Category: Office Refurb (page 1 of 3)

What are the most important things to have in an office

July 16, 2023 / / 0 Comments

As an expert, I can provide insights into the most important things to have in an office to create a productive and functional workspace. Here are some essential elements:

  1. Comfortable and Ergonomic Furniture: Invest in high-quality, ergonomic office furniture that promotes comfort and supports proper posture. Ergonomic chairs, adjustable desks, and supportive equipment can help prevent discomfort and long-term health issues associated with prolonged sitting.
  2. Sufficient Lighting: Good lighting is crucial for a productive office environment. Incorporate a combination of natural light, task lighting, and ambient lighting to minimise eye strain, enhance visibility, and create a pleasant atmosphere. Ensure that workstations are well-lit and that lighting levels can be adjusted to individual preferences.
  3. Efficient Storage Solutions: Effective storage solutions are essential to maintain a clutter-free workspace. Provide ample storage options such as filing cabinets, shelves, and drawers to keep documents, supplies, and personal items organised. Digital storage solutions can also help minimise physical clutter by facilitating efficient information management.
  4. Reliable Technology and Connectivity: A well-equipped office requires reliable technology and seamless connectivity. Provide employees with up-to-date computers, fast internet connections, and necessary software tools to perform their tasks efficiently. Additionally, consider investing in collaborative technology such as video conferencing systems, project management software, and cloud storage for streamlined communication and productivity.
  5. Adequate Workspace and Privacy: Employees need sufficient workspace to carry out their tasks comfortably. Ensure that workstations provide enough desk space, legroom, and storage options. Consider the balance between open spaces for collaboration and designated areas or private offices where employees can focus and have privacy when needed.
  6. Proper Ventilation and Temperature Control: Maintaining a comfortable and healthy environment is crucial. Adequate ventilation and temperature control systems are essential to regulate air quality and temperature. Good air circulation can help prevent fatigue, improve concentration, and contribute to overall well-being.
  7. Communication and Collaboration Tools: Encourage effective communication and collaboration among team members by providing tools such as whiteboards, bulletin boards, project management software, and video conferencing facilities. These tools foster idea sharing, brainstorming, and seamless collaboration on projects.
  8. Well-Stocked Office Supplies: Having a readily available supply of essential office items is essential for smooth operations. Stock up on stationery, printer paper, ink cartridges, and other necessary supplies. Consider providing communal areas with shared resources like printers, copiers, and scanners for easy accessibility.
  9. Comfortable Break and Relaxation Areas: Designate spaces for employees to take breaks, relax, and recharge. Furnish these areas with comfortable seating, recreational items like games or books, and amenities such as coffee machines or a kitchenette. Encouraging regular breaks promotes well-being, creativity, and team bonding.
  10. Safety Measures: Ensure that the office environment adheres to safety standards. Provide fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, first aid kits, and clear emergency exit routes. Regularly inspect and maintain electrical equipment, and establish protocols for workplace safety and security.

By incorporating these essential elements into an office space, you can create a conducive environment that supports productivity, collaboration, and employee well-being. Tailor these elements to the specific needs of your organization, considering the nature of work, industry, and the preferences of your employees.

The benefits of Office Partitioning

February 9, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Office partitioning is the process of dividing a large office space into smaller, more functional areas using partitions or wall-like structures. This can be done for a variety of reasons, including creating private spaces for employees, improving the overall flow of the office, and maximizing the use of available space. There are many benefits to office partitioning, including increased privacy, improved acoustics, enhanced aesthetic appeal, and increased productivity.

Increased Privacy: Office partitioning can provide much-needed privacy for employees, especially in open-plan offices where privacy can be limited. Partitions allow for the creation of private offices or workstations, where employees can focus and work without distractions from their colleagues. This can lead to increased concentration and productivity, as well as a more comfortable work environment.

Improved Acoustics: In an open-plan office, sound can easily travel from one area to another, causing distractions and reducing the overall level of comfort. Office partitions can help to absorb sound and reduce noise pollution, making the office a more enjoyable place to work. This is particularly important for employees who need to make phone calls or have confidential conversations, as partitions can provide a more private and quieter environment.

Enhanced Aesthetic Appeal: Office partitions can add to the overall aesthetic appeal of a workspace. They can be designed to match the existing decor and design of the office, creating a cohesive and visually appealing environment. This can improve employee morale and make the office a more attractive place to work.

