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31 Jul

Posted at 16:40h in Office and Cubicle Resources
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Synchronize Your Office Culture with Your Office Space

 

Bringing elements of your business into your work space can evoke a strong message to customers and employees about your brand and culture.

Part of synchronizing your office culture with your office space can begin with the ideal office design choices that reflect your values and supports your company’s, stakeholder’s and staff’s needs. Strengthening a positive company culture with a desirable workplace not only fosters employee satisfaction and motivation but having a great workplace reputation helps attract and retain talent.

Here are six ways to effectively blend your company culture with better office design.

 

1. Reflect your company values
Does your company emphasize communication and collaboration? Then you could trend toward open workspaces. A creative and playful culture might include fun spaces where employees and customers can unwind and work, such as game rooms or sitting areas with colorful couches. If the industry you work in is conservative, then you may place priority on confidentiality and privacy and include enclosed office space with doors. Most importantly, involve design choices that are consistent with what your company represents. For example, if you’re a wellness company then you could include healthy office design elements or if you’re a tech company look to add technology into your design.

2. Incorporate an ideal color scheme
Color can be a big mood enhancer and the right colors added to your design scheme with your brand colors, can also boost efficiency and communication. Research how colors can affect mood and add color based on the goal and focus of specific workspaces. For example, reds can bring out energy and passion, greens and blues can improve focus and increase energy, yellows foster optimism and innovation, while oranges represent enthusiasm, creativity and determination.

3. Choose the best-fit furniture and decor
Carefully-chosen furniture and artwork can leave visitors and employees with a certain impression and feeling about your office so make it one you want to create in their minds. If your company is in a field where expertise and trust is important then you might want to include credentials on the wall or client testimonials. If you want to exude a modern setting think sleek, minimal furniture or if your culture is more relaxed then consider informal, sitting areas. One way to create an inspired work space is to add movable furniture such as chairs, desks, seating areas and dividers. Movable space enhances the creative process and allows teams to reconfigure space to support their work.

4. Engage your people
We understand that keeping your team happy can be a big priority. One way to do this is to involve your employees from start to finish with the office design process. They help define your company culture and some of the best-fit designs come from the result of mixing your brand with team ideas. Enabling your office space to connect people while also providing boundaries and private space can create a vibrant energy and strengthen community. People often believe that their workspace says a lot about their importance in a company and engaging them in its design supports this belief. Possibly even let them design their own workspace with things that interest them or colors that make them feel more productive.

5. Create space for social connection
While people can crave solitude to get their work done, at times they also want to be part of a group setting. Adding gathering spaces such as cafés, common lounge areas, atriums or shared work tables can foster a keen sense of community and boost creative collaboration. Including project or idea boards in these group spaces are a productive way for employees to share and learn from each other.

6. Give equal consideration to all spaces
With designing your office, it’s crucial to consider all spaces whether public or private, inside or outside. When a client or potential new-hire arrives to be welcomed by a vibrant and dynamic lobby you won’t want to disappoint them with a bland workspace or outdated kitchen area. If you treat all spaces equally, your brand and culture will flow through your workspace and show to visitors and employees that you care about their experience there.

When people enter your office, you want them to instantly understand what your company is all about. Office design reveals much about a company’s brand and culture. With the ideal considerate touch, each space in your office from color, services, technology, décor, lighting, furniture and layout, can express your culture and be an inviting space for visitors to enjoy and employees to thrive in. Cubicle by Design can help you through the entire office design process that reflects your culture. Contact us today to discuss how you can get started.

29 Apr

Posted at 14:00h in Business Resources, Office and Cubicle Resources
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Downsizing Your Office? Tips On How To Use Your Space Efficiently

 

All too often, valuable office space goes unused. Whether you are moving to smaller office or just decreasing the available square footage of your current office, be sure to maximally utilize your space. With a strategical plan you can make your workspace appear larger, and encourage employee productivity. Consider these tips when mapping out your workspace.

