Setting Up an Efficient Office

April 13, 2006

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Two key factors determine whether equipment is being used efficiently. The first is time, the second is money. Unless your office equipment's layout helps you to save both time and money, it is not efficient. As you strive for efficiency, however, be sure that you don't compromise your equipment's productivity.

Save Time

To save time, map out your workflow. What is it that you do most in your office? What equipment do you use to do it? It usually makes sense to put that equipment closest to you.

Can you plan business meetings with clients, call them, draft proposals for them, and get projects "off the ground" from your desk chair? Here are some tips that can help:

Avoid using built-in desks and other furniture if possible. Movable equipment can be rearranged as your workflow changes. For similar reasons an adjustable chair is useful.
Use adjustable shelving if possible. If it turns out that you use a tall, fat book most, you won't have to store it on a shelf that's hard to reach just because it is the only place where the book fits.
Avoid placing equipment and supplies where you'll have to move them again in order to use other equipment or supplies. You shouldn't have to move two boxes of envelopes to get to a box of letterhead stationery.
Organize filing systems so that you will handle a piece of paper only once before it goes where it belongs.
Don't forget that computer applications are work tools too. Be sure to organize computer programs so that the ones you use most can be accessed easily from your program manager.
Unless clients regularly visit your office, the efficiency of your system is probably more important than how it looks.

Save Money

Everyone in business wants to save money, and in the case of a small business, protecting your cash flow is vital. Proper arrangement and use of your equipment can help you do this. Here are some tips:

Consider the abilities of machines that do more than one thing. Manufacturers now cram multiple features into their equipment. Take advantage of these features to streamline your workflow and save on supplies. For example, you may be able to cut down on fax paper and toner expenses — and you won't have to leave your desk — if you use your computer to send and receive messages when you don't need a paper copy.
Consider the limits of machines that do more than one thing. Fax machines double as telephones, photocopiers, printers, and even scanners. Although using a fax machine to make a copy once in a while shouldn't be a problem, if you are making a high volume of copies on it, you may wear it out much faster. Moreover, you'll probably go through supplies that are much more expensive than what a desktop copier would consume.
Put equipment where you can take advantage of natural lighting from windows. This may enable you to use fewer lights at lower wattage.
Don't place your equipment where it will be subjected to environmental hazards such as extreme heat and cold. Heavy dust (and spilled coffee!) can also cause extreme damage to delicate equipment like computers. This is especially important to think about when you put your home office in a garage, attic, or cellar. For more information, see protecting your equipment.
Remember that your time is worth money. Any system that helps you to work faster saves money if it frees you to work on other matters that help to generate profits.