According to Techno Office, one of the main players of the local complete office fit-out solutions providers, the most important three changes in the last ten years are described below.
„The keywords for the office spaces in the last decade are: fewer desks, flexibility, networking areas and collaboration. Together, these had a strong impact not only on the company’s business model, but on the reinterpretation of furniture pieces”, has declared Iuliana Carata, General Manager Techno Office.
Team work and the closed offices disappearance
It is well-known that most of the successful businesses are the result of team discussions, where the energy of each member is valued into ideas and visionary concepts. However the company’s success means the evolution of this and implicitly, the passage from a common workplace to separated offices, which lead, for a period, to the personnel‘s energy loss.
Contrary to expectations, the current generation feels the urge for common energy, and the companies are gradually returning to open spaces in order to encourage the cooperation between employees in a friendly environment, relaxing and as creative as it could be. Thus the members of the team are permanently connected, they can hear each other and can change ideas much easier.
„Of course, for those whose activity involves privacy or confidentiality requirements, the conference rooms could be used successfully or the companies could choose an island type arrangement of the desks. By forming groups of two, four or even six work stations, the interaction and the cooperation could reach a higher level, while the available space is used at maximum with smaller investments”, added the company’s representative.
Delimitation of space according to job description
The technology boom also brought new professions and the companies were obliged to adapt the furniture and space to the requests of the new employees. Thus depending of the profession, the employee needs his/her own space – individual office – in the same time needing open common spaces for informal meetings and closed spaces for confidential meetings.
„For example, software company’s employee is permanently in the office and needs quietness and privacy, a delimited space. At the same time, an employee of an online reservations company, who answers the phone all day long, needs interaction with colleagues, who could help in some”, the representative of Techno Office also said.
Not least, another criterion which generated modifications in planning the work space was the position occupied within the company. Although generally the largest offices were occupied by the management, gradually they understood the spaces occupied by them 10 pct of the day could be used more efficiently by an engineer, for example, who spends more than 60 pct. of the office time.
New technologies
Taking into consideration that the current devices and gadgets have disconnected the employee and offered the possibility to be continuously on the run, the companies were obliged to offer complete mobility solutions. Form networking and lounge areas, permanent internet access or relaxing areas with gaming consoles, the companies implement successfully the new technologies at work, generating not only well-being, but a higher level of productivity and efficiency.
Moreover, the representative of Techno Office, mobility is a key factor in office furniture too, where the demands for projectors or wireless screen and last generation audio-video systems have changed the perception of the furniture manufacturers in their products design.
„The way people are working changed irreversibly, and as we continue to adapt to the daily reality, the architectural space needs to reflect immediately this upgrade. The only question the companies need to ask before any kind of change is: ‘How is this going to affect the productivity of the employee?’”, concluded Iuliana Carata. (Source: Techno Office)
