Office space is a precious resource which needs to be managed very carefully to ensure that it is a place conducive to productivity. A cluttered and stuffy office is likely to have a negative impact on how your employees work and leave them counting the seconds until they clock out.
With that in mind, take a look around your office and think if it is set up for optimum performance. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean you have to invest in lots of new furniture or new office space to accommodate your staff. Often, simple changes can make a big difference, as these five tips for creating an organized office will show you.
Time to be Ruthless
Take a look around the office and identify the items of office furniture you use. Carefully assess your use of space and filing systems. If you recognize lots of dead space or furniture which isn’t fit for purpose, then it is time to get ruthless.
This may mean that you need to do some major shredding, or that you need to dispose of excess furniture. Some old storage cabinets and other furniture could even be repurposed. Either way, taking care of these space hoggers will free up lots of extra space to be used for other activities.
Think About Work Flows
When you start looking at your existing office layout, take the time to consider the workflows of the team members in certain areas. This will help you position the equipment and supplies so that they are readily available to the people that most need them.
A lot of time is wasted by employees having to spend lots of time looking for equipment, walking to a print-room, or searching high and low for important documents.
Think of the Trees
Many, many companies still use paper-based documents, which take up a lot of space in the office. The obvious solution to this is to move to a cloud system where records can be easily stored and shared. However, if you do insist on using paper, try and create effective methods of storage and disposal.
Do you really need documents from ten years ago? If not, get the shredder out and say goodbye to the dust collectors. Create a logical filing system so that people know exactly where to find notes on meetings, schedules, and action plans.
Think About Storage
Desk drawers or desktop organizers can make a real difference when trying to create clutter-free desks. Over recent years, there has been an increased focus on office design, and many furniture manufacturers have taken this into account by creating innovative solutions.
If you are trying to create a dynamic workplace, then you will have to have storage fit for this purpose.
Think About Your Company Culture
Think carefully about space and the type of work employees are likely to be doing. Some employees naturally require less stuff, while others will be more likely to spread out. Take this into account with your choice of furniture and at desk storage, so that creative types don’t infringe on more pragmatic workers’ worktops.
