Your business office is an integral part of your company as it’s the face of the organization. How you present that business is influential and can either sway your reputation in a positive way or a negative one.
With that being said, anything that you can do to the office, in the way of upgrades and updates is worthwhile. You want to be seen to be keeping up with your competition and setting a good example of a business that looks after itself both on the inside and out. Whether you are changing things in manufacturing with an engineering change order or you are upgrading the furniture for better storage, there are plenty of changes and upgrades that will benefit your business in a big way.
Let’s take a look at what updates and upgrades your office can make this year.
Replace any old technology with new upgrades
Technology is important for many businesses nowadays and chances are, your business is heavily reliant on technology of many kinds. When it comes to your employees and their use of technology, it’s important to provide them with the very best kit so that they can do their jobs effectively.
What tends to happen when employees are operating on slow or basic equipment, is that their working day becomes less productive. They’re unable to get as much done because they’re constantly encountering slow-loading systems and errors on their screens.
If that sounds like a current issue some of your staff are having, then it may be necessary to replace any and all old technology that is currently in operation. Work with your building operations team or the IT team if they’re responsible, to update any tech that’s seen better days.
Keep the air clean
The cleanliness of your workplace is important because it not only impacts your staff but it also creates a poor impression with any clients or customers coming into the building. The quality of your air is an important one for the sake of your employees’ health.
If you’re not minimizing the spread of bacteria or air pollution within the atmosphere, then you could be doing more damage than good. You may want to think about how you’re keeping your air clean and whether there’s more that can be done.
What do your air filtration systems look like? Are they brand new or are they outdated and in need of repair? Perhaps it’s a simple case of the air filters needing replacing? If that’s the case, then it’s definitely worth looking at custom filters, rather than having to mess around with finding the right size and shape.
While on the topic of keeping the workplace clean, encourage your employees to be proactive in their cleanliness. You may also want to ramp up workplace cleaning schedules so that it’s helping to contribute to a cleaner environment.
Update communal areas to make them more comfortable
Communal areas are meant for everyone, which means everyone has an equal responsibility to ensure they’re well looked after. However, even when they’re looked after properly, the furniture and general decor of the place may be in need of a bit of TLC.
Office furniture can become damaged and tired over the years, which is why it’s important to try and update these spaces as and when it’s necessary.
Think about investing in your communal areas so that they’re a lot more comfortable to lounge in. Not only is this important to your employees when taking their much-needed lunch breaks, but it’s a space that clients and customers can enjoy too.
If broken furniture is the norm in your communal areas, correct this immediately.
Strengthen the security of entries and exits
As a business, security is a priority, especially as you don’t know who might be watching your business from the outside. The more popular your business gets, the more it’s likely to be targeted by burglars or those who simply want to wander in without the authority to do so.
Strengthening the security of your entries and exits is definitely necessary. Consider what processes you have in place for employees and guests entering and leaving the building. Is it a keycard system and do you have a reception team manned at the entrance at all times?
Is there a need for a security guard? It’s worth making these considerations and vamping up your security as and when it’s required.
Create more open workspaces
Workspaces should be a place where everyone can feel connected. As an organization, it may benefit you to look at working in more open workspaces, rather than confining your space with too many walls that separate team members.
It might not be needed for everyone but where a collaborative workspace is required, knocking down a few walls and opening up the space completely might be just what’s needed.
Ask your employees whether an open workspace would work for them or if they prefer to current setup. After all, you don’t want to disrupt the current working situation if your employees have no problem with it.
Provide privacy with more meeting rooms
Alternatively, your business premises might be missing a bit of much-needed privacy. If some of your employees are struggling to understand what’s been said on the phone with a client, or you’re finding all of the meeting rooms are always occupied, there might be a need for more meeting rooms.
Of course, privacy is an important part of an employee’s working day, so it’s necessary to provide that privacy where you can. Again, this is a query you might want to pitch to your employees before moving forward with the updates.
Invest in automation, AI, and virtual reality
Coming back to technology, one of the great upgrades you can make to your technology kit is investing in automation, AI, and virtual reality. These are three big technologies that are changing businesses across the world. If your business isn’t embracing any of these, then it’s definitely worth giving them a go.
AI and virtual reality in particular will continue to be relevant to businesses as the digital age advances.
If you’re looking to do some necessary updates and upgrades to your office, prioritize them for this year.
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