Increasing Corporate Productivity With Workstations.

What does it consist of?

Periodically moving workers from desk to desk, placing them side by side with ever “different” groups of colleagues, seems likely to unleash a “contamination” of personalities and skills that can optimize the time and manner of work processes, bringing well-being, innovation and thus productivity.

Well-being in the workplace

Well-being in the workplace is determined by many factors, including the use of suitable tools, a comfortable workstation with ergonomic seating and other specially chosen furnishings, healthy air, and acoustic comfort. Thus, an environment designed for the health of those who work there.

At the same time, however, the workplace is made up of people. Therefore, one cannot underestimate the emotional aspect, a fundamental factor in living well.

Here, then, is where the rotation of workstations comes in. In this way, the best “association” of personalities can be assessed for the development of dynamic, collaborative and objective work teams.

We highlight four main emotional states below:

• Calm, relaxed: less conflict and better performance. Workers are more likely to “catch” this state from colleagues.
• Stressed, anxious-Frustration, anger and hostility: this state can also be contagious.
• Cheerful, high-energy-like the calm state, workers tend to be more cooperative. But compared with the previous two states, it ranks third.
• Slow, low-energy: low likelihood of being transmitted to co-workers.

Developing favorable situations for workers’ well-being thus enables them to increase their productivity.

Innovation in the workplace

“If I change the organizational chart while leaving the positions unchanged, no effect is achieved. If I keep the same organizational chart but change the workstations, then everything changes.”

With this quote, Ben Waber–chief executive of Sociometrica Solutions–argues that simply moving workstations profoundly affects business performance, especially when workers from different roles and levels begin to interface with each other.

To date, many companies have chosen to set up offices in a large open space, without fixed workstations, where managers and workers from different levels share a common environment.

In this type of office, users are constantly in contact, developing a networking methodology that is based primarily on the comparison and exchange of know-how. The meeting between managers and users in the operations area is a great opportunity to make corrective maneuvers in all those overly rigid work patterns that the executive and managerial part of the company can understand only by being in contact with those who do the work.

This undoubtedly leads to a reduction in time but also to the achievement of important goals.

Periodic diversification of work groups thus promotes focus and efficiency, bringing a valuable “plus” to the company: innovation.

Open space and Workstations

Office furniture plays an important role in organizing workstation rotation aimed at increasing productivity.

In fact, it is necessary to configure a versatile work environment to accommodate the different tasks to be performed, but also adaptable to the different physical forms of the users present.

It is therefore advisable to choose furniture complements that are attentive to ergonomics, comfort and safety, without neglecting the aesthetic aspect.

The type of desk that best lends itself to this type of organization is undoubtedly the elevating desk. It in fact allows users to adjust the work surface to any height, depending on both stature and the task to be performed, whether users are designers, sales, administrative or belonging to other roles.

Preferring ergonomic operating chairs in the choice of seating will ensure the right comfort for all physical forms indiscriminately, which can adjust the height and depth of the seat, lumbar support and armrests.

Workstation comfort profoundly affects the user’s attention and stress level, as does acoustic comfort.

In fact, the presence of reverberation is perceived as a real disturbance. A noise that constantly damages the understanding of verbal language in communication between colleagues, making moments of discussion and exchange of know-how difficult and unproductive.