The Efficiency of Open Plan Offices

We love our offices - they are bright and open plan with no visual barriers taller than waist height. The 13 windows in our office provide us with natural light from sunrise right through to sunset.

There are many benefits including improved staff communication, improved team working and greater flexibility. By removing the physical barriers between all staff it promotes a more open and transparent environment within the company.

We have a kitchen and eating area that allows staff to take time out from their day and get a break, not only during lunchtime but whenever they wish to rest their eyes or simply refresh themselves.

The meeting room is now a meeting area which is less formal and promotes a more open communication. Staff do not consider any us and them situations; different departments and teams do not consider themselves seperate entities and the difference between manager and staff is removed.

There are always going to be comprimises when having an open plan office layout, noise is top of that list. It can be a bit more noisey but people also tend to respect the needs of others when they can see the effects they have on each other. Privacy can be a problem as well, but provided that confidential information is treated with the respect it deserves and not simply left out then everything works well.

We have used the open plan office layout since we moved into our current offices over 4 years ago, it was a factor in choosing our location, I would never go back as the benefits greatly outway the negatives.

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