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Effect of Office Furniture on Workplace Productivity

If you’re looking to buy office furniture as a manager or building owner, know that there are more factors at play than just cost and basic looks. At Online Office Furniture, we’re here to tell you that the furniture you buy means more to your workplace culture than you may have realized.

The way you organize and lay out an office can go an incredibly long way toward productivity and employee happiness. Many of these are subconscious factors, but they’re highly relevant nonetheless. Let’s look at a few of the most important workplace culture factors influenced heavily by office furniture.

Lighting

The way furniture is positioned within the office can impact lighting – both natural and man-made. Many office managers prefer to maximize natural light, which involves not blocking windows or light entry points and leaving space for light to be shown. The way lamps and other lighting assist devices are placed can have a subconscious effect on productivity, in part because of the effect it may have on employees’ eyes.

Sound

Smart office design will help reduce or eliminate any redundancies caused by sound issues. Proper utilization of office cubicles and building walls can separate employees who may need to be on the phone more often from those who need mostly silence to perform certain precise duties.

Privacy

Another primary use of cubicles is privacy, though the smart office manager prioritizes this within a generally open scheme. Wherever possible, openness is encouraged to make employees feel like part of a single team – many of our cubicles and workstations come in adjustable styles that allow varying amounts of privacy.

Overall Tone

There’s significant research supporting the fact that employees are more responsive to caring, responsive management. This is most commonly found in conscious events like praise or bonuses, but it can also be found in elements like a willingness to alter office furniture designs at employee requests – or even better, by filling a furniture-related need without even being asked. An employee might give you that little extra if they get their own input on their space in the office, and this sort of thing promotes overall team loyalty.

Want to learn more about how our furniture can help increase your productivity, or interested in making an order for office furniture? Speak to our customer service staff at Online Office Furniture today.

MID-CENTURY MODERN

Midcentury modern style re-emerged on the scene years ago following, and really became popular after the hit show Mad Men.  The design style is reusing elements that were key during the mid 20th century, from the mid 1940's through 1970. 

Midcentury style is unique in that it's largely driven by innovative mass-produced furniture and accents. There may be no other period that produced the same volume of household-name artists and designers as this era: George Nelson, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen and dozens more. Their designs and accents drive and define the look.

Our authentic mid-century pieces really become an anchor in any space. What is great about mid-century design is that these staple pieces are amazing when incorporated into a room where mid-century is embraces and carried through all of the furnishings and accents, or when placed in a room of any design taste, the mid-century modern piece adds a lot of style. 

https://new-life-office.myshopify.com/collections/seating/mid-century-modern

OFFICE TRENDS

Get It Off the Floor

Go vertical with bookcases and shelving units. Often we run out of desktop space or floor space. Vertical storage makes more efficient use of space and puts more at eye level.

Create “Activity Centers”

Put everything you need to complete an activity in one area, especially if you do an activity regularly. You will avoid wasting time looking for and assembling what you need. For example, packing and shipping supplies and tools should be in one area. Or create a shelf for items you take with you when you travel, such as your travel briefcase, neoprene sleeves and portable chargers.

File It, Scan It, Shred It

Don’t use your desktop as your inbox, as critical paper (like checks!) can get lost. Signed contracts and other items that you want to keep in paper form should be filed away promptly. Scan anything else into digital form. Shred and discard or recycle the paper.

A Folder for Everything

Have a folder for all paper documents. Pendaflex hanging folders, along with manila inner folders, are an inexpensive solution. Label both. Pendaflex folders are your placeholder in the filing cabinet, and should be left there at all times. The inner manila folder is the one you pull out as needed. Then it’s easy to refile the manila folder into its pendaflex when done.

Wrap Computer Cords

Got computer cables and electrical cords in a tangled mess? You aren’t the only one. Luckily, special twist ties and cord covers can keep things neat. Label your cords, so you can find the right one when you have to disconnect or move something.