Be “Size Wise”

Nothing makes a tinier workspace appear more claustrophobic than oversized furniture, so aim to purchase smaller office furniture. No room in the budget for new furniture? Simply donate the furniture pieces that take up a lot of space, but are not really used.

Brighten Things Up

Try to avoid dark colors, they can make the space seem more enclosed.  Brighter colors will not only open up the space but can also contribute to a productive and positive psych. For example yellow inspires creative mind, blue stimulates sharper intellect and green offers a calm and collected temperament. Think about  the mood you want to encourage when designing your workspace. Also, don’t forget that there is power in good lighting! Open up your blinds to let in some natural light, bring a little bit of outside-inside.

Prevent Clutter

When office space is limited don’t take up valuable real estate with clutter. Plus, there is research which indicates that clutter tends to disturb productivity, while an organized workspace fuels motivation and creativity. Utilize simple tools, such as a desk organizer and labeled folders. Eliminating unessential items leads to more space and more productivity.

Embrace the Cloud

In today’s day and age, why not take advantage of our innovative technology. Rather than keeping excessive amounts of paper, digitize as much as possible. Digital storing is time efficient and extinguishes the need for bulky filing cabinets. Consider uploading your files to cloud-based programs, allowing for data backup and instant employee access both in and out of the office. Remember, if making the switch to the cloud, to keep your information secure, as information is at risk on the Internet. Take precautionary measures to ensure maximum company privacy, by frequently updating passwords and monitoring for any suspicious activity.

Veer Vertical

To save space, build upwards! Install wall shelving, and stack them one on top of the other. Hang magazine racks to store accumulated magazines, newspapers, and papers. Items, such as reading lamps, televisions, and other electronics don’t need to occupy floor space—mount them. So, don’t limit storage space to solely your desk and grounded furniture. Think vertical!

02 Apr

Posted at 09:45h in Cubicle and Office Fun, Office and Cubicle Resources
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We often neglect to acknowledge the paramount importance of the office cubicle. Yet, it is difficult to identify another piece of office furniture, which has had a greater impact on the efficient use of office space or on the workforce at large. The cubicle has transformed the ways in which employees function both independently and interdependently with colleagues, fueling personal creativity and productiveness while encouraging necessary interactivity within the office. The history and evolution of the cubicle reflects the corporate responsibility to respond to the ever-changing economy, while providing their employees with optimum comfort and encouraging productivity in the office.

1960s

Herman Miller (an accomplished designer) collaborated with Robert Propst (an esteemed inventor and artist) to assemble a design, which would solve issues regarding office furniture and efficient use of space in the office. Propst envisioned a workspace that offered both privacy and room to interact. These proposed workspaces would be organized into rows. However, after much trial and error, and taking into consideration customer feedback, innovators realized the greater practicality of organizing these panels into a cube formation—hence the birth of the cubicle!

1970s

During the Energy Crisis of the 1970s businesses downsized and offices became more tightly packed. However, with the cheap production and a new tax deduction, there was a dramatic increase in cubicle sales between 1977 and 1997. There were still a few kinks to smooth over.

1980s

In the 1980s, the image of the cubicle shifted. Companies merged and shrank. Consequentially, cubicles were shrinking by twenty-five to fifty percent in size. As companies downsized further, employees with private offices were relocated into cubicles. This made for a more oppressive and disheartening working environment. Demoted employees were discouraged by the lack of lighting and creative atmosphere in the cubicle. In response to public discontent, businesses felt pressure to expand employee personal workspace. In 1994, the average cubicle space was extended to about ninety square feet. The importance of a flexible workspace, which encourages movement and innovation, became apparent. The cubicle continued to modernize.

Today

Through the years, like most products, the office cubicle underwent numerous experimental phases. This process of trial and error, and responding to public response, has helped the cubicle to evolve into the quality product it is today. To remedy the mundane plainness of the cubicles of the past, today’s cubicles offer brighter fabric options that create a more uplifting working environment. There are now an abundance of additional features like lighting options, which are tailored to the specific needs of employees. Particular configurations, designs, styles, colors, and sizes are selected to best suite a specific workspace—after all, no two workspaces are the same!

