sgad unit 2a

8/3/2019 SGAD Unit 2a

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/sgad-unit-2a 1/52

1

Office Layouts

Unit 2a

Standard Grade Administration



2

My Ideal Office …

(2 minute task)

Write down a short description of your ideal office.



3

Office Layout

Cellular (Traditional) - consists ofrooms in which an employee works on

his/her own or with a few otheremployees.

Open Plan (Landscaped) - consists ofa large area where many employeeswork together.



4



5



6



7



8

Identify The Differences

From the Previous Diagrams - whatare the differences between the two

office layouts?

Using the A3 Office Plans provided

highlight the differences and reportback to the class



9

Cellular Office - AdvantagesRooms are lockable – easier to restrict access to equipmentand confidential information

Employees are less likely to be distracted or have their

work interrupted by others

Offices can be used to hold confidential meetings ormeetings with important clients

Encourages a team approach amongst those employees whoshare a room

Noisy office equipment can be placed in a separate room



10

Cellular Office - Advantages

Each room can be designed and equipped to suitthe employees working in the room or the type ofwork being undertaken – employees can adjust

heating/lighting/ventilation etc

Infections and illnesses are less easily spread through the organisation

It is easier for employees to personalise theirwork area with plants, photographs etc



11

Cellular Office - DisadvantagesIt is more difficult for a manager to supervise employees who are in a number of separate rooms

Communication may be less efficient – it may be more

difficult to organise meetings of employees from differentdepartments

Time may be wasted in passing information and work fromone room to another

It is more difficult to introduce standard procedures



12

Cellular Office - DisadvantagesEmployees may feel isolated – they may not know wheretheir work fits into the work of the organisation; they maynot get to know other employees

Individual rooms cost more to equip and redecorate; walls,doors and windows take up valuable (and expensive) space

It may not be easy to increase or decrease size of workareas to match changes in the volume of work

It is more difficult to create a relaxed and friendlyatmosphere as line managers are likely to be in separaterooms.



13

Open-Plan Office - AdvantagesLine managers should find it easier to supervise employees

It should be easier to organise meetings of groups ofemployees

Less time should be wasted in passing information andwork from one group of employees to another

The size of work areas can be increased or decreased tomatch changes in the volume of work



14

Open-Plan Office - AdvantagesA more relaxed and friendlier atmosphere can be createdwith employees and line managers working in the same area –should lead to increased cooperation across sections of theorganisation

Equipment eg photocopiers, fax machines and scanners, canbe more easily shared

Less space is wasted with fewer walls and doors, lighting,heating and cleaning should be less expensive and easier toorganise



15

Open-Plan Office -

DisadvantagesEmployees may find it difficult to concentrate on theirwork because of background noise

Employees may be distracted or have their work interruptedby other employees or by through traffic

It may be more difficult to restrict access by unauthorised

staff to equipment or confidential information

There are likely to be fewer suitable areas for holdingconfidential or important meetings



16

Open-Plan Office -

DisadvantagesInfections and illnesses can be more easily spreadamongst employees

Likely to be less wall space for departmental information (charts, tables, pictures, etc)

Private offices may still be required for senior staff

Standard lighting, heating and ventilation may not suit allactivities or employees



17

Advantages/Disadvantages

Using the next slide fill in the tables in your notes booklet

with the advantages and disadvantages of each type of

office layout.



18

Noise

Management

Communication

Team Spirit

Resources(Access and Number)

Privacy

Access(Authorisation)

Security

Time(Wasted Time)

Illness

Organisation(Furniture etc) Wall

Space

Light/Heat

Personalisation



19

A Case Study …

Watch the Matrix and identify thetwo types of office seen in the short

clip.

Can you see the differences between

each?



20

Factors influencing choice …The number of employees within the organisation

Whether the organisation will grow in size or get smaller

The type of work activities carried out by the organisation

The amount of money available



21

The Layout Chosen Should …Be adaptable to meet changes in the type or volume of work

Provide sufficient work and storage space

Take account of the flow of work – time taken to pass information should

be kept to a minimum

Allow employees to move about easily – passageways should be wide andfree from obstruction

Provide easy access to services , eg power points and phone sockets

Provide easy access to equipment, eg filing cabinets, photocopiers,printers and fax machines

Provide security for equipment and information



22

Office Ergonomics

Ergonomics looks at how the working environment (including

furniture, equipment, décor, heating, lighting, ventilation,

noise, work activities and procedures) affects the work of

employees.



23

Office ErgonomicsImproving the working environment should:

Improve employee morale and commitment to theorganisation

Increase output and improve efficiency

Reduce accidents and injuries

Reduce sickness and absenteeism

Reduce stress



24

What features of Office Furniture are important?

