Have you ever walked into an office space for the first time, as a consumer or a business customer, and you felt a little depressed by the surroundings? Perhaps there were boring color schemes, cheap-looking chairs, desks, or tables, or just generally a boring look. If so, think about the employees working in that space for 8 hours each day or longer. How does this environment impact their productivity?

 

An office furniture renovation project does not need to be accomplished overnight. Furniture does not have to be replaced quickly. In fact, taking some time to make good decisions about updating furniture for style and for modernization can save money and produce better results.

 

How Can Storage be Improved?

Organization in the workspace goes far past just neat desktops. When employees must dig through piles of files or move boxes to get to records, they are not only less productive, but they are also less enthusiastic about their work. One study found that employees often spend more than 4 hours a week looking for documents or necessary information to perform their jobs. Storage cabinets and shelving are often the least expensive upgrades, but they can return a lot of productivity for the investment.

 

Ergonomics for Productivity

Employees must be at work to get the job done. If they are out with physical problems that are caused or aggravated by poorly designed furniture, it costs money and increases health insurance premiums as well. Ergonomic furniture reduces back, hand, and other joint problems that keep people out of work and cost companies a lot of money. Studies show that comfortable furniture increases office productivity, though it is hard to measure other than happier people with fewer sick days.

 

Opening the Space for Communication

Take a look at the layout of your office space with an eye on how employees can communicate during the workday. Are there dividers or walls that inhibit communication? Would benches or different desk designs and arrangements help employees to communicate better? Every minute saved in workflow saves money through increased productivity.

 

Open Space with Organization

While opening up a space to facilitate better communication can be a goal, there are ways in which to do it with the right furnishings for employee satisfaction and productivity. Choosing desk systems that are good for communication but also for organization is a start. Cubicle dividers can be low or high, can have countertop work areas, or they can be areas for posting information.

 

Carrying these space design considerations over into break areas is important as well. Happy employees are more productive. Setting up their workspace for easy access to break or lunch areas with comfortable office furniture helps with that happy feeling.

 

It is All About a Pleasant Environment

A pleasant environment begins with your workforce, but it carries over to your customers as well. If customers or clients are served in your space, you want them to enter to find a pleasing environment, comfortable furnishings, and pleasant happy employees. Employees who have office desks and office chairs that they value for comfort and efficiency are going to be better with customers.

 

To summarize the office furnishings discussion, you want efficiency, comfort, and ergonomic furnishings to create an employee environment where they want to come to work and spend 40+ hours per week.

 

Dayton Business Interiors can help you reach these goals for your employees, give us a call to find out more: 937-294-1643