5 Brilliant Space Planning Tips That Will Increase Your Office’s Productivity
People don’t always realise how important it is to do proper space planning in offices. It is vital to create an office environment that is optimised to promote productivity. A properly planned office layout can make a huge difference to staff satisfaction and comfort. It goes beyond just using the available space to cram in your employees. The space has to be used efficiently in order to create a viable work milieu and increase the ease with which employees perform their jobs.
A lot of information can be gathered online from professionals who specialise in creating the most viable and effective office layouts. Here we provide you with some great space planning tips that not only apply to the offices, but also the social areas where your employees will spend their breaks and lunches.
- Get the planning right: Before you venture out to purchase new office furniture for particular spaces, some serious planning is needed. The offices have to be measured and the everyday tasks of the person have to be taken into account. For instance, if you have a person who has to deal with the photocopier numerous times during the day, they need to be close to the photocopier. If you have someone who draws up plans, they may need easy access to drawing boards. The space that employees find themselves in should be geared towards increasing their comfort and provide access to the various resources they need. This is why it is important to identify the various tasks that people perform, and then put them in the best position to perform these tasks.
- Dispose of bad furniture: Employees spend the majority of their day at work. If the environment and the furniture provided are inferior or uncomfortable, performance will inevitably suffer. Sometimes. sick days are taken by employees suffering from discomfort or injuries due to badly designed, broken, or ineffective items of furniture. This is why one of the best space planning tips is to get rid of the pieces of furniture that are old, non-functioning, or badly designed. While it may cost more to purchase ergonomically designed pieces, the comfort and ease of movement of employees are increased, and as a result, they should be more productive. If you have budgetary constraints, sell the used furniture to a supplier in order to get some money back to spend on space planning that will really work.
- Consider various options: The accountant may not need as big a desk as the receptionist, so it is important to know that different jobs require different amounts of space. The quality and ease of working have to be taken into account. Different rooms have different requirements, and some may need more flexibility than others. Take, for instance, a conference room – a dividing wall (or walls) that can be slid into position to divide the space into smaller rooms could be very functional to create training rooms or breakout rooms.
- Take care of your technology needs: These days, most employees use some type of technology, but they don’t want to be caught up in wires and plugs. One of the great space planning tips also includes making use of desks and tables that provide access to electric sockets, as well as internet connections with hidden, built-in wire passages that allow employees to connect to all the relevant resources without being entangled in wires. In conference rooms, you need desktop plugs and effortless access to projectors, wireless comms, and screens.
- Ask your employees what they need: One of the best tips we can give you is to get cooperation from your employees by making them part of the decision-making process. Space planning is no different. Involve the people who work at the designated points and ask them for suggestions and tips that will make their work environments more comfortable.
Space planning tips generally do not focus on the business; they focus on the needs of the employees. Be sure to address your employees’ needs before spending money on a new office layout and furniture. For more advice on sprucing up your offices for your employees and your clients, contact us today.