Today, employee comfort is of utmost concern. Optimal space and frequent movement is strongly encouraged. More than ever, employees embrace their cubicles by decorating and personalizing their space. Rather than viewing their cubicles as purely restrictive, today’s employees tend to focus on the cubicle’s potential. The office cubicle, when utilized effectively, minimizes distraction, and maintains space for privacy and personal expression. The modern cubicle encourages an interactive, yet focused working environment.

 

30 Mar

Posted at 14:51h in Company News, Office and Cubicle Resources
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Revamp Your Workstations: Quick-Easy-Affordable

 

Workstations can take a beaten over the years; from random scuff marks to massive spills. And let’s face it, there are just some things Mr. Clean can’t fix.

Cubicle By Design recognizes that buying new furniture can’t always make into your budget. This is why we now offer FreshFIT™, a self-adhesive panel overlay tile. It is easier than ever to refresh and revamp tired workstations, at a fraction of the cost to purchase new office furniture.

Add bright colors, custom design or new functionality, like whiteboard, to your current panels without any hassle. FreshFIT™ works on all systems and is simple to install; just align and press into place. By using FreshFIT™ you are extending the service life of your workstations which leads to saving money in the long run.

Give your office environment a facelift!  It’s quick, easy and affordable. Contact us to find out how you can revamp your workstations.

 

 

04 Mar

Posted at 12:51h in Cubicle and Office Fun, Office and Cubicle Resources
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4 Simple Steps To a Relaxed Cubicle Environment

So, you’re moving into a new workspace or looking to revamp your already worn-in cubicle. Why not take this time to include simple changes, like personalizing your cubicle, to create a relaxing office environment. Spicing up your surroundings can have a great emotional impact, fueling a positive working environment; while, lifting your spirit throughout the day. Get started with these simple steps.

Step 1: Organize and Prioritize
You want to make the most of your cubicle. Clutter is the enemy. Keeping this in mind, first make a list of essential supplies (pens, sticky notes, paper clips etc). Once you’ve sifted out dispensable items, organize! Sort materials into drawers or containers (color coordination always helps). Don’t leave miscellaneous items flailing about.

Step 2: Decorate and Customize
Have fun with it. This is your space to express yourself. Feel free to display important mementos, such as family pictures or sports team schedules. It’s always nice to exhibit pride in your university emblem or favorite sports team logo.

Step 3: Encourage Healthy Habits
What you store in your cubicle matters. Always have a water bottle, and refill regularly. It’s no secret that hydration is key to a productive day at the office. Leave the candy behind and supplement with energy infused items, such as fruit and nuts to snack on throughout the day. Don’t overdose on caffeine. Replace your afternoon coffee run with a cup of tea to reboot and energize.

Step 4: Be a Good Neighbor!
Don’t be the one that every employee complains about. A friendly environment contributes to a a relaxed, yet professional atmosphere, triggering the flow of collaborative ideas and innovation.

28 Jan

Posted at 11:24h in Business Resources, Office and Cubicle Resources
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Office Relocation: 5 Major Pitfalls to Avoid

So you are thinking about relocating your office. Maybe your business is booming and you need more space (we hope). Maybe the boss is looking for a change of scenery (very common). Or maybe everyone is just tired of the drab carpet and taupe walls (even more common). Either way, relocating an organization can be a little tricky, in a sneaky sort of way – and it’s not until you are living and breathing the move that you realize the potential pitfalls.

Having helped hundreds of companies move their offices over the last 25 years, we have seen it all, from lightening-fast, successful transitions to epic failures. We consistently share our expertise in the office furniture and cubicle industry, and thought it would be helpful to put together a few key mistakes other individuals and companies have made when moving so that you can avoid them.

Best of luck with your move!

 Pitfall #1: No Single Point of Contact

Who is in charge of your relocation process? Have you been appointed king or queen of the great migration? If so, does everyone know you’re the grand poobah?

