Office Optimisation
Your office is much more than a place for your staff to work. It's the home of your company, where your people come together to innovate, collaborate, and perform.
Office design can improve staff productivity and company profitability by up to 21%! Even as you read this article, your office is affecting your company's performance - for better or worse.
'So how can we make sure our office is helping our company to perform as well as possible?' is likely the question you're asking yourself right now. As a workspace consultancy, project management, design, and build company, it's a question that we get asked every week.
Today, we'll go through 8 ways you can improve your office to optimise the productivity of your company and the profitability of your staff. By the end, you'll know how to optimise your office and where to get started.
Flexible Workspaces
The most important way you can optimise your office is to make it flexible. Your people work on a wide range of roles and tasks. They need very different things from their workspace to support this variety.
Flexible workspaces include a variety of different environments. These include collaborative areas, breakout spaces, and focus zones. A flexible workspace allows staff to work however suits them, maximising their productivity.
You can make sure your workspace is flexible by creating different environments that suit the way your people work. This will look different for every company, so it’s important to analyse how your people work and what type of spaces you need. https://www.zenturaworkspace.co.uk/post/agile-working-definitions-principles-practicesLearn more about creating a flexible workspace here.
Customisation
While a flexible workspace is important, to ensure that your office truly works for all your staff, you have to enable customisation. No two staff use your office in the same way. They are all different, and work in different ways on different tasks on different days.
Customisation helps your people feel more comfortable in your workspace. Not only does their workspace suit their needs much better, but they also have a degree of control over their environment. This increases their satisfaction and engagement.
Customisation doesn’t necessarily mean allowing staff to have personal effects on their desks, though it may include this. It's primarily about including a variety of environments equipped with modular furniture and movable partitions. As a result, staff can adapt their space to suit their needs. To learn more about workspace personalisation, read this article.
Efficient Layout
Given that real estate is the second highest overhead cost for most companies, it's crucial that you don't waste it. You need to make sure your office layout is as effective and efficient as possible.
An efficient layout ensures you aren't wasting money on under-utilised office space. It also reduces wasted time and movement for your staff. An efficient layout streamlines processes, reduces distractions, and enhances communication.
To make your workspace layout more efficient, make sure your office suits the way your people work, as this is the most common source of waste. You should also minimise desking, partitioning, and meeting rooms. To learn more about improving your space utilisation, read this article.
Natural Lighting
Improving the use of natural light in your office is one of the biggest optimisations you can make. Studies have shown that effective lighting can increase productivity by up to 20%!
Exposure to natural light boosts mood, and energy levels, leading to better overall health and productivity. Effective artificial lighting also reduces eye strain and can mimic the effects of natural light.
To optimise the lighting in your office, make sure the most used environments are situated near windows. Individual offices and boardrooms are poor uses of natural light, as rarely used. You should also ensure you’re artificial lighting is daylight balanced to mimic the effects of natural light as much as possible.
Biophilic Design
Biophilic design is the integration of natural features and elements into your workspace. As well as natural light, this includes fresh air and natural features and finishes, such as wooden flooring and woollen upholstery.
Studies have proven that natural elements in the workspace reduce stress, as well as improve wellbeing and creativity. As a result, effective biophilic design will improve the performance of your staff and company overall.
To maximise biophilic design in your office, use natural materials wherever possible. This includes floors, walls, ceilings, and furniture. Office plants are a convenient addition while living walls can be a stunning design feature.
Ergonomic Furniture
One of the most basic yet important ways to optimise the performance of your people is to ensure your furniture is ergonomic. Ergonomic furniture supports effective positioning and good posture for staff. It applies to all your furniture, but especially to task chairs, desks, and collaboration furniture.
Ergonomic furniture helps prevent discomfort and injuries. As a result, staff absenteeism is much lower, and their wellbeing and productivity are improved.
To ensure your furniture is ergonomic, make sure it is good quality commercial-grade furniture. Adjustability is especially important, as it’s crucial that your furniture is suitable for all your staff.
Technology Integration
Technology plays an ever-bigger role in business, and it is now a crucial part of an optimised workspace. High-speed internet, hybrid meeting suites and collaboration tech are all a part of the modern office. Smart access control and resource booking are also important technology tools.
Technology in your office will make your people more efficient and productive, as well as help them to collaborate. It can also make your office more efficient, by optimising energy usage.
To ensure that the performance of your office is optimised using technology, you should first consider personal technology, such as laptops. Hybrid meeting suites and smart whiteboards will improve collaboration. You should also consider space technology such as access control.
Acoustic Management
It's often overlooked, but acoustic management is an essential part of optimising your office. Effective acoustic management involves managing noise levels to reduce distractions without damaging atmosphere.
Noise pollution is one of the most common office fit out regrets, and can severely reduce the wellbeing and performance of your people. Excessive noise can lead to stress and decreased productivity.
To improve the acoustic management in your office, ensure your layout minimises distractions. Acoustic products such as wall panels and acoustically optimised furniture will reduce background noise. You could even install a sound-masking system to neutralise distracting background noise. To learn more, read How to Reduce Noise Pollution in Your Office.
Optimising Your Office
Workspace design can improve the overall performance of your company by up to 21%. As a result, it's crucial for your success that your office is fully optimised. Flexible, adaptable, and smart workspaces ensure your people are as productive as possible. Natural lighting, biophilia, and ergonomic furniture ensure their physical and mental health, further boosting their performance.
By optimising your workspace like this, you're ensuring that your office contributes positively to the performance of your company. Your office will be able to unlock the potential in your people and your company.
To learn more about creating effective office environments, download your copy of Office Design and Productivity - The Ultimate Guide. There, you'll get the full breakdown of the why, how and what of staff performance and office design.
To keep learning about creating effective workspaces, read
