Nowaday, arranging office furniture is not only affects aesthetics but also directly determines the efficiency of employees' work. So what are the most scientific and effective ways to arrange office desks and chairs, enhancing employee morale and concentration? Let's explore with Okamura in the article below.
1. Based on Functional Areas
This method organizes interior spaces to fit the specific activities and functions of each area within the office. To understand more about this arrangement method, you can refer to the details here:
1.1. Suitable Office Types
Arranging desks and chairs according to functional areas brings many great benefits, helping businesses create flexible workspaces and meeting the needs of various groups and departments.
This arrangement method is particularly suitable for offices with sufficient space to divide into multiple distinct functional areas. These are offices that often require different areas for easy teamwork, organizing meetings, exchanging ideas, and welcoming guests,...
1.2. Guide to Arrangement
To arrange desks and chairs in the office scientifically and reasonably, you can divide the office into 5 areas according to the following guide:
Reception and Lobby Area: This includes the reception desk, reception chairs, waiting benches, and some focal points to enhance the company's brand identity. Choosing an appropriate reception desk can create a positive impression on visitors. Therefore, ensure the desk height and size are convenient for staff to move and operate in the area.
Employee Work Area: This is the main area where all employees work, so it should be equipped with sufficient work desks, office chairs, partitions, etc. Depending on the nature of the work, you can allocate space for teams or individuals. Team spaces are suitable for collaborative work and discussions, while individual spaces are suitable for focused work.
Meeting Room Area: This is a specialized area for meetings and hosting guests, so it needs to demonstrate professionalism and dignity. Therefore, equip at least one main meeting table (usually rectangular, round, or oval) and meeting chairs around it. Additionally, consider designing an area to display products or information related to the brand.
Management Area: This area is for the executive management and senior leadership of the company such as the chairman, directors, vice directors, etc. The management area should be separate from the employee area and arranged into individual offices. Each office will have a set of high-end executive desks and chairs to ensure quiet and focused work for management tasks.
Common Area: This includes cafe tables and chairs, and some relaxation machines. Additionally, you can add high tables and bar stools for light parties or lunch when needed. Arranging desks and chairs in the common area helps create a relaxing space, rejuvenate energy for employees, and promote bonding among team members in the company.
2. Based on Department Characteristics
This is a method of organizing workspace based on the function, tasks, and interconnection between departments within the company. To understand more about this arrangement method, you can refer to the details here:
2.1. Office Types
Furnishing based on department characteristics creates favorable conditions for information exchange and collaboration among employees within the same department. This facilitates smooth and efficient organizational operations without interruptions.
This method is ideal for offices with big spaces, allowing division into distinct areas for each department. This ensures each area has enough space to arrange desks, chairs, and necessary equipment. Companies often apply this method to encourage cooperation and communication between departments, thereby promoting creativity and enhancing work efficiency.
2.2. How to arrangement
You divide the office into zones, each corresponding to a department, and arrange desks and chairs according to the following criteria:
Administrative - Human Resources Department: You should arrange desks in rows or clusters to ensure enough space for storing documents and files. Additionally, equip reception desks and guest chairs near the work area for receiving and interviewing candidates. The Administrative - Human Resources Department should be located adjacent to the Finance-Accounting Department for convenient monitoring and calculation of salaries, bonuses, and personal income tax.
Finance - Accounting Department: Each accounting staff member should be provided with a personal desk for easy management of confidential documents and computers. Additionally, place desks near areas with printers, safes, and security cabinets to ensure safety and convenience for work.
Technical - IT Department: Arrange long desks in rows to facilitate teamwork and information exchange. Desks and chairs should also be positioned in areas with enough space to accommodate computers, servers, and repair tools.
Marketing - Advertising Department: You can arrange desks in clusters or use large tables to facilitate discussions and idea exchanges among employees. Additionally, the area should include sofas or lounge chairs for relaxation and inspiration.
Sales Department: Arrange desks in clusters to facilitate communication and collaboration among team members. Set up a separate set of reception desks and chairs in this area for sales staff to meet and discuss with customers. Additionally, the sales department should be located near the Marketing - Advertising Department to build effective marketing strategies.
