Efficiency rules the day in any good office, and the right setup points it at the right direction
No matter the industry, productivity reigns supreme for most businesses. While some would argue that clientele is what keeps it going, it is the efficiency in which a company conducts its business and provides its products or services that allows them to continue attracting the aforementioned clients.
Expectedly, great productivity comes from the office employees, who in turn are more likely to do well when their workspace favors their well-being and is designed to help them work more effectively. There are many factors to consider when ensuring efficient office space, as it commonly also depends on nature of the business. However, there are some basics that generally apply to all.
1. Design
While to the uninitiated office design may only involve the way the space looks, the layout actually has a great correlation with work efficiency. These days the trend among offices, especially startups, is the open-layout office design.
Almost 70 percent favor this layout because of how gives a sense of group togetherness, and encourages collaboration, creativity, and, yes, productivity. The flexibility the layout provides allows more employees to make use of the space.
Unfortunately, with the open-office layout comes minimal privacy, and as Maria Konnikova wrote in The New Yorker: “Psychologically, the repercussions of open offices are relatively straightforward. Physical barriers have been closely linked to psychological privacy, and a sense of privacy boosts job performance.”
So while open layouts is beneficial for working together, it seems it’s not best for individual performance. Hence, office space must be designed dependent on the nature of the business and the job responsibilities of each employee and department.
2. Location
In highly urban locales, the commute to and from work is unfortunately part of the job description. According to Numbeo, which compares traffic data from 88 countries, the Philippines ranks ninth worst in terms of negative traffic situation, citing that the average one-way travel for workers in the country is almost 46 minutes.
When magnified to the traffic common to areas like Metro Manila, and it goes without saying that the commute becomes too an aspect of any job. If an office is ideally located, its efficiency becomes much better as most employees will not have to expend too much energy on their regular commutes.
Apart from traffic considerations, and efficient office location is one with relatively easy access to commercial establishments, where employees do not need to take too long looking for a place to have lunch, go on meetings, or purchase what they need for the office.
3. Comfort
Employee productivity can only go as far as the workers’ bodies allow. At the end of a long day, muscles in the neck and back can start to feel sore, and even heads can start to ache. In the world of “there’s always more work to do” offices, employees often stop working simply because they are physically compelled to.
Investing a little time and resources into ergonomic considerations can go a long way in ensuring office workers are healthier for longer, resulting in working that is better. Basic considerations include making sure desks and computer screens are at appropriate heights, chairs are comfortable, and functioning air conditioners and thermostats that are always kept clean.
While seemingly minimal, natural light also plays a key in the comfort and effectiveness of an office. Poorly lit offices rarely exude high functioning environments, and can contribute to chronic eye strain. The more natural light that can be let in, the better. If not possible, Halogen lamps providing superior brightness are adequate substitutes.
4. Equipment and Storage
Equipping the office with the right technologies is key in ensuring its efficiency. By having computers that are always up-to-date and secure is essential, as well as having the right backup systems in place. This is because system crashes are not little hindrances, but large inconveniences that can not only kill productivity, but set back the work of a worker, department, or entire company.
Since physical files have not yet been completely eliminated in today’s workplaces, the right filing system and storage equipment will help keep all office materials organized. By eliminating clutter and working out an easy-to-follow filing and storage setup, no important documents or materials get misplaced, avoiding time wasted on their search.
Main photo via IngImage
This article was sponsored by Regus Philippines.
Regus, the world’s largest provider of workspace, provides business owners and office managers with flexible workspaces that more than meet the basic criteria for optimum worker well-being. It is present in 3,000 locations in 900 cities and 120 countries across the globe. The company’s diverse clientele include Google, Toshiba, and GlaxoSmithKline. Regus’ offers workspace solutions for all ranges of business types, in leasing periods of as little as a few minutes to as much as several years.
