Creating an ideal work environment means having an office space that promotes productivity. Whether your employees are working from home or in a physical office, how the space is set up, will warrant different results. By keeping your office organized, you can enhance efficiency. You can increase productivity with the below office organization ideas.
How Does Organization Increase Productivity?
While you may know that office organization is important, understanding its full impact is a start to increasing productivity and creating a workplace that promotes orderliness.
A survey by Brother International found that the cost of workplace disorganization may go way beyond just monetary loss. Responses gathered from about 800 U.S. employees hint that the search for lost and misplaced materials accounts for nearly 38 hours, or approximately one work week annually, per employee. This has an impact on not only time, but also on professional perception, productivity, and morale. The survey also uncovered that the costs associated for full-time employees looking for misplaced items in the office tops 89 billion dollars annually.
Lack of organization in the workplace can also lead to workplace stress for employees, which will lead to decreased productivity. Another study found that 63% of respondents, who said they lacked time management skills and/or tools, experienced health issues, including sleep apnea and high blood pressure.
What does this mean? Well, to put it simply, having an organized workplace is key to your organization’s and employees’ success. Increasing productivity with simple office organization ideas can make a big difference.
What are Some Office Organization Ideas?
While every office is different, there are a few office organization ideas that we have included below, that should help you increase productivity and decrease disorganization and workplace stress.
- Reduce Clutter: The very first thing you should do to promote organization in the office space is reduce clutter and unneeded items. Determine whether you or your employees use items around the office and if they enhance the work or life in any way. For items that are needed, find a home for them, preferably out of sight or in an orderly fashion. You can use desk drawers, storage shelves, file cabinets, and organizing trays whenever possible, and avoid stowing items on the primary work surfaces.
- Minimize Paper: Paper can lead to disorganization and clutter in the workplace. Shred and/or recycle any nonessential papers and digitize items when you can. Creating a filing system for papers that you must have in the physical form, can lead to increased productivity and less time searching for items that are needed.
- Clean up Wires: Untangling wires can be a big waste of time, and wires that pile up on the floor can create visual clutter that causes stress and detracts from the overall aesthetic of your workspace. You can prevent wire tangles by holding together excess wire with binder clips. You can also buy desks with wire compartments.
- Utilize Wall Space: The wall space of your office creates additional space that can be used for useful purposes. Pegboards, white boards, wall calendars, cork boards, hanging storage bins, etc., can all help to create additional organization in the workplace and clear up items from the surface area to create a cleaner look. You have the wall space, so you should use it.
- Maximize Desk Space: You should keep desk space free and clear of as many items as possible. You can add shelving above and/or under the desk, use filing cabinets, have monitor/laptop risers and keyboard trays, keep lighting fixtures off the desk, and utilize desk organizers, amongst other things. Desk space should be free and clear of as many things as possible, so it can be used for its main purpose, working.
While there are many office organization ideas you can use in your workplace, adopting a few or a lot will help you increase productivity. Even just a couple minor things, like adding file cabinets, if you need to maintain physical paper documents, can make a big difference.
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With our team of experts, you’ll have the advice you need every step of the way. Our designers can help you select the right furniture for your office needs. Visit one of our showrooms in Cleveland or Akron, today.