For other departments such as R&D, warehouse management, etc. (depending on each company), base the workspace design on the nature of the work and collaboration between departments to create the most suitable working environment.
3. Experience in Efficient Desk and Chair Arrangement
Efficient desk and chair arrangement in the office is key to optimizing the workspace and increasing productivity. Here are some important experiences to help you do this scientifically and reasonably:
3.1. Clearly define main and secondary pathways
The main pathways should be wide and clear to facilitate easy movement in emergencies such as fire evacuation, etc. On the other hand, secondary pathways can be narrower but still spacious enough for movement. Clearly defining main and secondary pathways helps you arrange desks, and equipment logically, avoid wasted space, and prevent hindrances to employees during work.
Here are suggestions on how to identify the main and secondary pathways when arranging office furniture:
Main Pathway: The main pathway is typically the main entrance near the office door, where employees and clients frequently pass through. It's essential to ensure this pathway is wide enough and not obstructed by desks, chairs, or other objects. To mark the main pathway, you can use brightly colored rugs or floor markings.
Secondary Pathway: These pathways may lead to less frequently used areas such as storage areas, individual workrooms, or relaxation zones. They can be narrower than the main pathway but should still be wide enough for comfortable movement by at least one person. Ensure that secondary pathways are not blocked by unnecessary objects.
3.2. Choosing Suitable Desks and Chairs
Desks and chairs are essential equipment for employees' work and occupy a significant portion of office space. Choosing the right type, size, and color can contribute to creating an overall layout for the workspace, making employees feel comfortable and energized.
Each office space has its unique characteristics, from the position of doors, and windows to pillars, so a uniform desk and chair design cannot be applied across all spaces. Instead, consider the following suggestions for more effective desk and chair selection:
Guide to choosing suitable desks:
Size: Base your selection on the number of users and the available space to choose desks that are adequately sized. Some desk models you can consider include L-shaped desks, rectangular long desks, round desks, etc.
Material: Prioritize durable, easy-to-clean, and maintainable materials such as aluminum, plastic, stainless steel, etc.
Design: For offices aiming to convey professionalism and brand positioning, prioritize modern desk designs that integrate multiple functions for daily work convenience, such as drawers, hooks, partitions, cable management, etc.
Guide to Choosing Suitable Chairs:
You should select chairs that support sitting posture: Choose modern office chairs designed to support various sitting positions beneficial for health, and enhancing labor productivity. Specifically, chairs designed based on ergonomic principles, adjustable to fit each person's body, help reduce symptoms like numbness in legs and shoulder and neck strain caused by prolonged incorrect sitting postures.
Prioritize sustainable materials: Choose chairs made from sustainable materials, environmentally friendly, and available in various colors to suit different office designs.
To select suitable office chairs and executive chairs, you can refer to Okamura chair models HERE. These chairs come from a Japanese brand with a long history and many years of experience in office furniture manufacturing.
3.3. Human Resource Plan
Human Resource plans help businesses prepare for future development and expansion directions. This ensures that when the number of employees increases, the company still has enough space and necessary equipment to support daily work without major disruptions or costly changes. To implement this, follow the instructions below:
Choose flexible furniture: Prioritize flexible furniture that can be easily changed, such as folding desks, mobile chairs, and movable partitions. This allows you to conveniently adjust office layouts as staff numbers increase without significant costs or time.
Have backup areas: Allocate a portion of office space as a contingency area to expand when needed. This area can be used for activities like relaxation, small meetings, document storage, etc., easily converted into workspace when necessary.
Optimize vertical space: Using wall shelves and storage cabinets is the most common method to optimize vertical space today. This method helps keep the office tidy and creates additional workspace as needed (by removing shelves and adding desks). However, shelves and storage cabinets should be arranged to not obstruct pathways and ensure easy access.
By applying these experiences, Okamura believes you can efficiently arrange office furniture, creating a productive and scientific working environment for employees. If you need to refer to modern, stylish office chair models, you can visit the showroom directly or explore products from the Okamura brand via the website www.okamura.com.vn