Moving Office? The open plan or seperate offices debate
Unsure whether to opt for an open plan office when planning your new office design? Read these pros & cons before you decide.
When choosing office space, the big decision for many companies has been whether to opt for an open plan office or separate offices. When considering your new office layout and design, it’s important that you understand the advantages and disadvantages of both:
Advantages of Open Plan Offices
- Improved Communication: Open plan offices make communication in an office a whole lot easier. The ease of being able to “roll over” to someone’s desk has many benefits and helps issues to be resolved far quicker.
- Cost Saving: Open plan offices can work out more economical because they use up less floor space and you are able to fit more employees into an open plan workspace than you would with seperate offices. There’s also other cost saving benefits as far as heating and air conditioning are concerned.
- Staff Management: Open plan offices provide greater transparency, making it easier for Managers to supervise their staff as everyone is located a centralised area.
- Flexible Layout: Layout can be easily changed and re-configured in an open plan office.
Disadvantages of Open Plan Offices
- Noise Levels: Open plan offices can be noisy for those requiring a quieter environment to carry out their tasks. Not forgetting that people can be more easily distracted with the traffic flow of an open plan environment.
- Lack of Privacy: Private phone calls and conversations are much more difficult in an open plan environment.
- More Bugs!: Infections and flu bugs spread far more quickly and easily in an open plan office.
- Security: This is more of a concern in an open plan office, unless each member of staff are given a lockable draw for their valuables.
As you can see, there are pros and cons of both when deciding whether to go open plan. It all comes down to your own company working practices and whether you feel the nature of your business will derive more benefits from an open plan space.
Ask an Office Fit Out company to help you weigh up your options about open plan or seperate offices. Find one in your area here.
