Commercial construction that improves your workplace productivity

The physical layout of your premises influences the way staff interact with each other, how efficiently they perform their work and the health and amenity of the building, so what are the key issues to consider when designing a floor plan for a commercial construction?

Your business is unique 

"Every office is different and will organise staff and resources according to its own needs," says Murray Williams, director of Kustom Building Services.

"A legal firm may need rooms for private meetings, while a real estate agency may be more open plan, with informal spaces for agents to conduct quick meetings in the reception area."

Murray says regardless of your business and the type of commercial construction, surveying how the space is used is crucial to designing an effective layout.

Workflow - the question

Workflow is how information and personnel move around your business. The fewer obstacles there are, the more efficiently staff can do their work.

In other words, there's no point putting the warehouse manager's office beside the managing director's. It should be adjacent to the warehouse with a window out onto it. But how do you plan for it?

Workflow - the solution 

Chart the flow of information. On a proposed floor plan, draw arrows showing the typical lines of communication, the flow of documents and other important procedures.

Where possible, minimise distances between staff and the resources they commonly use. Services used by all staff or departments should be placed in a central location. 

Office machines

Murray says busy printers, faxes and photocopiers can be a noisy distraction. Indeed, if they are noisy enough, they may even pose a noise hazard.

"One way of controlling that sort of noise is putting those machines in an insulated room," he says. "That's important if your staff deal with people on the phone and it keeps general office noise low." 

Departmental organisation

According to Murray, there are some broad rules to follow:

• Locate departments with similar responsibilities near one another.
• Consider open-plan layout for departments with staff who work in teams.
• Locate staff who deal with the public/suppliers/sales reps close to the entrance.
• Locate noisy departments away from areas requiring low noise.

Office safety

When it comes to safety in a commercial construction, consider:

• Clutter: Plan specialist storage areas to keep work areas clear, reduce fire danger and assist document control.
• Exposed services: Where possible, all cabling should be secured to avoid tripping and electrical hazards.
• Emergency exits: Consider lines of access to emergency exits from all points of the office. 

Planning for productivity 

Getting the floor plan of your premises right can boost productivity and enhance worker satisfaction. But get it wrong and you can expect interruptions, downtime and complaints. 

Ask a commercial construction specialist today how you can improve the efficiency of your business by rethinking your floor plan.