Increased Productivity: When an office is well-organized and has clear boundaries between work areas, it can lead to increased productivity. Partitions can help to create a more structured and organized workspace, reducing clutter and distractions, and allowing employees to focus on their work. This can lead to increased efficiency and better work outcomes.

In conclusion, office partitioning can bring many benefits to a workspace, including increased privacy, improved acoustics, enhanced aesthetic appeal, and increased productivity. Whether you’re looking to create private spaces for employees, maximize the use of available space, or simply improve the overall flow of the office, partitioning is a cost-effective and versatile solution.

Different Types of Warehouses

February 6, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Climate-controlled warehouse

As the name goes, these warehouses are used to store items that need to be kept at a specific temperature, mostly perishables. Climate-controlled warehouses can range from humidity-controlled environments that can store fresh fruits, flowers, etc., to freezers that store frozen foods.

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Protection against natural elements
  2. Better inventory security

Smart warehouse

Automation is transforming the way warehouses operate, with AI driving everything from packing to delivering items. With minimal human involvement required and smart technologies taking center stage, modern warehouses are facilitating eCommerce giants like Amazon and Alibaba in speeding up their delivery times while cutting operational costs.

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Lesser chances of error
  2. Reduced manual efforts and cost

Consolidated warehouse

Need to save money on your startup’s shipping expenses? Consolidated warehouses act as a great resource, collecting small shipments from several suppliers and combining them into one full truckload. This allows you to use the same transportation costs that would have gone towards just one shipment – ultimately resulting in considerable savings!

Reasons to Choose:

  1. Economies of scale
  2. No capital investment

Which Warehouse Is the Best for You?

By now, you must have understood that each warehouse has a purpose of its own. You must choose the type that aligns with your business’s requirements.

How to design an office on a budget

October 18, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Companies are rethinking how offices are designed. The drab room full of cubicles is a thing of the past. Nowadays, companies are taking into consideration how the design of an office affects their employees. Employees aren’t going to be enthusiastic about coming to work if their office has a dull and uninteresting design.

Designing an office that works for you does not have to put you in debt. You can avoid the expensive task of hiring a designer by learning the best ways to design an office by yourself. The pay-off of having more productive and happy employees will make up for the cost of redesigning your office. Here are ten simple ways to design a fantastic office on a budget?

Choose your vibe

Before starting the process of designing your perfect office space, it is vital to decide on an aesthetic that you want to base your design on. Choosing an aesthetic for your office will guarantee that everything in the space is cohesive and works together. Once you have your aesthetic figured out, then you can dive into the real designing.

Add a touch of nature

Adding plants to the desks or window sills is a small but great way to bring some life into our office. It will make the office look more green and make the employees seem less like they are stuck inside. It’s as easy as buying potted plants at your local garden store, or if you have enough natural light you can even grow them.

Keep it tidy

No matter how expensive your decor is or how much money you put into designing your office, it will not look good if its a mess. Keeping your space neat and tidy is free, and it can give your space a whole new feel. While tidying your office, you should look for anything hindering the intended design of the office. If anything takes up space and is unnecessary, then get rid of it. A clean and tidy office looks even better when it is minimal and open.

Open Office

If you are designing an office for your companies team, open office space is a popular and inexpensive option. Open office spaces are not just showing up everywhere because they are trendy; they are also cheap. The more open an office is the less stuff you have to buy to divide it up. With this open space, you can then start figuring out where you want to put specific furnishings to personalize the space and give it your own touch.

Office Storage Ideas

April 22, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Smart home office storage ideas

The best way to store your items on open shelves is by using hooks. You can find them at any hardware store, but if you don’t have one then just use nails or staple gun blades as long as they are flathead ones so that there won’t be too much space between each piece of furniture and its neighboring stand!

You can’t go wrong with a classic wooden rack or baskets to store your things. They’ll not only look great on top of an office desk, but it’s also easy enough that you could make one yourself! If function is more important than form for what resides in this space then try using something like notice boards which allow ample room inside them so important papers don’t get lost when they’re needed at their most secure locations.

Boxes and letter files are useful additions on your desktop to store items you use frequently. But to stop them looking too business-like, cover them with your favourite wrapping paper, wallpaper or fabric to create a cohesive theme. A storage ottoman or trunk is the perfect place to store your paperwork, but invest in hanging files or separate folders to keep everything separate.

There’s never enough space in our homes for everything we want and need. That is why it pays to invest some time into finding ways that will give you more storage options, like using a drawer organiser! These handy gadgets ensure all those pesky papers stay put while also keeping your workspace neat at any given moment.

