chain management
• training

Retailing

• after sales care
• business solutions
• dispute resolution
• ergonomics
• flammability regulations
• furniture inspections in the UK and abroad
• general product safety regulations
• sales of goods act
• training

Product quality

• ergonomics
• board materials and moisture
• fabric and upholstery (including beds)
• finishing technologies
• fire safety of upholstered products
• fitness for purpose
• furniture fitting and installation (including kitchens etc)
• glass in furniture
• product safety
• structural stability, strength and durability
• timber defects

Product sectors

• beds
• kitchens
• office and contract furniture
• domestic furniture
• upholstery, textiles and leathers

Contact: Sue Calver
E-mail

Contact: Sue Brighten
E-mail

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