5

Office Space Management

(Office Accommodation)

"Although changing conditions in a locality may be beyond the control of the designer
of an office building, they are not always beyond the ability of a thoughtful planner
to predict." - LEFFINGWELL AND ROBINSON

Introduction
Every office manager is concerned about getting office work performed with the maximum
efficiency and at minimum cost. But this would be possible only. if he makes a proper selection
of employees, gives îhem proper training and guidance, and places them in appropriate jobs.
However, if the office staff is to work efficiently, it must be properly accommodated, have a good
working environment, and should be properly equipped. Suitable accommodation, modern equipment
and proper working conditions are not in any way less important factors in improving efficiency
and reducing costs.
(The place of work and its surroundings are important factors which affect the efficiency of
employees to a large extent. Since the staff has to stay for long hours in the office, and since it
mainly does brain work and/or concentrates on the repetitive and monotonous activities of filing,
indexing, despatching, reporting etc., its inefficiency would normally be greater in those offices
where accommodation is sufficient and th environment and working conditions are congenial.

Principles
While deciding about office accommodation, the office manager should bear the following
principles in mind:
T h e office must be located at some convenient place so that it may serve the entire
organisation in the best possible manner.
Office space should be sufficient from the point of view of the present and future needs
of the organisation.
(in Due provision should be made for the conveniences and amenities required for the comfort
and well-being of the staff, e.g., Washing room, rest room, water coolers, canteen, etc.

83
 84
OFFICE MANAGEMENT
Service facilities like telephone, lift, internal
office, while others like banking, transport, market,communication, etc., should be available in.
office premises. post office, etc., should be available the
near th

JOCATION OF OFFICE
Every office manager should give a
full and proper consideration to a
office. This location or site is
suitable location for
an important
consideration because an unsuitable
hic
in a waste of resources and efforts
and loss of time, inconvenience to the
location may resut
to
the persons dealing with office staff as well as
conditions: The problem of location arises under one or the other of the
following
(), At the time of starting a business
enterprise.
(i) The increased volume of work may
require a change of office location.
(iii) The facilities
provided in the original locational plan are no longer sufficient for the
expanding business, and, therefore, the entire
location is necessary. expansion of the existing office or a new
iv The lease for the office
premises has expired and the owner of the
prepared to renew it. premises is not

(v) Shifting of the business by the business enterprise from one place or one State to
Principles of Location another
Decisions regarding location and buildings are not made
they are made, they have far reaching frequently by any firm; but when
decisions which make the difference consequences. These are some ofthose very important
between success and failure of the
about the location of an business. While deciding
office, the office manager should bear in mind the
(a) When the office staff is following principles:
other activities of the
small, the office may be located in the
same building where the
on.
enterprise e.g., manufacturing, sales, etc., are carried
b)When the office staff is large, the office
a case, it is
should be located in a In such
advisable to office activities. separate building.
centralise
(c) When all the business functions
are carried on at one
should be in the same
location so that it may serve most location, it is better that the oftice
But when different
functions are located at different efficiently all the functions of the
business
place or in or near the premises of the main functionplaces, it should be located at some centra
of the business.
(d) In other cases, the decision on
location should depend on the
location. factors governing t
Choosing an Office Location?
Since the main purpose of an office is to
location depends primarily upon where
facilitate the conduct of the business, its
it can be of most benefit to the business. There
prop
are v e
choices:

is
1The location of office direttuy ependent upon the location on is baseu
of the firm and the decision
on a wide range of factors.' - Forster. location of firm
2. Adapted from Leffingwell and KoDiSOn: extbaok of Office Management, 3rd Ed. p. 320.
 OFFICE SPACE MANAGEMENT
Cn S 85

1. When all the functions of the business are carried on in one location, the office an best
serve the business by being in that location only.
2. Which function of the business does the office serve most? If financial, then the office
would be near the financial head.
3. If the office serves the sales function most, then it should be located near the sales head
quarters.
4. If the office serves the production or manufacturing function most, it should be located near
that function.
5. If the nature of the business does not require the office to be located near any of the main
functions of the business, than the decision as to its location may depend
upon factors in no way
related to the conduct of the business: Character of
the, neighbourhood, available, daylight
transportation,.fresh air, cleanliness, rent etc.
URBAN VERSUS SUBURBAN LOCATiON
The most important point to be considered in
the location of an office is where it
situated- in an urban area o r - in a suburban area. should be
insurance companies, transport, finance and
Many types of organisations- banks,
trading companies generally prefer an urban location.
They prefer a central location rather than an
trends among many industrial and out-of-the-way or remote location. However, recent
areas
other organisations have been to set up offices in suburban
or in small cities
and towns. The relative merits and demerits of these locations are now
discussed:
Urban Location
Merits: The merits, of ap urban location are:
()Proximity to related trade/offices;
(n Nearness to service facilities like
banks and post offices;
(ii) Easy access to customers;
iv) Availability of communication facilities;
(v)Better transport facilities; Rtr, Poels
(vi)Prestige value to the ky
organistiop
(vi) Abundance of recreational etT
and municipal
t tY kk
Demerits: The demerits of an
facilities.
urban location are: p u gftt»4, ATknd,
() High rent, rates and taxes;
i) Traffic and
congestion
ii) More overcrowding;
noise, dust and fumes;
(iv) Less scope for
expansion;
( High cost of living
and
for employees (necessitates payment of more
city compensatory house rent, dearne
allowances, etc., to the
(vi) Polluted and employees),
unhygienic environment.
 OFFICE MANAGEMENT

