Office trends come and go. While an open office plan was once the layout du jour for enhanced teamwork and communication, recent studies have shown that employees are more distracted, less productive, and more stressed in an open office. Yet about 70 percent of U.S. employees work in an open office, and redesigning the layout is costly. At Pacific Office Automation, we strive to provide your business with opportunity to become more efficient and streamline workflow. Here are some tips to increase productivity in the age of the open office:
- Cut down on the noise. Research shows that noise level and temperature have the most effect on workers’ productivity. Ringing phones, co-workers’ conversations, and noisy machines ranked as the most irritating office sounds. A multifunction printer that combines the work of printing, copying, scanning, and faxing is an easy step to quiet the din. Today's MFPs can scan, fax, and print to e-mail, reducing the number of noisy print jobs.
- Reduce interruptions. Nothing is more frustrating than wasting time trying to find a document. Employees who need to ask for help or bang around the filing cabinet create unnecessary interruptions for his or her co-workers. Document management systems will organize your documents electronically for swift retrieval with one click of the mouse.
- Allow for mobility. Sometimes noise, temperature, or other factors make it too difficult for an employee to focus, and he or she might need to shut himself in the conference room to finish his work. Plus, no one likes to feel chained to her desk. Pacific Office offers custom workflows for mobile business needs, including desktop apps that allow employees to create, edit, and distribute documents from anywhere.
At Pacific Office Automation, we are experts at improving productivity at work. Contact us today to find out how custom workflow solutions can cut down on office distractions.