March 21, 2017

Benefits of Designing Open Plan Office Spaces

Open plan office spaces are very popular today. But before you decide to create an open plan for your office workspace, consider both the pros and cons of an open-plan office space layout.

The main reason why open plan working environments are so popular today is because they don’t have any enclosed rooms, and it is completely open, while workstations are positioned together, with only panels or short screens separating them.

The openness promotes greater collaboration, and communication among the workforce, but it can also lead to reduced productivity and concentration.

If you’re thinking about incorporating an open-plan in your office workspace, here are the advantages and disadvantages it has to offer:

Staff Advantages

The open plan office space doesn’t any physical barriers, which allows employees to interact regularly, which promotes a general sense of camaraderie in the workforce. It will also enhance teamwork, and will have smoother information transfer, since colleagues can get assistance or advice without having to schedule a formal meeting. The interactions in open plan office spaces happen more frequently, and the entire setting is more informal than closed environments.

Business Advantages

The open plan office space encourages enhanced collaboration, which will lead to greater business advancement and innovation. The layout of the open plan office space, will also help reduce building costs, as there will be less office equipment and utilities needed. There will be a single workspace, which will bring down heating and cooling expenses, and will also provide better airflow. Businesses will also be able to save on general resources such as staplers, copiers, and printers, since they can be easily shared in an open-plan office space. There is also greater flexibility for the needs of employees in an open-plan office space.

Staff Disadvantages

There are some disadvantages of open-plan office spaces for staff. These are related to the noise levels and increased distractions that are part and parcel or increased interactions. Some staff members and employees may find it difficult to concentrate on work or conduct themselves professionally in an open-plan office space. There is also the factor of a lack of privacy with open-plan office spaces, since computer screens are visible to everyone, and telephone conversations can be overheard. Open plan office spaces are often prone to the spread of disease, as one employee with a cold and quickly affect the health of everyone.

Business Disadvantages

The business disadvantages are mostly related to the personnel being less productive, which will affect the business output. The high-rate of absenteeism due to easy spread of disease is also an issue, while there may be an increase in ethical and legal issues, which comes from a lack of privacy and compromised confidentiality in colleagues or clients. However, most of the business disadvantages can be overcome by the layout of your open-plan office space. There are different types of layouts, which are designed to bring out the best in employees and improve business production.

If you’re interested in open-plan office spaces, then visit Whiteleys Office Furniture UK.