4 Ways to Utilise Your Office Space Effectively

It's no secret that the right office space is essential to the success of your business. Having the right environment, be it open plan, cubicles or hot desks can help to drive productivity as well as create opportunities for creativity and collaboration.

There are a couple of factors that go into having an effective workspace, the first being the office design and layout and the second being how you manage it.

Overall workplace satisfaction can be affected by numerous factors- the look and feel of the office, the lighting and even the noise levels. So how do you maximise it?

Here are 4 ways you can use your office space effectively to increase employee satisfaction and productivity.

Incorporate Effective Storage Solutions

We live in a world that is increasingly digital and the term "paperless" is being thrown around a lot. While a lot of business have moved to a more paperless way of working, it is not only paper that needs storage.

Tambour cupboards are a good way of storing office items, stationary and other objects in spaces where a walkway is needed. The sliding doors don't need to open outwards so this can save space without blocking people with the doors open.

Integrating wall storage, while can be slightly more permanent, means that the storage shelves can go up to the ceiling providing more storage capacity than a simple bookcase or tall cupboard. As it is fixed to the wall as well, you are not using any extra space and forms part of the wall. We also have options for placing imagery on the doors or front. This can be anything you want and can incorporate your company colours, logo or imagery related to your company.

Pedestals, particularly mobile pedestals are a great way to keep peoples personal items in a safe place, close at hand and under the desk which doesn't take up valuable space in the office. If pedestals are not enough, we also have a range of wooden lockers that can be placed outside of the office area and can be designed in a number of different ways to suit your needs.

Give your Office Some Personality

Studies have shown that people who have a more personal and vibrant environment tend to be more productive than those who don't. This is because an individual's environment has a direct impact on their mood, which in turn affects how they work. Even on a subconscious level, we can tell when something doesn't feel right in our environment—and it makes us feel uneasy and unfocused.

There are many ways to add personality to your office from as simply adding decorations to looking at the colour scheme. By adding vibrant colours (that reflect your business) you can create an inviting work environment. We have written a blog about colours and there affect which you can read more here.

Ensure That There is Natural Light Present

In order to increase your staff's productivity when they are working in the office, it is important to ensure that there is natural light present. This can help with the way that your employees feel about their work environment, as well as the way that they perform.

There are a number of different ways that natural light can be used to increase productivity. One of the most obvious ways is by encouraging your employees to spend their breaks outside, where they will be exposed to natural light.

Another way is by having windows on one side of the room so that there is always some sunlight coming through at all times.

However, if this isn't possible in your office space then it might be worth investing in some artificial lighting that mimics natural sunlight and helps provide a similar effect for those who work indoors often.

Open Plan Offices are Larger and Promote Collaboration

An open plan office can work for your business, but it's important to think about the way that your business works and how you want your employees to interact with each other. An open plan space will allow you to have more interaction between employees, which might be good if you are looking for a collaborative environment. However, it can also mean that you don't have as much privacy as you would with an enclosed office or private office. You may have issues with noise level or other distractions from other people in the room.

Open plan offices are great at maximising office space. If you still need to section off areas, freestanding screens are a great way to do this without separating people off into their own room.

There will be an increase in noise with open plan offices. Strategically placing acoustic panelling and products can dramatically reduce the amount of noise pollution in the office. We have a large selection of acoustic panelling and acoustically treated products for any office which you can view here.