A highly disciplined, strategic approach to furniture and audio visual technology procurement has turned the Salem State College campus into a better place for learning and working.

Thanks to a 10-year collaboration between Salem State and Red Thread, all furniture and audio video purchases are guided by campus-wide standards that streamline decision-making, keep costs in check, and create consistency for everyone from freshmen to faculty.

An internal web site provides departments with a selection of furniture options that have been pre-approved by the school’s procurement team. While this approach ensures that departments purchase high quality, durable items, it also benefits the school by creating a uniform look and feel throughout all campus facilities.

Red Thread helped the school create similar guidelines for audio visual technology, which has helped Salem State set benchmarks for the implementation of technology-enabled classrooms at the state college level. With technology such as interactive whiteboards, DVD players and projectors in more than 70% of its classrooms, Salem State is meeting the expectations of both faculty and today’s tech-savvy students. A consistent approach to the user interface helps ensure that faculty is able to use the technology in any room with ease.

As Salem State’s principal supplier of furniture and audio visual technology, Red Thread is on campus weekly, assisting with moves, reconfigurations, and adjustments to standards. Red Thread also helps with new projects, which provide the school with the opportunity to take its procurement strategy to the next level. For one recent project, a temporary library facility, Red Thread is providing classroom technology, as well as furniture that support industry standards for green buildings, and moveable walls that will allow the school to reconfigure the space as its needs evolve.

“Red Thread has helped to transform the Salem State experience for faculty, staff and students alike. Their expertise in melding furniture, AV technology and flexible architectural systems has been invaluable in improving the quality of our facilities, creating a more cohesive campus and ensuring that the investments we’ve made in our interiors will have a long-term impact”

Evelyn Wilson
Director of Procurement
Salem State University