Tuesday, March 8, 2011

How office fitouts can improve productivity

What’s the most important decision you will ever make in terms of your business?

While your mind is racing forward to future investments, mergers, new products and material innovations, stop for a moment and backtrack to right at the start, when you were first setting up the office for your business, because that’s where some of the most crucial choices for your future success rest.

To be blunt, making money is the object of any business, and productivity is the key to making money. What’s the key to productivity? A comfortable and functional working space. That’s where quality office fitouts fit in. When employees are given a well-designed space in which to work, they will tend to concentrate and stay on task. When your employees are happy and applied in their duties, you will be left with more free time to concentrate on managing and expanding the scope of your business. If you’re just setting out in a new business venture, or are an existing business owner who is not receiving the expected results and growth, it’s certainly worth considering how office fitouts can improve productivity.

Of course, the most appropriate office fitouts will be different for every business. The office fitouts most conducive to productivity are those that take into account the specific activities carried out in the office, alongside the goals of the company, which will be unique to each industry. However, although each company has its own set of specific office requirements, office fitouts that efficiently boost productivity will always display attention to comfort, workflow and ease of communication.

It doesn’t take a lot of thinking to see that the more comfortable employees are, the more productive they will be. From the width of hallways to the height of windows, shape of desks and positioning of partitions, all the specifics of office fitouts can have a lot of impact on the comfort and thus the productivity of employees.
Office fitouts conducive of productivity also pay attention to improving workflow. Effectual office fitouts allow interaction of staff without obstacles. This can be achieved with the introduction of mobile workstation furniture and spacious open plan rooms. Consider featuring sliding doors in your office to stylishly separate areas and create the illusion of space. In case of multi-level workplaces, installation of an elevator is recommended.

Ease of communication is essential for a productive working environment. Office fitouts that favour an open plan space and abolish individual rooms for employees will mean less barriers to communication between employees, as well as enabling easier supervision, and encouraging collaboration between staff. Where partitions are an essential feature of your office design, consider using glass for an open feel that will also enhance the diffusion of natural light.