Desk

The size and shape must suit the work being done

Mobile Pedestal Units may be placed beneath the worksurface

Must consider height, depth, width, mobility etc

Workstations

L-shaped desk so that staff can carry out computer tasks on

one part and turn to the other to do paperwork

Desks of different shapes and sizes can be bought and

joined together

Storage Units

Bookcases – for storing reference books

Filing cabinets – for holding correspondence and other

business documents

Mobile pedestal – for storing stationery and small items

Chairs

Should be adjustable – back and height

Swivel action to allow the operator to turn easily Cushioned for comfort

Large Tables

There should be a large table suitable for meetings

Access to audio/visual equipment

Tea/coffee making facilities



25

Important Features of Desks

Size and shape of work surface shouldsuit the work to be undertaken

Mobile pedestal units (with drawers orshelves) may be placed beneath worksurfaces

Consideration should be given to height,depth width, weight, mobility, etc

Work surface should be non-reflective

Should match and be able to be combinedwith other office furniture



26

Important Features of

Workstations L-shaped desk: an employee can carry out computer work on

one part of the desk and turn to the other part to dopaperwork, make phone calls, etc

Consideration should be given to cable management – someworkstations have channels to store/hide cables

Desks of different sizes and shapes may be bought to allowfor a variety of layouts



27

Important Features of Chairs

Seat back adjustable for height and tilt

Swivel action allows operator to turn easily

Arm rests Cushioned for comfort

Seat sloping to front to reducepressure on thighs

5-star base provides stability

Castors allow easy movement of chair

Minimum standards are laid down in the HealthSafety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992



28

How should office furnitureand equipment be set out?The layout of furniture and equipment should:

Be suited to the type of work to be undertaken

Make the best use of the space available

Be flexible and allow for changing needs

Provide an attractive and pleasant working environment

Provide safe working conditions – furniture and equipmentmust satisfy health and safety requirements Cont …



29

How should office furnitureand equipment be set out? Allow employees to move easily between work areas

Keep noise levels to a minimum

Provide for easy access to phone sockets and power sources

Make good use of heating, lighting and ventilation

Provide for restricted access to certain area, eg whereconfidential work needs to be undertaken or importantmeetings need to be held



30

Furniture and Equipment

Furniture and equipment should be fitfor purpose

Different activities have differentrequirements

You need to know what therequirements are for

– Administrative and Clerical Work

– Meetings and Interviews



31

Activity

Large work surface suitable fordoing written work, handling papersand using a computer

Access to power points, phonesockets and computer network

Soundproof screens to reducenoise and to provide privacy for on-screen confidential work

Access to storage units

Administrative &Clerical Work



32

Activity

Privacy – either a separate room oran area sectioned off withsoundproof screens

Large table(s) for meetings; coffeetable for interviews

Comfortable seating Access to audio/visual equipment

Pleasant surroundings (pictures,plants, etc)

Tea and coffee making facilities

Meetings andInterviews

H h ld k t ti b



33

How should a workstation beorganised?

Workstations should:

Have a cable management system (channels on desk, wall orfloor to house unsightly, and potentially dangerous, cables)

Be free from clutter (especially if other employees have touse the workstation) – use should be made of drawers, filingtrays, desk tidies, book holders, etc

Have all working materials (paperclips, staplers, ‘post-its’,envelopes, etc) close to hand

Have easy access to a phone, especially where the employeemay have to answer her/his line manager’s incoming phonecalls

Have drawers available for the storage of materials



34

Homeworking/Teleworking

Homeworking is where employees areable to work at home some or all of

the time

Work which is done at home istransmitted to the employer usingICT equipment and phone links

When away from the



35

When away from theemployer’s premises,

employees can use: Laptop (portable) computers with applications software (eg wordprocessing, spreadsheet, database and DTP) to process information

Computers to receive and send emails and to access websites

Mobile phones to receive and send messages

Voicemail and telephone answering machines receive and recordmessages

Fax machines to receive and send information

Pagers to receive messages or to be alerted to phone theiremployer

Videoconferencing facilities to hold meetings



36

Homeworking/Teleworking

What are the advantages anddisadvantages of this type of working

practice?

