Office layouts and structuring refer to the arrangement of equipment to fit the available office space. Different office layouts can be considered, but the final choice will be dependent on many factors such as the availability of space. It is necessary that the most advantageous layout for the business is chosen.
Sharing office resources
An office arrangement that facilitates the sharing of office resources results in lower expenses and greater profits. Sharing ensures that no resources are left idle. You can opt for hot desking as it provides an efficient way of promoting office resource utilisation. It is the practice of providing a pool of desks and allowing employees to sit on different desks based on their activities on given days.
Ideally, hot desking replaces the culture of people seating at individual desks in the same positions every day. When one is confined to their cubicle or desk and do not show up to work, their workstation remains vacant the whole day, which is a waste of resources.
Also, open office layouts encourage the use of common office equipment such as printers and staplers. Sharing saves on money, which could have otherwise been used to purchase additional pieces of equipment of the same kind. Sharing resources saves on costs by eliminating repeat purchases. This an important consideration when choosing an office arrangement.
Ease in communication
An office structure should facilitate easy communication. A structure whereby no walls separate the employees makes communication faster and effective. Employees can communicate within themselves freely as opposed to going to another cubicle to talk with their fellow colleagues. It saves on time that would have been spent walking to relay information.
Also, announcements are made once because the employees are converged in one place. In such a setup, the exchange of ideas becomes very easy because workers are seated close together and can interact more freely. The exchange of ideas on particular topics yields faster results, thus increasing the productivity of the employees. Employees are also able to work more efficiently on group projects in an open office layout. For the above reasons, it is important to note that an efficient office structure is one that is associated with ease in communication.
Ease in supervision
Supervision should be made easy by the type of office structure adopted. When people are converged in one space rather than in separate cubicles, it is easier for managers to supervise them effectively. They can check on the progress of the employee to ensure that it is work-related. It is effective in ensuring that office hours and resources are not misused.
The employees’ productivity increases when they do the right thing at the right time and place. Moreover, supervisors can monitor the progress of work assigned to various employees and give real-time feedback. It also facilitates faster problem solving whenever issues arise. The supervisors, therefore, save time that they would otherwise spend moving from one cubicle to another to monitor the employees.
Every facet of business should have an aspect of efficiency attached to it. Choosing an office structure that eases the day-to-day running of a business is essential. The structure chosen should also be effective in boosting the morale of the employees and, subsequently, their productivity.