Workplace Efficiency Improvement
Efficiency in the workplace means that an employee produces the highest output level with the lowest input. According to HubWorks.com, efficient employees typically:
- Complete their work based on priority
- Break their projects into smaller pieces to work on
- Take small breaks frequently
- Minimize outside distractions
- Communicate with a purpose
- Delegate tasks effectively
The value of an efficiently working employee is almost immediate in the profits and successes of the business. You can measure efficiency in the workplace by monitoring that employees are:
- Making the best use of all available resources
- Reducing waste
- Reducing costs
- Decreasing errors
- Performing at a higher productivity
There are multiple ways to increase the efficiency of an employee. One of the most common is setting them up in a workspace that allows them to be the most productive. Southwest Solutions believes in setting your employees up for success by providing them a workspace where they can be efficient.
Are you ready to improve your workspace efficiency? Here are five workspace tips that will help you organize your office in a way that increases functionality and productivity.
Tip One: Go Modular
Many workplaces have been using modular casework to help improve workplace efficiency. Modular casework can be moved around a room, allowing employees to easily rearrange the space to meet their needs and be more productive and efficient.
Modular casework is a popular alternative to built-in cabinets and other types of millwork. It is designed like furniture that can be modified, customized, reused, and relocated. It does all of this while maintaining the look of traditional millwork.
Because the moveable casework is not built into the wall, you don’t need to worry about tearing out old cabinets when you need to reconfigure a space. Because of the noise and potential displacement, the demolition would hinder employee efficiency and productivity. Modular casework is manufactured ahead of time and sent to you already assembled. You can now reconfigure your space very easily without fumes or displacing workers.
Other benefits of modular casework include:
- Environmentally friendly
- Cost-effective solution to built-in furniture
- Customizable to meet your exact needs
Tip Two: Utilize Electronic Lockers
Another workspace tip to improve efficiency is to with electronic lockers. Lockers are used in more than just schools. They are also often found in commercial businesses and at large apartment complexes or condominiums.
Employees and facility tenants no longer need to spend their valuable time lugging around large rings of keys and searching for the right one. Digital lockers will save employees and tenants a lot of time.
24/7 self-service package delivery lockers make the delivery, storage, and pickup of packages and parcels worry-free and efficient. Deliveries are dropped off and securely stored until the recipient can retrieve them at their earliest convenience. This secure flexibility makes electronic storage lockers ideal for apartment buildings. An increasingly large number of businesses use self-service lockers for deliveries as well.
Manual package management is time-consuming and uses resources that many businesses don’t have. For example, it is especially difficult when a package needs to be picked up after office hours. But with an electronic locker, packages are dropped off using a touchscreen and placing the package in a specific locker. The recipient is then notified of the delivery to retrieve the item with a passcode or an RFID card. This way, the package can be retrieved at any time, not just during office hours.
Many businesses are using electronic lockers inside their store or workplace to deliver online customer orders. Once the package has been delivered, the recipient receives a notification. The self-service lockers are located in the store so that the recipient can retrieve the delivery at any time during store hours. This way, employees can focus on the task at hand instead of having to tend to a customer pickup.
Who should invest in electronic lockers?
- Companies that want to offer employees secure lockers to place their things
- Businesses like spas and gyms that want to provide lockers for their customers
- Apartment and condo buildings
- Dorm rooms
- Schools and educational institutions
- Athletic teams
- Package pickup designated areas
- Offices that receive many package deliveries for employees
Tip Three: Move to High-Density Storage
High-density storage solutions help enhance organization, which translates to improvements in employee and workspace efficiency. The efficiency leads to shorter response times, revenue increases, and streamlining processes.
So what is high-density storage? High-density storage helps businesses store more files, documents, and more in a smaller footprint. Usually, a business will use traditional shelving for storage, but that poses challenges. Conventional shelving is static and takes up a more significant amount of space. As businesses grow, they find the need for additional storage in the same amount of space.
High-density storage helps solve this problem and improves workplace efficiency. This high-density concept is an excellent way of consolidating high volumes of materials and products with maximizing limited storage and warehouse space.
Not only does high-density storage improve workplace efficiency, but it also maximizes floor space. Stationary access aisles are taken out and replaced with a movable aisle at the push of a button or the turn of a handle. There are unlimited design options that allow you to make a flexible and easy-to-use storage system that works best for your business or office.
Other benefits of high-density storage include:
- Double storage capacities: Companies can increase their storage capacities by up to 50%
- Convenience and organization: Just about any storage system can mount to a mobile cabinet system
- No off-site storage costs: Storing items off-site is expensive and can incur additional costs
Tip Four: Ditch Traditional Cubicles
Traditional cubicles are static and are not an inviting setup for collaborating with team members. According to an article from Forbes, “participants who were primed to act collaboratively stuck at their task 64% longer than their solitary peers, while also reporting higher engagement levels, lower fatigue levels, and a higher success rate.” Making sure you set up your workspace to allow for collaboration between team members will improve efficiency.
Folding and rolling workstations will allow you to get rid of static cubicles. Your new furniture will allow your team to work together more collaboratively and efficiently.
Types of folding and rolling workstations include:
- Mobile desk workstations: These are similar to cubicles because they offer privacy walls and more space.
- Benching systems: These don’t have large walls and encourage more collaboration. They also work better for smaller spaces.
- Rolling meeting booth: This booth creates a private meeting space anywhere, whether in the office or at an off-site event.
- Flip-top workstations: These workstations work both as an adjustable desk and as a portable whiteboard.
Other benefits of folding and rolling workstations include:
- Quick and easy setup
- Mobility and portability
- No professional installers required
- Unique and customizable
- Foldable and easy to store
- Engineered to last
Tip Five: Invest In Pull-Out Shelving
Pull-out storage shelving allows shelves to move out of a storage cabinet. Instead of reaching into a cabinet, this solution makes it easier for your employees to find what they need, allowing them to be more efficient.
When you pull on the drawer of office filing cabinets, they move along an extendable track and allow employees to reach the files in the back of the filing cabinet. This pull-out feature helps your business improve efficiency and productivity in many ways, including:
- Mobile storage cabinets with shelving sliders to improve accessibility and maximize storage space for employees
- Employees are more productive when they have what they need when they need it, rather than having to search for it
- It is much easier to reorder items when employees can see what is stocked and what needs to be restocked when pulling out the shelves
Some other benefits of pull-out storage shelving include:
- Durable and high-quality construction
- More comfortable access to items in the back
- Increase office storage space
- Multi-use configurations
- Straightforward installation process
About Southwest Solutions
Southwest Solutions Group® is a solution-oriented business-to-business company that provides innovative efficiency systems to all types of businesses and government agencies. They are experts in business storage solutions.
If you aren’t sure what you need to make your workspace more efficient, don’t worry! We are here to help you along the way. Our team of experienced planners and designers will walk you through the process of designing a solution for your workspace efficiency need. We also offer installation services through a team of certified, factory-trained technicians. They will install your storage solution quickly and efficiently, all while making sure it meets your exact needs.
Contact Us About Workspace Efficiency Needs
Please send us a message or give us a call today at 866-443-5670. Let our team of professionals help you design and install a storage solution that allows your employees to be more efficient.