Squeeze desktop storage into an alcove

Make use of an empty alcove if you’re needing to set up desk in a bedroom or living area. A slimline ladder-style desk won’t protrude into a room too much and makes a great landing spot for a laptop or tablet.

This bookshelf has a secret drawer for all your little secrets. It’s perfect if you’re looking to create an inviting, organised space that also doesn’t look too cluttered!

Build a wall of storage

Take office storage floor to ceiling with a flexible shelving system that can be tailored to suit your space. Position it adjacent to your desk, so you can grab paperwork and essentials as and when you need it.

Start your set-up with uprights and support brackets to create a framework, then add a combination of shelves, racks, panels or drawers as required.

Keep clutter out of sight

If not kept super-tidy, open shelves can easily look messy, especially if you’re working out of a living room or bedroom.

Corral small-scale clutter away into pretty baskets or decorative storage boxes and stack neatly on shelves. Choose a colour theme that ties in with your decor for a co-ordinated look.

Ways to make your office more productive

January 25, 2022 / / 0 Comments

Do you feel like your office could be more productive? You’re not alone. Many business owners feel like they could get more done if their office was set up a bit better. Luckily, there are some simple changes you can make to your office that will help increase productivity. In this blog post, we’ll outline eleven ways to make your office more productive. Keep reading to learn more!

  • Use a standing desk to promote better posture
  • Add plants to your office for increased oxygen levels and improved mood
  • Set up an ergonomic workspace with the right lighting, furniture, and tools
  • Create a designated space for breaks so you’re not tempted to take them on your computer or phone
  • Take frequent walks outside of the office during your break time
  • Limit screen time by setting aside specific hours where you can only work on your computer or phone

For most people, the workplace is a place where they are expected to be their best. That means being productive and efficient while getting work done in an environment that promotes creativity. So what can you do to make your office more productive? Here are a few ways to help get started with making changes today! Have you tried any of these productivity tips yet? If not, contact us for more information on how we can help turn your company into one of the most profitable in town by helping it operate at peak efficiency. We would love to hear about which ones have helped you feel like things were easier or made life flow better so far.

Partitioning Systems Solutions

November 10, 2021 / / 0 Comments

Create the right environment for your business with defined spaces.

Whether you want to create privacy for meeting rooms, build efficient teams with zoned spaces or simply find a new office or storage space, creating the right environment can dramatically transform your business.

Partitioning systems allow you to structure your space to suit your current business needs. If you’ve considered moving premises to find the space you need, partitioning systems could be a much easier and more cost-effective solution than buying or renting a building at a high cost.

Efficient and space-saving

One way of effectively utilising your office space is through the use of partitions. These can be beneficial for a number of reasons as they can be used as a tool to increase employee’s productivity, as well as promoting efficiency at work; your employees will be more productive when working at a comfortable and welcoming environment.

Choice of materials

There is a wide variety of partitions to choose from such as silicon glaze partitioning, steel partitioning and glass partitioning. Each design has its unique benefits compared to the others but all can be blended to improve the appearance of an office. Every partition can be custom-made to fit the user’s personal tastes such as colour, material and size, hence improving comfort and style. For example, glass partitions can be very beneficial in offices that aim to increase exposure to natural lighting whilst being able to maintain the required privacy. They also create an impression of an open space for visitors, therefore providing a positive environment.

Air conditioning

Air conditioning is also highly effective in partitioned offices. This is because the workstations are subdivided into smaller areas where doors can be closed to retain heat or opened when it is too hot. Each workstation can also have its own air conditioning system hence reducing air conditioning wars at a workplace. In addition, partitions that are raised from the floor provide a gap for air movement within different workstations.

Less distractions

Another benefit of using office partitions is less distraction at work. Partitions create a barrier between individual’s hence improving privacy and concentration scope of workers but can be easily removed when there is a need for collaboration. These barriers will also be beneficial to visitors because they enable proper subdivision of departments and make it easier for visitors to locate offices. In addition to providing ease of access, partitions can give a good impression to your visitors – as a clear design will give a modern and professional impression.

Great Ways to Engage Your Employees This Christmas!

December 10, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Decorate the office!

Surely a few Christmas decorations can’t make an entire office feel happier?

You’d be surprised how much a few bits of tinsel here, and a couple of baubles there can really pick up the atmosphere and get staff feeling excited about the holidays!

Even better… you could make Christmas decorating an annual tradition, getting the team working together and bonding over a mutual love for the festive season.

Host an Award Ceremony

Awards can be a great way to engage staff and let them know that you value their hard work.

