Designer seating from the Dauphin HumanDesign Group meets exacting ergonomic standards / Individual “Dynamic Sitting” training sessions at all 460 workstations

Offenhausen – October 2009. The Sparkasse insurance groups are known for their distinct regional focus and decentralised organisation. They work closely with the Sparkasse banks in their regional business areas. In 2008, their income from premiums was around €16.6 billion, making them the second-largest player in the German insurance market.

Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen is one of a total of eleven direct insurer groups. Established in 1992, it covers the German Free State of Saxony. The group believes that showing responsibility for the region begins with looking after its employees. “If staff aren't motivated, they won’t provide the high level of customer service we’re famous for,” said Bernd Nachtnebel, Head of the General Management department at Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen.

The headquarters in Dresden recently invited companies to submit bids to supply new office chairs. The company’s occupational-health requirements were clearly defined: “We wanted seating which would offer all our staff the ultimate in comfort and ergonomics,” said Nachtnebel. The company was also looking for an attractive design which would fit in well with its very distinctive office building. Nachtnebel explained: “We were looking for chairs which offered the right combination of ergonomics and design. This would ensure that every employee could sit healthily, whilst emphasising the innovative, bold architecture of our building.”

To encourage staff to sit correctly, the Dauphin HumanDesign Group (DHDG) gave individual briefings at all 460 workstations. Having realised that even the best office chair offers ergonomic benefits only if used correctly, the ergonomic experts at the DHDG attach great importance to providing tailor-made customer services (including on-site training).

When selecting the optimum office chair, those responsible finally opted for “Cubo” from Züco, the DHDG’s Swiss brand. Züco offers exclusive, design and architecture-oriented chairs as well as lounge and seminar seating for the upper market segment. The Züco brand name is synonymous with a sophisticated, Swiss-quality seating culture.

“Cubo” was the compelling choice – not only because of its timeless, cubic appearance but also because of its sophisticated mechanism which ensures that members of staff of all sizes can sit in great comfort. This attractive chair encourages users to adopt a “dynamic seated posture” (i.e. frequent postural changes) as recommended by occupational health practitioners.

The DHDG also supplied seating for Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen's training and conference rooms which offer space for around 70 people. In this case, the company opted for “Froggy” from Dauphin. The Dauphin brand is regarded as a trendsetter in the areas of occupational medicine and ergonomic seating. The four-legged “Froggy” chairs not only add a distinctive touch to the insurer’s meeting areas but are highly versatile too. They can easily be stacked and stowed away if extra space is needed.

In contrast, an individually configured counter from Bosse’s “modul space” furniture system was used to create the imposing reception area. The DHDG’s Bosse brand is synonymous with intelligent, space-saving structural systems and the modular, designoriented “modul space” furniture range. The “modul space” reception counter is a central design feature at Sparkassen-Versicherung Sachsen and is perfectly tailored to the company’s corporate design. Elegantly coloured, it gives the entrance area a unique sense of structure and function.