Pointers on Making Your Office a More Efficient Working Space

Some company offices operate at a much more efficient pace – have you ever wondered why this is? Although each and every company is unique, some offices are more productive than other companies’ offices.

In this article, we’re going to discuss some of the factors that come into play, which you can adjust to make your workforce more efficient.

Light

Let’s start with the amount and kind of light an office gets. Any office will benefit from lots of natural light. Though this can come from skylights and windows, if there’s little opportunity for natural light you could invest in full-spectrum light bulbs.

These emit light which is more like that of natural light. Experiments have shown that exposure to this light elevates mood and makes people more astute after about 30 minutes of exposure.

 

Temperature

In the winter the office can get cold – workers typing while wearing gloves are a good indicator of this. An office worker who’s too cold most certainly won’t be concentrating.

In the summer, the office can be too hot, and it can even get too hot during the winter. We’ve all experienced coming back from lunch and almost falling asleep at our desks because the office temperature is like we’re on holiday.

Keeping the temperature to a comfort zone between 72 degrees Fahrenheit and 77 degrees Fahrenheit has scientifically been proven to allow people to work at an optimum productivity level.

 

Office layouts

With several different plans to choose from, your office layout needs to be organised; neat, uncluttered and designed in a way that allows staff to communicate with one another in an easy manner.

 

Cubicle layout

The cubicle layout offers each office worker some privacy with wall partitions that may or may not ascend all the way to the ceiling. Each cubicle contains the occupant’s office furniture and equipment but often a line printer is shared.

Each cubicle is connected by a walkway in between, allowing a level of easy communication for staff.

 

Open plan

This type of office layout is very good for allowing staff to communicate easily. Without the wall partitions, it allows for an office environment where people simply talk to one another and can be more encouraging.

 

Incubator office plans

Incubator offices are rented to more than one company at the same time and they can consist of open plan or the cubicle types. Each company is assigned its own space and each company only uses this space.

 

Brief office rentals

These again are relatively new in practice. They operate on a short term rental principal, where companies rent office space by the day, week or month.

These office rentals come fully furnished and equipped – a big bonus for travelling business people who need a local operation setup fast.

 

Which plan is best?

Well, that would depend upon your company. A creative department of a business might very well benefit from open plan, so people can share ideas on large projects easily. On the flip side, a sales department might very well benefit from a cubicle layout so each employee gets the privacy to concentrate on a deal.

Recent studies have shown workers exposed to 30 minutes of low level, background office noise while working have lower motivational levels in solving puzzles. This is compared to those who were exposed to silence while performing the same trivial office tasks.

There again, a cubicle layout will certainly cause a level of employee discontent; humans are social animals, after all.

Whatever plan you decide is best for your company, you should ensure good air-conditioning of around 72-77 degrees Fahrenheit and as much full-spectrum light as possible.

About the author

Marianne is a computer aided designer for Spacelink in Surrey, UK. She enjoys writing articles about anything work associated. For more information, visit http://www.spacelink.co.uk/

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Gary

CEO at 3Bug Media
Gary Shouldis is the founder of 3Bug Media, a web marketing company that helps businesses create 360 Marketing Strategies to dominate their market. His blog is read by over 20 thousand small business owners a month and has been featured in the N.Y. Times Small Business, Business Insider and Yahoo Small Business.