Agile office space is fast becoming the new standard in workplace design. This approach to the work environment is empowering and aimed at improving productivity among employees. The flexibility offered breaks free from the constrictions of the old days of cubicle-based workplaces. Agile workspaces are the new standard and this trend is definitely more than just a fad. Needless to say, it is the realistic future of the workforce that deconstructs your idea of boring office space and transforms it to feel and function like a living organism.
Principles of Agile Work Environments
What is an “agile office”? Before you can jump into the project of transforming your work environment with a revamped design, it is important to know exactly what constitutes an agile working space.
Don’t confuse agile workspaces with an open floor plan – it’s more than that. It operates on the tenets that employees require collaborative time with their co-workers, just as much as they do need time to focus on executing their individual projects. It is all about a balance of both and having a work environment that can adapt to your needs accordingly.
Simply put, the agile work environment is part of the work being done, not just a location where you do work.
How do you shape your existing working space and transform it into an agile work environment? It is important to know the basic principles so you can find ways to incorporate that into your new design.
1. Open Plan
An open-plan design is a basic element you need to create an agile working environment. It is advantageous because it offers maximum collaboration between team members. It is also all about space efficiency and using every square inch of your office to deliver maximum productivity.
On the flip side, there are limitations to an open plan layout because it does not provide you with the adequate privacy needed to focus on individual projects. There is also the issue of handling confidential work or dealing with sensitive conversations at work. If that’s not enough, a noisy working environment can also cause a decline in productivity. An office fit-out solution with the EXSTOPOD ™ can alleviate these issues so you can keep the open-plan layout without compromising on privacy & productivity.
2. Breakout Space
This is a large area or meeting room designed for a team to get together and discuss important aspects of a project. It is a smaller version of the open space but one that is designed for collaboration. But it is more than just a space for your brain-storming sessions as this area can also be designed for relaxation and eating (or other social activities). Colorful and contemporary collaborative furniture’s from LIGHTSPACE is a good choice for this location.
3. Overflow Workspace or Hotdesking
This is another important component of an agile work environment, which also adapts to the number of workers you have in the office. It is ideal for employees like salespeople that come to the office every few times rather than having a dedicated desk for this type of employee. It is recommended for companies with remote or freelance workers. This space is also ideal for short duration tasks such as checking emails or doing certain tasks between meetings. Ergonomic Height Adjustable Tables from ACTIFORCE are most commonly used for hotdesking.
4. Quiet Zones
Also known as focused booths, this is a vital component of agile working space. This is where employees can go when they seek privacy or get the chance to focus on a given project, free from any noise or distractions. This privacy, on-demand quiet space should be available to every member of the team.
But this quiet space does not necessarily have to be for individual use only as there are Collaborative Pods from Exsto Asia Pte Ltd. that you can use for uninterrupted and noise-free spaces wherein teams can work on a project.
5. Resources
The Resources space is another dedicated space in an agile work environment that serves as vital cogs in your workspace. This is where you will store essential office facilities such as printers, copiers, storage, team filing, and recycling stations. It should be within immediate access to teamwork areas for added efficiency.
Overcoming Challenges of Agile Work Environment
Don’t confuse agile work environments as a space wherein employees have free-for-all seating arrangements. As discussed above, it is a workspace that enables employees to change up their desk spaces to suit their needs. Using the principles and elements listed above, it is now easier to develop design ideas for your work environment that can cater to the idea of an agile workflow.
One of the major challenges of an agile workspace – through the lens of The Office Designer – is the fact that the requirements of employees are changing throughout the day. For this reason, the solutions you integrate into your workspace design should have this in mind. Flexible spaces deliver variable occupancies.
Investing in ergonomics and agile work furniture and accessories can be the secret to succeeding with this approach to office design. Some of the key elements of a portable workspace include height-adjustable tables, adjustable storage solutions, collaborative furniture, and the patented EXSTOPOD™ .
Ergotron is one of the top brands in the market that design and manufacture ergonomic office furniture and accessories. Their range of LCD monitor arms, for example, fits right into an agile workspace because the rotating arm is a standard. This will give you optimum flexibility in positioning your computer monitor to fit the available space in your work station (rather than the other way around).
Another excellent range from Ergotron is the Sit-Stand Desktop Workstation. It’s no secret that the sedentary lifestyle of sitting on a desk for more than 8 hours can be debilitating to your health, if not cause a dip in your productivity. The sit-stand desk has been around for a while and Ergotron has taken this design concept to a whole new level to deliver utmost productivity and ergonomics. Other accessories like the ErgoLife E-Power Rail can facilitate more flexibility in keeping your workspace agile because you have reliable power management tools available, wherever you are working! No need to look for a nearby power outlet to set up your desk because one is available nearby at your disposal.
The acoustic phone booth workstation is flexible enough to provide individual working space or those designed for a group of people working together, such as the Quadruple pod (Q-Pod) and the Collaborative Pod (C-Pod). Privacy is a rare commodity in a public space such as an office. But it does not mean that it should be compromised, especially in your quest of building an agile work environment.
The (U-Pod) is an innovative design to address privacy issues, which is a single person acoustic phone booth for maximum privacy. Do you have an important phone call to make? Do you need to focus on an important project and be away from the noise of a hectic work environment? This flexible working pod is mobile so you can re-position it to wherever you feel most comfortable working in.
Another must-have for the modern office space with an agile concept is the ErgoPod, also known as (E-Pod). It looks and functions like a small private office. It integrates the ergonomic furniture solutions such as the adjustable height tables for optimum work positioning that promotes wellness and productivity. It also comes with its own power and connectivity so you can deliver a more focused and concentrated work environment that is free from any disturbances.
As mentioned above, an agile workspace is flexible. Aside from the privacy pods and work solutions already mentioned, this approach to office design also encourages team collaboration. The Lightspace range is the answer when it comes to your collaborative furniture needs. The Lightspace collaborative coffee tables and contemporary sofas ensure that you and your collaborators have a comfortable and efficiently designed space to brainstorm or discuss projects. There are many other pieces from the range such as the lounge chairs and Lightspace accessories, which make a great addition to your work environment. They are a must for creative workspaces and informal meetings – you need these shared spaces to support creative teamwork.
If you are interested in the contemporary furniture that is fitted for agile work environments or phone booth solutions for maximum privacy and noise-free work setting, feel free to learn more about Exsto Asia Pte Ltd here.
Conclusion
Agile workspace is a fast-growing trend and more employers have adopted this solution. The benefits of a well-designed office space go well beyond productivity as it also boosts morale, collaboration, and reduces staff turnover. Finding a high-quality office fit-out specialist can be your ticket to transforming your office design to one that can deliver the aforementioned benefits.
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