The unsettled state of the economy has caused many small and emerging businesses to put workplace improvement, expansion or relocation plans on hold. As a result, some business owners may be feeling the pinch of operating under less than ideal conditions, including cramped employee work environment; insufficient inventory or storage space; and minimal or non-existent visitor areas.
The answer to the dilemma could be to take a new look at the configuration of the overall business floor plan. Businesses that used only a “bodies per square feet” ratio to calculate the number of office cubicles or production workstations are often surprised when that original layout is re-assessed. By taking less obvious factors into consideration, it can be amazing how efficiency is improved or how much space is recovered.
Some of the additional factors include:
Nature of work – Think about the interaction that will be needed between different employees, and place those individuals within closer proximity to each other. This cuts down on foot traffic as well as the tendency to have distracting conversations across other workers or over cubicle walls. If you can effectively group people working on like tasks in a shared area, that can also save space.
Perimeter floor space – Assess usage of the perimeter space surrounding workstations or cubicles. Are fax machines and copiers easily accessible? Would it save travel time and distance to have supply stations in two or three different areas? Is there an easily navigable path for staff or visitors passing through the office, one that will minimize employee distraction?
Visitor reception – Even if a company does not have a lot of direct customer traffic, it still needs an appropriate waiting area for visitors, including vendors, salespeople or job applicants. No separate room to set aside for this traffic? Defining the reception area can readily be accomplished by setting up an extended cubicle wall behind the reception desk, establishing a sense of privacy in both that space and the office space or production area behind it.
The reception area doesn’t need to be massive or lavish. It can be as simple as a few chairs and a small table with trade publications. If there is room, include a display of company products or information about services. It’s important to present a professional appearance to every visitor, including prospective employees.
Ask your employees to make constructive suggestions and actively participate in the reconfiguration process. They know better than anyone what challenges the current workspace may present, and the chance to brainstorm together and come up with creative solutions will be a morale booster for everyone.
Copyright
31May