In a group (max 4) list as manyadvantages and disadvantages as you

can



37

Advantages ofHomeworking/Teleworking Less space is required at the employer’s premises – this is

likely to save money

Employees waste less time travelling to work

Increases in transport costs and parking charges will havelittle effect on employees

Employer may be able to keep employing staff who might

otherwise leave



38

Advantages ofHomeworking/Teleworking Organisation can employ workers who might not be able to

work in the office (eg workers with a physical disability)

Employee motivation may be increased with employees given

more responsibility for managing their own time

Should be less stressful for employees

Employer and employee have greater flexibility in arrangingworking hours



39

Disadvantages ofHomeworking/Teleworking Loss of close control over employees who are working at

home – employees need to be able to work on their ownwithout supervision

Cost of purchasing, using and maintaining ICT equipment

More difficult to ensure that ICT equipment and homeworkstations satisfy health and safety requirements



40

Disadvantages ofHomeworking/Teleworking More difficult to organise training in the use of equipment

and software, and in aspects of safety

More difficult to provide advice and support in the use ofICT equipment

Employees may not be available for meetings at short notice

Employees will miss out on social aspects of work –employees may feel remote from the employer



41

Hot-Desking

Where a significant amount of work is undertaken at homethere is no need to provide all employees with a desk at theoffice

Instead ‘hot-desks’ are created for times when people doneed to come into the office or for visitors from anotherbranch

This saves valuable space and will maximise the use of ICT equipment



42

Touchdown Areas

Cannot be booked in advance

Used for a short period of time egsending an email or a fax

Touchdown, is probably a term borrowed from American Football,but in this context it means a place to stop off and plug in yourlaptop computer, on you way to or from a meeting.



43

Carrel

A Carrel is a small booth which allowsmore privacy and fewer distractions for employees.

Also often used in libraries forindividual study

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Study_carrel.JPG



44

Job-Share

Employees share the job between them andeach is paid a portion of the salary

If one employee is off sick, the other maybe able to cover

Not suitable for senior managementpositions



45

Flexi-Time

This allows employees to start early orwork late to build up hours which they cantake off at a later date.

There are certain times during each daywhen the employees must work. These areknown as ‘core times’ eg 10-11.30 am and2.30-3.30 pm



46

What are the implications formanagement of changes inoffice layout or work

practices?

C id ti b f



47

Considerations beforeimplementing changes Need to alter the premises because of changes in the provision of

workstations, heating, lighting, cabling, power supply, phone outlets

Purchase of additional accommodation, furniture and equipment

Provision of hot desks, hot rooms or touchdown areas

Maintenance of ICT equipment used by homeworkers/teleworkers

Introduction of new/revised work procedures

Provision of staff training

Safety and security of equipment and information

Health, safety and welfare of members of staff

C



48

Managing Change Management should plan how the changes will be introduced

Introduce the changes gradually

Inform employees fully about what is happening

Involve employees at each stage

Explain to employees how the changes are likely to affect theirwork and what the benefits will be

Consult and negotiate with employee reps (ie trade unions)

Reassure employees of their value to the organisation

Monitor the process of change at each stage

Provide staff with appropriate training

C



49

Exam Questionsa) Marina Enterprises operates an open plan working environment. State 2 advantages

of this type of working environment. 2 KU

b) Suggest one way in which Marina Enterprises could deal with each of the following:

(i) Confidential discussions at meetings are often overheard and repeated in theoffice.

(ii) Decisions made at meetings are not being passed on to teleworkers.

(iii) A number of staff are arriving late to work, missing important meetings andtelephone calls, due to personal reasons.

3 KU

c) Justify the use of a cellular office layout.

2 KU



50

Exam Questionsd) Staff morale at Level One UK is low. After consulting with staff, Sean Fishpool,the Human Resources Manager, prepared the following memo for Hugh Jones, the

General Manager. Give a response for each of the concerns identified.3PS

MEMORANDUM

TO: Hugh Jones, General ManagerFROM: Sean Fishpool, Human Resources ManagerDATE: 28 January 2008SUBJECT: STAFF MORALE

I have identified a number of concerns which I think

contribute to the low morale of staff.

Concern 1 staff feel that they do not have the necessary skills to keepup-to-date with recent changes in technology;

Concern 2 many ICT staff experience headaches and backache;Concern 3 staff want an area to discuss confidential matters outwith

the open plan office.



51

Exam Questionse) Dan Druff is a buyer for Office Equipment Ltd and has recently become ateleworker. Dan thought that working from home would be easier. He enjoys theflexibility this gives him, but has the following concerns.

(i) He misses the social contact within the office.(i) He does not seem to get as much work done in

the same amount of time as he did whenworking at the office.

Suggest and justify 2 ways Dan could overcome these problems.

4 KU



52

Exam Questionsf) Philip Cosh is Office Manager at EX-EL Ltd. The office layout is cellular. Allavailable space is being used at the moment. Philip plans to employ 3 new members ofstaff and the lack of space is a major concern for him.

Recommend an alternative layout which would solve the above problem and justify your recommendations.

3 PS

sgad unit 2a

Documents