Two Decades of Breakthrough Digital INNOVATION
Herman Miller

Strategy & Development Case Study: Herman Miller​

Inspiring Innovation and Transformation Through Decades of Partnership

For over 20 years, CQL’s team of business strategists, experience designers, and software engineers have worked alongside the leaders at Herman Miller to envision new ideas, create technological efficiencies and digitally transform their business.

From the recent launch of the Internet of Things (IoT) sensing technology, which monitors space utilization, all the way back to the 90’s with the launch of their first dealer project tracking tools and marketing portals, we have partnered with Herman Miller to work better, together. This long-term relationship has spanned many collaborative projects, including:

• Business planning and envisioning
• Rapid prototyping new tools
• Launch support
• Lead management tools
• Advancing workplace design technology

Herman Miller

Technology

Internet of Things
SQL Analysis Server/PowerBI
Rapid Prototyping
CRM & Lead Management

Data analytics through powerful tools
Contoured Herman Miller chairs

Custom Business Intelligence Dashboard Enables Data-Informed Decisions About Workspace Utilization

Herman Miller’s Space Utilization system tracks IoT data from wireless sensors attached to furniture. The sensors transmit data so clients, which include some of the largest companies in the world, can track and measure optimal office space utilization. This helps office managers create  a work atmosphere that is comfortable and functional, and one that brings a sense of belonging to its employees. The business intelligence system we built gathers volumes of near real-time data that can be sorted, queried, and shared.

How We Engineered a Custom BI Solution​

Every ten seconds, IoT sensors gather information and determine if a space is in use and how many people are in the room. This information is transferred via cell technology to an IoT hub and then to a custom Microsoft SQL analysis engine. The data is displayed on a custom .NET business intelligence dashboard, which leverages Power BI for advanced reporting.

Herman Miller black office chairs

Rapid Prototyping Tools for Strategic Sales Initiatives

With over 50 years of insights, Herman Miller knows what it takes to design the most productive and comfortable workplaces. Alongside their experts, our experience designers and web developers rapidly prototyped an application for workplace programing. The tool encourages collaborative work sessions and delivers results in a fraction of the time compared to the traditional workplace design process. The application now has over 400 users and is being used to plan 37 million square feet of workspace.

Providing Launch Support and Lead Management Tools for New Product Initiatives​​

Because Herman Miller is a company of entrepreneurial thinkers, they execute new ideas quickly and have often needed strategic and tactical support to launch new products and services in the market. This has included digital campaigns, such as email marketing initiatives for new products and events, as well as setting up Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to connect prospective customers to dealers.
Standing desk with multiple monitor positions