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Tag: Office Design Solutions (page 12 of 16)

Drones Set To Power A Warehouse Boom

Drones may be a relatively new technology but they are about to become the next stage in a retail revolution that is transforming not only the way we shop but also the how goods are stored and distributed.

Amazon drones are already grabbing the headlines and ecommerce stores which were once simply a complement to established high street chains are now available to anyone who wants to set upo an online shop.

Yet even with drones and the internet doing a lot of the work, there is still the basic need to store those products and the simple warehouse is set to become a big draw for investors who sense that the returns in this sector are set to boom.

While drone technology is yet to become commonplace with issues such as the amount of drones that might be flying around at any given time, it is clear where things are heading. Drones are capable of dropping off an order less than 20 minutes after a button is clicked on a website.

The amount of infrastructure required to meet the demand for this type of service will spark a scramble for available warehouse space.

According to the latest figures, online shopping now accounts for 15% of all UK sales. Worldwide, ecommerce transactions are set to hit $4trn dollars by 2020.

Should Workplace Design Reflect Your Branding?

March 26, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

How many workplaces do you know that have interior spaces that reflect their branding?

Depending on how many you will have seen the answer is probably not many. Workplaces that reflect company branding are hard to find in most business sectors unless they appreciate just how important branding is to company culture as well as perceptions from the outside.

If you business is branding then there is a good chance you already appreciate how everything present in a business from its philosophy and culture to its furniture should reflect the brand.

It also shouldn’t be forgotten, that when customers and clients arrive at your workplace, their perception of your business can be greatly influenced by what they are seeing around them for the first time.

As everyone knows first impressions are important. If an office has a nice contemporary design that reflects the branding and colours of the business, then this will make those clients and customers feel more secure about doing business with your company.

For staff too, it’s important for them to buy into company culture and the work environment should encourage this by creating a clear sense of identity. Simply spreading a few brochures on meeting and coffee tables is not enough to make those employees feel part of an organisation that is going places.

Ditch the Beach Huts And Straw Bales, Employees Prefer Better Technology!

March 13, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

When it comes to office furniture removals, there is a growing trend towards useless items like slides, and other non-essential gimmicky furniture and apparatus into storage as businesses slowly realise that staff consider them secondary to better technological facilities to make work easier.

Many businesses have decided to jump onto bandwagon with all manner of playful additions to the office to the extent that it is unusual to enter decent sized city centre office without seeing areas to play pool, table tennis or both.

While there is nothing wrong with adding these sorts of elements into offices, they shouldn’t be added at the expense of more essential office items such as technological equipment. At least if you’re a business owner who wants to keep staff happy.

A recent study found that 79% of workers view reliable technology as more important than how the office looks. The survey appears to show that typical workers would rather see investment in things that make their jobs easier so that they can be more productive.

If you are an office owner considering ping pong tables, hammocks and so on, spare a thought for what staff really want. Play and rest areas may well be a waste of money if nobody has the time while at work to use them.

How to create a positive workplace

February 10, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

It’s often surprising to see how closely some offices resemble the TV version of the office with positivity at best on a par with the staff of Wernham Hogg. While not all of this is down the design and layout of office space, positive office design can at least go some way towards reducing the negative impact of inconsiderate managers and bosses.

One thing is certain, a negative work environment is not just bad for miserable staff members, it can also spread throughout the organisation leading eventually to apathy, lack of motivation and reduced productivity.

Some simple tweaks to the design and layout can have a surprisingly positive effect on everyone in the organisation if carefully thought out.

The introduction of more attractive office furniture will be welcomed by staff members particularly if desks and chairs are looking like they have seen better days.

Another important part of designing a positive office is to introduce a sense of fun. While work time shouldn’t always be fun time, having a laugh and perhaps a game of pool or table tennis with colleagues can give some release from day-to-day monotony. We all as humans like to be rewarded for our hard work.

Lastly areas should be well lit, and there should be plenty of space to move around in. There is nothing worse than being stuck in an office day after day in a crowded room full of colleagues you may not necessarily get on well with.

Will We See A Revolution Workplace Design In 2017?

January 21, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

2016 proved to be a quite a year and in the future historians will probably look on it as a key turning point in the history of the world but what can we expect in 2017? Will change be coming to the workplace environment or has change already been happening before our eyes even if we don’t really notice it?

With so-called millennials joining generation x in demanding more flexible workspaces that help provide a better work life balance changes have already been taking place. These have been led by leading tech companies in the US where corporate spaces have been transformed from traditional office layouts with a room for the boss and a boardroom to modular open plan collaborative workspaces that incorporate areas for entertainment, refreshment and so on.

Greater awareness of health issues in the workplace have also seen more notice taken of ergonomics. Business owners have realised that healthy workplaces make for happier more productive staff.

In 2017 the biggest thing we can expect is more of the same. With technology moving forward at a rapid rate and remote working now far easier than it ever was in the past, many offices have now become little more than meet-up spaces. Ironically the great technological advances we have witnessed in the offices has actually inspired and will continue to inspire a more human centred approach to workplace design.

