Advantages Of An Open Plan Office Layout

Some 20 years ago, it was the norm for businesses to separate their offices into different departments, with smaller office spaces and dedicated working areas separated by long corridors. Fast forward two decades and this has changed completely. Gone are the days of old fashioned offices with endless corridors and cramped work spaces. In 2017 more and more companies are tearing down the partition walls and are opting for bright open plan spaces.
It is widely reported that some 70% of all offices now have an open floor plan, as companies begin to understand the benefits in terms of the collaborative and creative nature of the space, and its ability to boost productivity and staff harmony.

A lack of walls, doors or other physical barriers in open plan office spaces makes it easier for employees to interact with each other on a regular basis, promoting the flow of communication among employees. Friendships amongst colleagues will also be strengthened, which will make them more inclined to work effectively together.

Open plan allows businesses to create a collaborative working environment where new ideas can be generated and shared. Having an open space also makes it easier for both employees and management. Proximity of other staff members allows for minor issues or queries to be dealt with efficiently, without the need for a formal meeting. There is no need for people to search around individual offices in the hopes of trying to track anybody down and things are easier for managers as everyone is in a centralised area.

Overall, open plan is a highly flexible solution that caters to the ever-changing working environment. However, just as businesses are changing to accommodate new working practices, the world of office desks is changing faster than ever before.

Whereas elaborate executive desks and sizeable corner desks were once needed to accommodate a large monitor, a chunky desktop computer, possibly a printer and to store folders, paperwork, stationery, and the rest – things have now changed significantly.

Today people are working with laptops, flat screen monitors, MacBooks or tablets, with wireless technology and digital working. The general shift towards a paper-less office has also led to a reduction in the amount of paper used by offices and the amount of storage needed by employees. Improved accessibility also allows different departments to share resources such as printers, copiers, communal office supplies and more.

Bench desks suit the modern working environment
Increasingly, businesses are moving away from dedicated single employee workspaces, towards more flexible working environments, and bench desk solutions are the ideal solution for high density open plan work places.

Using bench desks enables businesses to accommodate more office workers in the same amount of space. Enabling people to work side by side and facing each other with bench desks it is possible to fit an extra 30-35% extra employees in the same space compared to using ergonomic or wave desks. And by fitting more people in their existing offices, businesses don’t have to invest in additional space when they grow and take on new employees.