Use Corkboards to Keep “Top of Mind” Items in Front of You

If you need to refer to a checklist for a task, or some kind of reminder, pin it to a corkboard right near your desk. This is good for any new process until it becomes an ingrained habit. Simply untack the item when you no longer need to refer to it.

Store all Manuals in One Place

Ever need to refer to the operation manual for your printer? Or find the small instruction flyer that came with your Bluetooth headset? If you place all manuals in a dedicated drawer, plastic crate, or folder – you won’t have to hunt for them.

Create Divided Drawers

If your drawers don’t have built-in dividers, buy inexpensive metal or wooden dividers — or better yet, recycled plastic. Organize device chargers; pens; paper clips; notepads and sticky notes; scissors and other items. Not only does an organized drawer save time, you’ll feel less stressed if you don’t have to dive into a jumbled mess several times a day.

Use a Labeler to Keep Shelves Organized

It’s not just files that need labels. Shelves and drawers can benefit from labeling them. That way everyone in the office knows the right place to return things.

Keep a “To Do” List

Mental clutter is as much an issue as physical clutter. One of the key points in the Getting Things Done system is to get items out of your head and onto paper (or an electronic list). That way, you can focus on the task at hand. Just keep your to-do list short and uncluttered.

Do Weekly Maintenance and Clean Up

At the end of each workweek, put things used during the week back in their places. Shred or file paper stacks. If you don’t let clutter accumulate too long, it’s easier to stay organized.

Use a Central Cloud Location for Company Documents

A fantastic way to save time and avoid the need for everyone to set up their own “virtual filing” system is to use one central cloud location for company documents. Options such as Google Drive or OneDrive let you set up central folders by topic or client, to share documents.

Use Project Management or Task Manager Software

A project management system keeps employees on track with projects. More importantly, it eliminates paper to-do lists and email instructions, and confusion that arises from them.

Scan Receipts and Store in the Cloud

Then you can discard paper receipts. With newer mobile apps you don’t even need a scanner – you just take a photo. With advanced apps you can sync up receipts with your accounting records or credit card records automatically (avoiding manual keying).

Use Browser Bookmarks for Quick Reference

Do you ever spend time hunting for links to recurring reference sites or login screens? Or not remember where to find them? Bookmark them and organize bookmarks into folders, so you can get to them in a couple of clicks.

Save Favorites Lists for Recurring Orders

Another timesaver is to save favorites lists at online retailers you use regularly. That way you don’t have to look up the same supplies every time you buy. Sites like Staples.com let you save favorites lists, and it’s super convenient.

Archive Old Files

If you haven’t used computer files (especially emails!) in the past year or so, archive them. You’ll still have them, but you won’t have to wade through them to find current items. Consider setting a policy to delete archived files after a certain time, too.

Have Adequate Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware Software

Few things can cause more disruption and confusion than lost files, or lost time, due to computer viruses and malware attacks. ‘Nuff said!

Use a Note Organizing App

Note apps like Evernote, Microsoft’s OneNote and SimpleNote can help you organize and store Web research and electronic notes.

Truly “Smart” Phones Are Time Savers

Smart phones used wisely save time and can make us happier. We may be able to escape the office for a family event without guilt, because we’re still in touch in case anything critical comes up. Have powerful smartphones with enough internal memory to run needed apps.

Automatic Sync for All Devices

Speaking of smartphones, business owners and employees alike are using multiple devices — perhaps a desktop computer, tablet and smartphone per person, all in the same day. Cloud file storage or at least the ability to automatically sync files is essential to save time and avoid confusion from not having the most recent file.

Upgrade Computers for Memory and Speed

You may not even realize how much time is wasted when everything you do takes longer, or worse, freezes or crashes regularly. Adequate memory and processor speed last year, may not be up to the task this year. So upgrade!

Those are my 21 office storage and organization ideas. What are your best tips for organizing your office and taming the disorganization and clutter beast?

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by Amanda Stillwagon In Small Business Operations