Business managers are now designing their workplace to allow employees to choose how and where they work throughout the day. Creating an activity based working environment breeds fresher and more innovative ideas, enhanced collaboration and stronger social bonds.
Office space can be made to be a powerful tool to boost productivity. Create a space that fosters better communication among all employees that can pay off in the future. Most companies would rather invest on all the latest in technology that can help increase efficiency and productivity, not knowing that taking down the walls between coworkers and creating a sense of camaraderie and community can be just the thing to kick off employee onboarding. To know how to go about it designing space for a more productive workplace, here are some helpful pointers that you need to know:
Furniture
One thing often overlooked is furniture. While it will be more cost efficient to choose basic furniture in neutral colors, why not select furniture of a more ergonomic design that encourages productivity and comfort. Choose designs that are flexible and movable, with colors that pop and give life to your workplace. Think long tables arranged in a U shape with swivel chairs and their own laptops and other essential equipment just on the table. Without the presence of a wall or cubicle, transparency is very much encouraged and your employees would be seen doing any tasks that are not work related. Natural lighting is also more conducive to productivity and it helps reduce electricity costs too. Opt to decorate your workplace with funky art pieces, abstract wall art and real potted plants.
Technology
Your employees must of course have the right technology in order to be more efficient with their work. The appropriate network solutions, laptops, tablets and phone service are very critical. RingCentral business phone systems give you the freedom to receive and send fax messages from your web-accessed devices, thus letting you chuck that bulky facsimile machine. Virtual storage solutions like Dropbox can keep your company data in the cloud, making your office space less cluttered and organized. Small businesses need to maximize their space as they have very little and so it is a wise idea to take advantage of using the cloud technology to be more productive yet very cost effective for the owners.
Activity based Working
Activity based working or ABW is an ongoing trend that no employee owns or has an assigned station. ABW understands that at any time of the day, an employee has different tasks that sometimes require a higher level of concentration or collaboration. It empowers the employee to choose different types of settings to suit what type of work activities. For a successful transition to ABW, complete support must be made by both the management and employees throughout the whole process.
The concept of ABW lies in creating less hierarchical workplaces that facilitate collaboration, personal accountability and flexibility. It recognizes that for an employee to be proficient at his job, they need to work in a number of different ways throughout the course of the day or week. Powered by mobile technology solutions, ABW has led to revolutions in supportive work culture and high employee morale.
Coworking
This is referred to as a style of work where for hire workplaces are occupied by people of the same interests yet do not work in the same company. It can be a workplace for freelancers, small and medium business owners, or people who travel frequently who can work together in one space but still work independently. Workstations are sometimes hired by the hour, day or month depending on your requirement. These offices come with all the amenities of a modern office that every individual needs.
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