And they don’t have to be based on targets – you don’t want to leave a proportion of your loyal workforce out – consider things like…

– The most encouraging person in the office.
– The most organised.
– The best at keeping your customers happy.
…split your awards up across teams and make sure your perceived ‘favourites’ (if there are any) don’t get more praise and credit than others.

Secret Santa

A slightly more obvious Christmas tradition, Secret Santa is an amazing way to bring your employees, across different teams, together.

Just decide on a £5-£10 limit and then pick a day for the ‘big reveal’ and you’re sorted!

Let Your Staff Leave Early

A great incentive and reward scheme that works specifically well for salespeople is allowing them to finish work early for the Christmas holiday if they hit an (achievable) target.

Whether it’s on 1st December (you’d hope not…) or 23rd, when they’ve hit the target, let them go home until January!

LONG-TERM OFFICE LEASES COULD BE HISTORY

November 2, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Those who are considering returning to the office are doing so cautiously due to the uncertainty of lease commitments and health protocols.

The last several months have left workers reeling as many were forced to work from home to stay safe from the ongoing pandemic. Real estate technology firm Yardi recently conducted a survey recently that revealed office users are still skeptical about what the workplace will look like in the future.

“Occupancy is around 86% nationwide,” said Rao. “It was generally flat up until a month and a half ago. In the last month, it dropped 0.3%, which is a large monthly drop. What we are finding is that for many leases that are expiring, generally what’s happening is the tenants are holding onto the space, and they are not wanting to make any rash decisions one way or another.”

The overall theme of the market is uncertainty. The demands of offices have evolved since the beginning of the year. Now, tenants want touchless technology, outdoor areas and air filtrations systems to ensure that their health is protected.

Additionally, the relationship between landlords and tenants is bound to transform as short-term, flexible leases grow in demand.

Pandemic-proofing offices

October 22, 2020 / / 0 Comments

Pandemic-proofing offices could involve short-term fixes, new working patterns and long-term design upgrades that put hygiene at the heart of workplace planning.

Mitigate the risk 

The biggest priority and challenge for post coronavirus offices is controlling the infection.
How can we control contamination in open plan high density offices?
How can we control infection in hot desking environments?
Or communal and social spaces?
The challenges are many. We have to respond to COVID-19 crisis and mitigate the infection risk by introducing new safety features and measures and improving sanitisation and disinfection processes in our offices. It’s a big change that will create new work styles and build new working culture which we need to be prepared for.

2M rule

We have created some illustrations showing ways of changing office desk configurations to create greater space between your team members.

Here are some points to consider when you are thinking about re-configuring your office:

  • Can you turn back-to-back desks currently in the centre of the room around, so the operators face the walls?
  • Reducing density: Can you separate banks of desks so there are gaps between each set of two or four?
  • Can you spread workspaces around, so people are at least 2 meters apart?
  • Consider moving pedestals so that they are in the centre of the desks between two users, so they are physically unable to come together side by sideIf you have mobile pedestals, consider moving them out so they sit between the desks, increasing the space between the users
  • Consider moving filing cabinets/cupboards between desks to increase the space between the users
  • For face-to-face users, consider introducing additional barriers on top of desk top screens to increase protection from coughs or sneezes. Add screens beside and behind office workers, the higher and wider the better
  • Hot desking: Eliminate or introduce a strict clean in and clean out measures

Meetings and social spaces

It’s likely that before we start welcoming visitors to our workplaces, we can expect to spend much time meeting virtually with our customers and suppliers rather than sitting face-to-face around the meeting table.

With that in mind, we would recommend to thin out the meeting rooms to safely accommodate smaller groups with greater distancing. It’s important to remove alternative chairs and ensure there is always a 2m space in every direction between the chair positions.  There is also the potential to use these rooms to create working space for members of the team thus allowing us to provide greater distancing in office areas.  If meeting tables are modular and can be separated, do so to increase the distancing further. It’s recommended to even meet standing up in the open areas of your office. By using flexible tools, movable furniture solutions and screens you can easily create a safe and productive meeting area.

Floor plan ideas

  • Decrease density by staggering lunches and breaks in cafes or other staff areas
  • Incorporate higher space division to naturally encourage distancing by introducing barriers such as screens, storage, large plants and partitioning
  • Introduce cubicle style office to protect personal desk space with higher screens
  • Adapt an owned desk space approach and reduce shared desking
  • Reduce guest seating in reception areas and introduce individual seating in lounge spaces
  • Easy access to disinfecting stations

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