At Quantum Office Furniture, we keep abreast, if not ahead, of new trends that affect or relate to our industry – the supply and installation of appointments for the modern, functional, ever-changing workplace.
Prior to the advent of the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic, increasing numbers of corporate companies were already permitting certain staff members to work from home, only expecting them to come into the office periodically or when called upon to do so. Occasional physical presence in the company office is usually required for group, client or individual meetings, in-person conferences, workshops and team-building or training sessions.
However, COVID-19 and the stringently enforced, essential prevention, containment and social distancing measures, as recommended and implemented by most organisations, changed all that was previously customary. A new way of working (for South Africans), for which large sections of the population had been lobbying for decades, had arrived.
Within South Africa and worldwide, almost wherever modern communication and information technology is functional, providing an alternative option to being physically present, many, if not most, people are working remotely, from the relative safety of their own homes.
It’s unlikely that this tendency will change in the future after coronavirus has ceased to present a threat. Therefore, it really is worthwhile to equip your residential office properly.
When working from home, your spot may be in the kitchen or at a dining room table, a suitable site in the lounge, or a separate study/library. Some, who use a laptop, are known to work from the cosy comfort of their beds.
Presently, the bed/bedroom is particularly popular as it’s a place to keep warm, especially now that icy winter weather has set in, and, as a consequence, the nationwide supply of electricity is under more than usual pressure.
Nonetheless, those in the know recommend the use of a private, dedicated space or place in which to seclude yourself to enable you to work most efficiently from home. A home office that is equipped with functional, practical home office furniture is perfect. Focus and concentration are as important as ever, as is time spent productively.
Ideally, your home office furniture should be located in a separate room with a door that you can close to prevent interruptions, untimely intrusions, noise and other elements that may distract you from your tasks or interfere with your ability to concentrate. In a separate home office that is actually spacious, you may virtually go to town with your choice of home office furniture.
However, when the available space at your disposal is at a premium, you need to be somewhat more selective about the number of pieces, the type, design and aesthetic appearance of your home office furniture, as well as each item’s optimal placement.
In other words, a degree of space planning is helpful, if not essential, particularly if available space consists of only a corner or portion of a room in the home, where you can semi-isolate yourself.
When working from home or from within a formal office, an untidy, cluttered space in which you can barely swing a cat is not conducive to comfort and productivity. You certainly don’t want to bump into furniture each time you try to move about in your workspace. Bruises and bumps fail to enhance and promote workplace performance or commitment to the job at hand.
There is a solution, though, and the following are potential steps in the process of furnishing your place of work.
In addition to being reputable suppliers of modern, quality home office furniture and accessories at affordable prices to match your budget, Quantum also offers a space planning service. Although this optional service is mainly utilised by the corporate sector, particularly in larger, more formal open-plan settings, a home office setting may be equally challenging.
Quantum’s knowledge and expertise equip this division to provide space planning suggestions for a variety of workplace configurations. Be smart. Make Quantum your home office furniture supplier of choice.