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An open floor plan, natural light, movable furniture, informal meeting rooms and roomier office space will allow increase productivity and a better bottom line. Switching to a better office design enables employees to work better together and it maximizes the use of office space. Break free from cubicle design, use eco-friendly office designs and identify existing problems to increase communication and maximize office space. Better office design will not only lead to better employee communication and output, but it also allows you to make a great first impression on other business associates and clients.
Break Free from Cubicle Design
A recent trend is to have everyone working in an open floor plan model. This means doing away with window offices for managers and cubicle offices for other employees. Upper management is seated in a large room and shares their space with every other employee in the company. This allows for open communication between employees and their managers. It is just one way to improve communication in the workplace. Remove cubicles and take down the barriers that prevent employees from open communication. Base your new office design on functionality, ease of use, purpose of office space and a mobile work style model. Create small hubs where employees can gather and discuss ideas.
Eco-Friendly Office Design
Another recent trend is for companies to go green. Saving the environment is an important topic that both large and small companies must address. Regardless of the size of your business, you can make a difference by conserving energy, maximizing natural light in your office space, using recycled materials and recycling, creating a healthier workplace environment and purchasing eco-friendly office equipment. Ecoply is just one example of the materials are used today to make office furniture that is sturdy and useful, but also breaks down in landfills more easily than traditional materials.
Identify Existing Problems before Redesigning the Office Space
It is absolutely necessary to identify the existing problems that exist with your office space before you come up with a new office design floor plan. You must first come up with solutions to incorporate when the office space is redesign. This is your chance to iron out all the bugs, get rid of pet peeves with an office space and increase productivity.
Lack of communication and relying on e-mail too much our problems that commonly affect workers in a traditionally designed office space. This is something that needs be considered before you enter the redesign and construction phase. Also consider upgrading your computers and technology first. Once you do this you'll notice that you need smaller office furniture and can create more office space.
What Can a Better Office Design Accomplish?
Maybe you are on the fence about whether to even change your office design. Why mess with perfectly good office space and furniture that could last a few more years? It may be standing on all four legs, but is it really doing its job? Outdated office furniture limits office space and productivity. New office furniture is designed with function and space in mind. You can maximize both by updating old pieces. Consider the benefits the company and the employees would receive from by improving the office space:
- Better morale
- Higher motivation
- Increased creativity
- Increase productivity
- Improved communication
- More revenue
- Better teamwork
- Fewer pet peeve's and irritations
- Better comfort
- More attractive work space
- Better first impression of the business on business associates and potential clients
Also consider that the improvements in office design that your employees will benefit from are the same things that will impress outsiders. Business associates and visitors will feel the healthier environment and will also benefit from improved communications. Clients will also feel more comfortable doing business with your company if they enter a happier environment that runs smoothly. It stands to reason that you will not only improve the morale of your employees, but you will also improve your relationships with other business associates and clients. What does this mean for business owners? A better office design and an open floor plan can actually increase your revenue and help build your business.
