Whilst some people may be sceptical about them, open plan offices do offer a variety of benefits. Providing they are carefully planned and consideration is given to the layout, furniture selections and provision of breakout and private areas to escape to should the need arise, the open plan office could well deliver major advantage for your business. Read on as we explore why open plan could work in your favour.
From boosted collaboration to enhanced creativity, and from greater flexibility to a more enriched company culture, there is a lot to like about the open plan office layout. When combined with breakout areas for a breather, and private zones where calls can be made in peace and there’s room for completing tasks that require concentration, the open plan office can successfully support activity based working, which is a growing trend accelerated by the pandemic.
Here are some of the major advantages of an open plan office layout.
1. Enhanced collaboration and communication
In an open plan environment, it is much easier to work together. Communication is more straightforward, and sharing ideas becomes second nature. Talking face to face rather than emailing is far more conducive to successful collaboration, and encourages more of a convivial atmosphere too, one where staff feel a lot happier and more supported.
Providing your organisation instils a culture of openness, everyone will feel compelled to communicate. Whilst some may consider this a distraction, if there is space provided where staff can escape to complete tasks that require concentration, then that will strike a good balance.
2. Better flexibility
An open plan workspace is adaptable. If for example you want to group departments together, or create team zones, that’s all possible with open plan.
A great way to segregate zones in an open plan office is with the use of well-selected office furniture. Partition storage is useful in two ways, providing a neat place to keep clutter at bay, whilst zoning off areas.
Functional furniture further enhances flexibility. Dual use furniture, such as desks that double as meeting tables, are valuable in an open plan space, especially where staff need to regularly get together to collaborate and share ideas.
Modular furniture is also becoming very popular, allowing furniture arrangement to be tailored to suit the task at hand.
3. Boosted creativity
When you separate members of a team, you can easily block creativity. One of the most valuable benefits of an open plan office layout is that everyone can openly share ideas. And as creativity breeds success, that can only be a good thing.
Adding privacy booths to the workspace can further bolster creativity, providing dedicated spaces for team members to get together for brainstorming sessions, leaving the rest of the office to get on with their work undisturbed.
4. Enriched company culture
One thing that came out of the pandemic-driven work from home trend was that staff actually missed working as part of a team and being part of a workplace family.
Working in isolation doesn’t encourage staff to bond and get to know each other. But the open plan office layout addresses that issue. Staff feel happier and more fulfilled as a result of working in a friendlier, more sociable environment, which is good news for staff retention and workplace well-being, and great for productivity too.
Ready to create an open plan office layout to boost staff morale and productivity? Talk to ADD office.
ADD office is a UK-wide supplier of premium quality office furniture. We have all you need to create the ideal open plan office, including functional furniture and modular furniture, so don’t hesitate to contact our helpful team for fully tailored advice on selecting the right furniture to suit your individual needs.
