Seymour Powell Foresight (SPF) was appointed in 2002 to conduct research to assist with the development of Staverton products.

The objective of the research undertaken by SPF was to identify workplace and technology trends and to formulate a product and design strategy for the office furniture market from 2005 onwards.

Workplace trends included subjects examining corporate reinvention; flattened hierarchies; creative team-space; and the war for talent.

Technology trends included integration and take-up rates for laptops, handheld devices, flat screens, wireless LAN and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). The research examined potential issues and implications of new technologies effecting mobility, connectivity, adjustability, ergonomics and security.

Another key component of the research, sort to understand the purchasing priorities for each set of decision makers involved in any project, all of whom had different priorities