Like all projects in business, office relocation has a lot of moving parts. Everyone in the organization is involved, from Ned in IT to girl in accounting with the squeaky voice. There are paper files, phones, a million cords, and furniture to move, employees to appease, and many other concerns. Without a plan, and someone in clearly in charge of that plan, disorganization can lead to error, added moving time, and operational downtime. Just like with all aspects of business, downtime is unacceptable.

How to Avoid: Your move should be treated like any other business function. Assign a single “operations” manager who is in charge of managing the process. Just like you might name one account manager to a client or one project manager for an important task, make sure you have one person who knows what’s going on with the move at all times. Also, make sure that everyone knows who has been selected as the point person. This can ensure that questions are answered and everyone is on the same page so the move is executed quickly and efficiently the first time.

Pitfall #2: Being Shortsighted

Many businesses struggle to plan for holiday parties let alone 12-month growth. When deciding to move an office, people just take measurements, count the number of cubicles, offices, printers, and chairs they currently have, and start looking for new space that will fit it all. When they sign their new lease, it’s only enough space for today’s needs. Go figure.

Sometimes organizations even start hiring during the moving process, not taking this into consideration before relocating. The result? You can run out of space very quickly and waste more time and money scrambling for space.

How to Avoid: Consider the following: Will you be planning to hire people, secure new clients, or develop new partnerships in the next 12 months? The answer is probably yes – so plan for expansion. Adding personnel and new business will create needs for cubicles, desks, office space, cabinets, and other furniture, at the very least. Now is the time to plan for expansion – so you don’t have to go through this process again in three months.

Pitfall #3: Bringing Paper Baggage

Many companies do not clean and condense beforehand – especially paper files. They quickly box everything up, pay oodles of dollars to move the documents, and figure out a place to store everything in the new location. Why? Going through filing cabinets is Excel-sheet-formula-calculation-tedious, and there aren’t enough interns to go around.

How to Avoid: Build time into the move to allow paper files to be reviewed and discarded and recycled when warranted. Assign team leaders to go through different paper assets, such as internal accounting documents and client files. Break up the task so it’s not only on a few people’s shoulders. Depending on your industry and budget, you could also consider converting paper documents to secure electronic files. Look at this office move as an opportunity to free your organization of unneeded paper baggage, avoid the cost of moving trash, and establish a leaner workspace.

Pitfall #4: Bringing Furniture Baggage

When searching for office space, it’s easy to get excited about new styles, paint colors, and carpet. This is the fun part. But the tripwire lies in forgetting to consider how current furniture will look in the new location. Many organizations find out that their cool new office décor doesn’t match their drab old furniture. So in addition to paying to move the old furniture, they may have to pay to move it again once new furniture arrives.

How to Avoid: Take pictures of your office furniture and bring them with you when searching for the new environment. If you really like your current furniture, consider asking your new landlord about changing paint colors and carpet type so it matches. At the very least, decide whether you will bring your furniture to the new location so you don’t waste money. If you decide to purchase new furniture, you may be able to sell your old chairs, desks, and cubicles, donate the items, or even give some to your employees. (If you decide to give furniture to your employees, look into having them sign a waiver releasing the company of responsibility. Your legal team will be able to help.)

Pitfall #5: Rushing the Job

Moving an office requires significant man-hours and may be someone’s full-time job for a period of time. From employee communication to phone systems to computers and printers, there is substantial coordination needed to ensure a successful move. Many times organizations substantially underestimate time requirements. They want to move faster than Speed Racer, but don’t want to spend time building an engine.

How to Avoid: Develop a move checklist and timeline – and build in at least a 5-office day buffer. Work with key stakeholders within the organization and delegate tasks related to furniture, IT services, notifying employees, and cleaning and trash removal. Also, be sure to take an inventory of everything in your office that will be moved to the new location so you can make sure everything arrives.

