Because you are concentrating on your core business, companies often don’t “get” the space they need when deciding to move or refurbish. It is useful to use the services of an experienced space planner to advise you on how much, or little, you actually need, before you get a property company to look for that new office, or, an interior architect to design a new office layout. Often, space planners can show you why you actually don’t need the space you thought necessary, with lots of added benefits, of course:
• Lower monthly office rentals
• More money to spend on office furnishings, fittings and finishings
Conversely, if you under-estimate your space requirements, it can not only become a very costly exercise, when you consider rentals are generally done on a five year lease, but you put your business at risk.
The planning stage is probably the most important, so firstly, look at all the disciplines that make up your business, decide how they should be grouped and accommodated and only then call in the space planners to advise you on the best course of action.
The Right Space for the Job
Practical office design and interior layout is a serious consideration for any company.
If you have many sales people spending most of their time out on the road, then an open plan office with screens is the best way to go. This type of layout conserves space while at the same time giving sales people the opportunity to share ideas and experiences when they get together.
Working in a call centre is one of the most stressful jobs on the planet. If you work in one you are spending more than six hours a day sitting down, so, first and foremost, you need a chair that is adjustable and ergonomically designed to keep you comfortable all day. Acoustics play a vital role and dampening the sound between work stations is vital.
Meeting rooms need to be functional and comfortable and, if you can, different size meeting rooms can make a difference to the outcome of a meeting, making it more intimate or impersonal, whatever works best for the discussions taking place.
Training rooms must have comfortable chairs and, an added advantage, could be, a writing tray to accommodate delegates taking notes or tables, but these take up a lot of space. Other considerations are having furniture that you can move out, should you need to accommodate more people standing, but, inter lockable when being used, to stop them moving around with a room full of people.
An office reception should be welcoming and unthreatening to visitors, whilst shielding the receptionist and offering a modicum of privacy.
The Right Chair for the Job
In order to make the right decision when purchasing a chair, you need to consider your own workspace and how long you spend in that space every day.
You need to think about:
• How long you spend in that chair everyday
• What work do you do
• What office equipment you use and do you need multiple workstations
• How big or small you are and your dimensions
• Your personal preferences and style
Since these things vary from person to person, choose a chair that best fits you, based on the frequency of use. If you are a draughtsman then perhaps you need a kneeling chair to protect your back from standing all day but, if you are a hairdresser, you might only need a stool with adjustable height and wheels so you can move around your client at will.
Often it is the busy executive who gets the best, most ergonomically designed chair, but who tends to spend less time using it than his personal assistant or a telemarketer who competes in a stressful arena spending six or more hours every day sitting down.
Companies are beginning to realise that these staff, in particular, need a high quality, adjustable chair which is ergonomically designed to help prevent injury and increase comfort, which in turn increases well-being and often their efficiency.
Good posture and maintaining a neutral position is key to being comfortable without straining any part of your body. To achieve this you need to make sure that:
• The small of your back is supported by the back of the chair
• The arm-rests are at the right height
• Your knees can sit comfortably under the desk if you are sitting at one
• Your body fits comfortably between the armrests or on the seat when there are no armrests.
• Your arms sit at the correct angle on the table so you can maintain a straight wrist posture when using a computer mouse.
The Right Choice of Chair
Comtest offers a range of chairs which suit the needs of all office workers, professional services and other industries to make your daily “sitting experience” trouble free.
Choose from a variety of fabrics and finishes:
Bases: wood, plastic, or steel
Fabric coverings: leather, melamine or cloth
Styles: modern, designer, traditional or functional
Office:
1. Senior Management
2. Middle Management
3. Administration and Secretarial
4. Reception and Sofas
5. Medical, Health and Beauty
6. Professional Services
7. Stacker Range
8. Auditorium
For management offices, open plan sales rooms, meeting rooms, call-centres, receptions, training rooms – in fact, your whole office.
Auditorium
Chairs for all types of auditoriums from cinema style, churches and schools, Comtest’s chair and seating solutions will delight and surprise you.