Tip of the Week: 3 Workplace Changes You Can Make to Improve Productivity

With so much focus on how new technology improves productivity, it can be easy to overlook the other ways of enhancing operations. Sometimes, improving productivity can be as simple as rethinking the layout of your office. Or, you may find that your company’s current technologies may be hindering productivity more than they’re helping. The following three suggestions should help make your office a more productive place.

Cleanliness is Next to Productivity-ness
Sure, everybody has their own system when it comes to getting work done, but if this system includes piles of paperwork and copious amounts of clutter, then it’s a sure bet that the office contains messes that are hurting your bottom line. Even if you’re dealing with a minimal amount of mess, there’s certainly a noticeable difference between a disorganized office versus a workplace that’s neat and tidy. For your workers, this difference will be seen in how they carry out their tasks, as well as carry themselves.

To cut back on the clutter, utilizing storage solutions will go a long way. Adding shelves will help organize your equipment, and drawers serve as a handy way to keep items out of sight. Also, one major step you can take to declutter your office is to go paperless. This can be done by taking advantage of a document management solution, which allows your team to access, edit, and collaborate on the same digital document, while cutting back on the piles of paper.

Consolidate Your Equipment
Having technology is a good thing, but having too much unnecessary equipment laying around can actually hinder productivity. For example, fax machines and traditional landline telephones can be swapped out for a digital VoIP and fax server solution. These technologies will eliminate unsightly telephone cords from your office, as well as banish the storied fax machine from your office once and for all.

Another way to cut back on the amount of equipment in your office is to virtualize your current IT infrastructure. This can be done by migrating your data to the cloud, which can eliminate the need for owning and operating servers altogether, depending on how much you wish to migrate. Also, if you prefer to keep a fleet of server units in-house, then you should consider consolidating your older sever units to newer ones. In some cases, this move can cut back the amount of server units by as much as 5:1. This helps free up space in your office to make it less cluttered and more efficient.

Workers Need Space to Collaborate
If you’ve gone through with the previous two tips, then your office should now have more open floor and desk space than before. Now, what to do with all of this open space? Instead of filling it with more stuff, try keeping it open and using the space for employee collaboration. Enhancing employee collaboration is a sure way to improve overall productivity, and having an office with a designated space to collaborate will ensure that collaboration actually happens.

This can be achieved by making room for an open table big enough for your staff to gather around, preferable in such a way that allows for eye contact and fosters good discussion. Adding a whiteboard may be a good way to help your team better communicate ideas. Also, when it comes to collaboration, think of ways to equip your staff with mobile devices. You may be able to free up additional space by swapping out workstations and desks for laptops and open rooms. As an added bonus, setting up a large LCD television can be used for presentations and reviewing digital files. To take advantage of this, streaming devices can be set up so a laptop or mobile device can display wirelessly on the screen.

At the end of the day, you can always benefit by reevaluating your current office setup and technologies for the expressed purpose of being more productive. To that end, Managed IT Force can offer your business an expert set of eyes that can help you see your office in a whole new light. Call us today at 724-473-3950 to see how we can help your business be more productive!