05 Jan

Posted at 12:15h in Business Resources, Office and Cubicle Resources
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So your organization needs to buy cubicles, and you’ve been tasked with the job. Awesome! (Cue sarcastic thumbs-up and over exaggerated smile.)

Realistically, for as much as we enjoy living and breathing the world of office furniture, we have worked with enough office administrators, facilities managers, and purchasing directors over the last 25 years to know that buying cubes is not the most awesome thing in the world. Without the right direction, this process can be almost as painful than a root canal.

We also know that this task is probably among a million others on your to-do list that are all screaming with importance. We hear you, and we understand, which is why we constantly offer resources to make your “job” of buying cubes easier so you can get back to work.

Below are hands-down the four most crucial elements of the cubicle buying process. These tips have been compiled after thousands of conversations we have had with people in your shoes. Rest assured that following these steps could save you precious time and unnecessary headaches.

One last thing – we do not dive into an obvious element of the process: Budget. Only you and your team can determine what you have to spend. Knowing that each company’s resource pool is different, we have built a product line ranging from basic to highly-customized, so we can work within any budget.

Read on to learn more about how to get your plan in place, and feel free to contact us with any questions.

Space Tip – How to be Accurate

Cubicle Measurement

Measuring the space needed for your cubes sounds easy: Just grab a tape measure and any co-worker with a pulse.

Here’s where people go wrong time and time again: They don’t look at the big picture.

Square footage is a key number of course, so you record that measurement for areas where cubicles will reside. But also take into consideration any offices, electrical poles, copier areas, or other “dead zones” where cubes won’t be deployed. Taking a few extra minutes to break the large office space into smaller areas will help you when it comes time to select cubicle configurations and sizes.

Also, if you are purchasing cubicles for a new office setting, it almost goes without saying that you should measure the new office space area, not your old one. You might be surprised at how many times people don’t do this and end up wasting time.

Quantity Tip – Counting the People

Office Personnel Count

How many people work in your office? Better yet, how many people need cubicles?

Many times it takes a little more strategy than just going through the company directory and counting the number of co-workers you have. You may need to have conversations with the business owners or the human resources manager to see who actually needs a cubicle. For instance, a specific scenario to consider is related to sales personnel: Do they need personal cubes, or do they “work from home” or “operate remotely”?

Again, be sure to take into consideration whether your company is hiring. The last thing you need is to place an order, have cubes installed…and then have to go through the process again.

Requirements Tip – Determining Size and Features

We all know the line from “Office Space” – now you get to ask the question!

Determining the tasks your employees perform on a daily basis is extremely important because it will help you nail down the requirements for individual cubes such as size, height, storage, power requirements, and more.

Here are some things to consider:

  • Privacy – Are your employees on the phone all day making calls, like telemarketers or inside sales representatives? If so, cubes with higher walls are ideal and more privacy work best for them and everyone within shouting distance.
  • Storage – Cubicle dwellers working for organizations in healthcare and insurance, for example, have substantial amounts of paperwork, binders, and files. They may need multiple shelves, cabinets, and other storage compartments to support their work.
  • Power Requirements – Is one outlet enough? Probably not if you employ developers or designers who have high-powered computers, monitors, and other gadgets. There are various cubicle options available for users of all types.

Timeframe Tip – Creating a Realistic Timeline

Office Cube Calendar

Nobody ever wants to hear this, but you should realistically start planning your cubicle deployment 30-90 days before you purchase. That’s a far cry from the “tomorrow” timeframe that our customers are often given, but it’s also not that crazy.

If you are replacing cubicles, give yourself a few weeks to measure your space, determine the quantity of cubes you need, and develop a game plan for cubicle needs based on your employees’ tasks. Finalizing space layout, cube configurations, and colors takes another week or 10 days. Delivery can be five or 10 days at least, especially if your vendor has a quick-ship program (like us). So right there you’re in the 45-day range.

And if you’re relocating your office, add another month for packing and moving. This is a big job – don’t rush it!

Developing a realistic timeline can also help you manage the expectations of the powers that be, which is can save you even more stress (we hope).