Design an Office for Success

Today's business environment is highly complex, challenging and competitive.

This is making it increasingly difficult for companies to stay ahead of the pack, as many of these factors are out of their control. However, business leaders often underestimate the positive influence that their workspace can have on the company's bottom line - and this, of course, is something which they have complete control over.

We have identified four aspects of the workspace that can give your business that crucial competitive edge:

Innovation:
Companies need to constantly innovate in order to survive. Coming up with new ideas and continually redefining strategies takes huge amounts of collaboration and team work. This is what allows companies to grow. In order to innovate you need to bring out the best in your employees. They need to feel stimulated and creative. They must have a "can do" attitude" and want to rise above the rest. The office environment needs to allow and encourage this. Innovation requires group work, the input of a team vs. an individual, and allowing many more ideas to arise and be expanded upon. An office needs to support collaboration and harvest areas that allow teams to meet and work together with ease. Interaction is vital to collaboration and the space needs to allow individuals to easily engage with one another. Although collaboration is vital it can also become quite taxing. People need time out to recharge and achieve a balanced "workstyle". A place to focus and do work that requires quiet and concentration is vital. Flexible workspace that can allow for these different functions is ideal. Workers can work how they want, and when they want.

Technology:
Collaboration = connectivity. With the fast-paced lives we live, we need an office that has cutting-edge technology. Today's workers demand instant connectivity. Having fast and reliable connectivity encourages one to come to the office and work, rather than at the local coffee shop. In addition, virtual communication has become an important and integral part of the working culture. It is no longer necessary to hop on a plane for a meeting, but rather through Skype and video conferencing you can interact with staff and clients all over the world. Technology also enables us to work faster and to spread information almost instantaneously using platforms such as Twitter and Facebook.

Space:
Space influences every aspect of a business. It affects how people interact and behave. It influences business performance, and defines the culture of a company. Interestingly, space is probably the second biggest expense in a business after labour costs. It has also become a major strategic asset of every business. Therefore when designing office space, one needs to take into account the culture of the company, not just where a desk fits best. Attention needs to be given to how best to support the people that work there. Staff are an organisation's most important resource, so it is vital to give them the space that they need and plan it properly.

Leading organisations understand the importance of space and the power it holds over the success of their businesses.

Wellbeing:
The final piece of the pie is Wellbeing. People flourish in environments where their wellbeing is enhanced. Wellbeing is linked to every aspect of a person's job, from the space they sit in to the chair they work in to how they interact with their fellow colleagues. It is about allowing your staff to have a sense of purpose and belonging to a workplace. Even if they have a relatively small space to work in, if they can personalise it as their own it can change their view on work. Wellbeing is created through designing space where one has control and flexibility - working when and how one wants to. In order to design for control, the workspace designer needs to understand how the organisation functions and what it requires. Every organisation has a different set of requirements. Giving people control and flexibility over their space doesn't mean a company needs to take more space. Space, as we know, equals expense. It is about planning effectively and efficiently with the right type of work zones and furniture.

If you can get these four critical elements right, you are well on your way to creating a great workspace - and a successful business.

Giant Leap

Giant Leap are work style interior architects who believe that everyone works, feels and plays better in well-designed places. With an unrivalled passion for excellence in design, delivery, and finish, they provide superior interiors using world-class materials, technology, logistics and people. These interiors are uniquely designed to inspire innovation, creativity and comfort, simultaneously energising both the organisation and the marketplace.

By creating better places to work, rest and rejuvenate, Giant Leap enhance the quality of life and work, in keeping with their belief that 'when work is a pleasure, life is a joy!'

http://www.giantleap.co.za/
27 11 880 1490


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