How To Do Employee Focused Office Design In 2017

January 13, 2017 / admin / 0 Comments

Office design for big businesses has come a long way in the past decade but what about smaller businesses?

Those business owners who don’t pay attention to their office layouts can risk alienation, lower productivity and an increase in sick leave among staff.

It doesn’t have to be this way, however, for those business owners stuck in the past with compartmentalised and unhealthy offices.

Creating spaces that staff will enjoy spending their time in doesn’t necessarily need to cost the earth. Simple measures such as bringing in more light, be it artificial or ideally natural can make a huge difference to productivity levels.

The same could be said for creating more mobile spaces where staff can feel comfortable moving around rather than feel that they must be seated for an entire 8 hour shift.

A common problem at this time of year is inadequate heating. Simply turning up the temperature during cold spells can make a big difference to staff morale, for a the comparatively small extra expense.

Those business owners who fail to think about their employees’ work environment could risk losing their best staff members and face a struggle to replace them.

4 Pieces of Advice On Choosing and Installing Office Furniture

December 10, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Choosing, ordering and fitting office furniture can be a quite a challenge even for smaller businesses but there is a lot you can do to make the process as stress free as possible. The following five tips should prevent you from making some of the most common mistakes.

Don’t look simply at the price
While getting a large discount or seemingly finding office furniture at a bargain price might give you some satisfaction, this can be short-lived if shipping costs are high and the furniture isn’t of sufficient quality to survive heavy use.

Plan for when your business grows
It is easy to focus on present staff members and their needs rather than look at the future when you may be hiring new staff members. It will often be cheaper to add extra desks chairs and so on to your order rather than buy them separately later on.

Take advantage of office fit-out services
An office fit-out company can help you plan measure and use space more efficiently. They might even save you money in the long term with the experience they can bring to the table.

Don’t be afraid to ask for discounts, offers and other perks
Suppliers might be only too willing to give you a discount and you may be able to ask for samples of what you are buying to make sure your desk colour suits your overall colour scheme.

Internet Shopping Drives Demand for Warehouse Space and Investment

November 20, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Fund managers are pouring money into warehouses around the world as the long-term fundamentals of the sector remain strong and set for future growth.
A recent deal involving Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund saw the purchase of a $2.4 billion portfolio of warehouses in Europe. Demand for warehousing has been largely driven by the growth in online retailing, which is revolutionising the way we shop and how businesses store their products.

Amazon, one of the trailblazers is already investing in more and more warehouses to help keep pace with customer demands for fast deliveries.

While one after another big high street retailers with long histories seem to be toppling, online shopping has gone from strength to strength and this will only increase demand for warehouses in the future.

Building a warehouse of course requires a lot of space, therefore unlike other commercial property sectors, warehouses can be more profitable than other asset classes because demand is kept high.

Returns from warehouses are said to be better than for office towers by almost one percent, though returns have diminished slightly as more investors have entered the sector in an attempt to find an alternative to bonds. Yields have fallen lower on bonds due to loose monetary policy in Europe and other parts of the world.

Good Office Design More Important Than Office Games

November 10, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Walk into many offices belonging to trendy new businesses and you are likely to find anything from pool tables to ping pong tables and even areas to indulge in a beer or two. But, according to research, employees are more likely to be happier in their work if the office is designed right.

What many office owners mistakenly believe will help motivate their staff may be missing the mark if the research turns out to be accurate.

While having the opportunity to indulge in a game of pool during worktime might sound attractive it may actually end up having the opposite effect with some staff who may end up feeling less motivated to do their work.

What workers need to feel happy in their work is less reliant on gimmicks and more about two important things; feeling valued by an employer and an environment that helps them focus. There is even growing evidence that not all employees will want the same thing when it comes to collaborative working and casual work environments.

Rather than go down the Google route of an office designed to incorporate play and relaxation spaces, simply adding the correct furnishings, colours and lighting can make a significant difference to making the work environment a happier place.

Why Sound Acoustics Is Vital to Office Design

October 20, 2016 / admin / 0 Comments

Offices come in all sorts of layouts from sleek open plan, to period offices in city centres.

The challenge in both cases is to find a solution that not only creates a sense of space but also provides privacy and a quiet place to work for those employees who need it. So when designing an office layout, a delicate balancing act needs to be struck to ensure that everyone in the workplace will be happy.

Unlike visual distractions, which can simply be screened off or hidden by a simple re-arrangement of furniture and screens. Unfortunately, good acoustics will require a more complicated solution to reduce noise from phones, chatter and colleagues moving from one place to another.

All of this can become very frustrating for those who require peace and quiet to do their best work, which will in turn hinder productivity.

While the modern trend continues to lean towards the open plan spaces which have been seen as the best way to develop cooperation and creativity since the 1950s.

To improve acoustics in your office requires knowledge of how sound impacts on different surfaces and how it is absorbed by others.

This starts with the introduction of carpets, acoustic panels and acoustic screens which can help reduce noise dramatically. Then create separate spaces for collaborative work so as not to disturb those staff members who prefer to work in quiet isolation from time to time.