BE Furniture

Agile working spaces are becoming a common feature in the corporate world. No longer are workers content to stay tied to a single desk for eight hours a day. They demand working environments with greater flow and adaptability. What’s more, they tend to respond to these with increased productivity and decreased absenteeism. So, what do you need to create an agile workspace? Here’s a checklist to help you answer that question. Get Rid of Unnecessary Office Furniture Start by moving out your unnecessary, traditional  office furniture . You’ll find that a good portion of it can go. You may even be able to downsize your floor space and save on rent. Cloud Services and Completely Mobile IT:  Forget about desktops, base everything in the Cloud and issue laptops, tablets, and handsets to your staff. Since staff will be constantly on the move, fixed workstations will be redundant. Video Communication Provisions:  Nothing makes your team less ag...

Open ceilings have become increasingly popular in  office design  over the past decade or so. The taste for deconstructed, industrial spaces doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, and open ceilings are an integral part of that aesthetic. However, before you decide on an open ceiling look for your office, you should consider its pros and cons versus those of drop ceilings. Take a look at these points as you weigh your options: Cost The general perception is that open ceilings must be cheaper, since they eliminate the need for any additional materials such as ceiling boards and joists, and the labor required to install them. This is only partially true. While it may be true that the initial cost of an open ceiling is somewhat cheaper – about 25 % – you may often find that, once you strip away the old ceiling boards or tiles, there is far more work and hidden problems underneath than you initially anticipated. One of the main features of open ceilings is the exposed ducts a...

What would you think are the main factors that decide whether an employee stays at a particular job or leaves it? The obvious ones are work enjoyment and satisfaction, remuneration, and relationships with bosses and colleagues. However, there is another very important, though often unconscious factor – the work environment itself. Neither employers nor employees give it enough thought, but a worker’s level of satisfaction with his/her working environment has a powerful influence over whether he or she will stay or leave. It also affects the attractiveness of the company to prospective employees. We are often so accustomed to thinking of our offices as purely functional spaces. We just have to go in, do our day’s work and then leave. This is hardly an attitude that is conducive to good work, however, and a drab or uncomfortable environment is not only going to make workers do the bare minimum, it will also encourage them to jump ship as soon as a nicer space becomes available....

Until about the last two decades, employers were not aware of how their businesses’ working environments affected workers’ health, comfort, productivity, and diligence. It’s now well-known that both office health and safety, as well as the overall attractiveness of the working area, are key factors in employee satisfaction and output. As an employer or a building owner, you may be wondering how you can create an office that is optimum for health, productivity and user experience. Here, gathered from our expert office designers are the main features you need to consider. Natural Light and Views  There are few things more likely to depress and demotivate office workers than an office environment that is lit only by artificial light sources and that has no windows or that has only limited views. It often doesn’t matter what the view is: nature is best, but even a cityscape or a carefully nurtured garden would be enough to keep people happy. Windows and skylights sh...

Moving your office to a new location involves a myriad of decisions. Not only do you need to ensure that the new office is on brand and offers employees and staff a great experience, but you also have to manage the change with existing employees. Some of the questions that office managers and business owners ask during this time include: Do I need to consult with my staff? What is the impact of commuting versus relocation? What do my employment contracts say? What if someone won’t or can’t move? Here are a few tips to help you with the office relocation: Be Prepared Prior to move day, make sure that everything that can fit into a crate or a box is packed away into a crate or a box. Desks, cupboards, and drawers need to be empty. IT equipment needs to be sealed in an IT bag. Personal items, valuables, and breakables should be placed in a specific area to be taken home. Every Item Needs a Label Everything that needs to be moved needs...

Many things are responsible for the creation of greenhouse gas, but buildings are right at the top of the list. Power usage, emissions, and the resources used to renovate them all add up, and many offices aren’t built once. When we can’t figure out how to make them work for us anymore, they are often demolished. If your company is embarking on an office redesign, it is a prime opportunity to incorporate green features. Here are a few ideas: Sustainable Lighting Switch office light bulbs from normal bulbs to energy-saving light bulbs. While the initial cost is more expensive, the light bulbs will save you a lot of money on electricity bills. Natural Lighting If the office redesign includes a large revamp where office walls will be changed, try to include more windows so that employees have more natural lighting during the day. Water-Saving Fixtures Water-saving fixtures throughout the building can drastically reduce the amount of water the building cons...

Did you know that 31 percent of all occupational health injuries are linked to lower back pain and upper extremity muscular-skeletal disorders, according to OSHA? Companies who have ergonomic plans in place have not only been able to dramatically reduce the number of lost workdays among their workforce, but they are also able to lower employee turnover. The good news is that helping employees to avoid injuries and retaining your staff are not as costly as you might necessarily assume. Here are office ergonomic design flaws that you can easily change to improve the way your staff works: Poor Lighting Needless to say, your employees need adequate lighting to perform their tasks. Make sure that office areas are equipped with high-quality lighting so that nobody has to squint to read the words on their screens. Lack of Adjustable Seats People are unique, and the way they adjust their seats will vary from person to person. Adjustable seats can ensure that everyone ...