86
Suhurban Location
are:
of a suburban location
Merits: The merits

to custorners;
(i) Accessibility
Nearness to main transpot routes;
(i)
(ii) Low rent and taxes;

Less congestion
and less overcrowding;
(iv)
environment;
(v) Quiet and hygienic
future expansion and modernisation;
(vi) Much scope for to employees
dearness allowance, etc.,
(vin of
Lower cost (lower payments for house rent,
living
a suburban location are:
Demerits: The demerits of
communication
facilities;
() Lack of
offices;
(in Lack of service facilities like banks and post
ii) Lack of adequate transport facilities;
(iv) Lack of recreational and municipal facilities.
an a balance should be struck
between the
In deciding about the actual location of office,
the choice depends upon the
merits and demerits of urban and suburban locations. In most cases,
In some cases, however
cost aspect in terms of the advantages accruing from a particular location.
the location is decided by the whims and fancies of the top management.

Factors Affecting Location3

a

to ior
(n is rather difficult lay down any hard and fast rule about the location of an office,
desirable location is usualy determined by the requirements of each business. Different kinds of
offices require different locations. However, the following factors should be taken into consideration
in choosing an office location.
1. Proximity to Related Trade: It is often desirable to have an office near other offices whic
are engaged in the same line of trade or near the centre of general business acivires. Such a
the of localisation. For
location enjoys advantages
stock
instance, share and stock brokers firms are
grouped around exchanges. In such cases,
locating the office away from the business centre would be false economny,
the saving ofsmall armount of money annually by
for that would lead to
a substantial loss of business and waste of time.
2. Proximity to Other Departments: When all the functions of a business are carried on
one location, the office should be located in the same location. But when different functions
are
carried on at different places, the office should either be located at some central place or at the
location of the main function of the business so that it may function in a better and more
effect
way
lactors into categories:
3. Forster classifies the two
ATangible Factors: These are e y to include market, raw rmaterial, transportation, labour supply, power, oc
i o n a l and local development, living conditions and communicating problems for employees, availabi
sites etc.
of suitable local include availability of
include avalability of business íacilities, nearness to customers, opportunity 1or intr
Factors: These
B. Intangible sunication and
communication
and other lacilities, prestige and safety etc.
olher lacilities
contacts,
company
 OFFICE SPACE MANAGEMENT 87
3. Nearness to Service Facilities: The office building should be located near such service
facilities as banks, posts and telegraph offices, railway stations, markets, trade or stock exchanges,
etc. When an office handles large amounts of cash, it may be located near a bank. Similarly, an
office engaged in mail order business should be located near a post office. Further, the office should
be located at such a place which does not get dust, noise, fumes, and is pot overcrowded. Noisy
Surroundings fuli of dust and fumes adversely affect the efficiehcy of the staff.
COMPARATIVE CHART FOR SELECTING AN OFFICE LOCATION

Alternative A Alternative B
Factors Importance |Desirability Weighted Desirability Weighted
of factor of factor value of factor value
A B AB B, AB,
1. Cost of Land 5 3 15 20
2. Cost of Building
3. Cost of Construction
4. Physical feature of building
5. Condition of building
6. Feasibility of building
expansion
7. Office Environment
8. Availability of supplies
10. Parking facilities
11. Availability of eating facilities
12. Availability of banking
facilities
13. Availability of postal facilities
14. Availability of transportation
15. Availability of housing
16. Availability of shopping
17. Adequacy of utilities
18. Adequacy of police protection
19.
Adequacy of fire protection
20. Tax rates
21. Insurance rates
22. Cost of fringe benefits
23. Cost of labour
24.
Importance of address prestige
25. Location of
competitors
26. Effect of move on
clientele
27. Character of other tenants
28. Others
4. Adapted from Zane K. Quible: Op. cit. pp. 58-59.
 OFFICE MANAGEMENT

88
Factor Code
Desirability of
Importance of Factor Code
5 Very Desirable
5 Very Important 4 Fairly Desirable
4 Fairly Important Average Desirable
3
3 Average Important Not very Desirable
2
2 Not very important
Undesirable
I-Unimportant
0-Not appropriate
0-Notappropriate
in which an office is situated must ha
4. Nearness to Transport Facilities: The locality
kinds. This is necessary for the convenience of the
adequately served by transport services of all
with the office as well tor the smooth operation
as
office staff and customers or persons dealing
the location of an office near a railway
of the business of the enterprise. In certain types of business,
air terminal is of special advantage to the business.
station or a port or a bus or

Warehouse: Many industrial houses set up factories outside the

5. Accessibility to Factory or

town so as to secure:

(a) Raw materials in nearby places;

(b) Other essential conditions;
(c) Cheap land; and
(d) Freedom from restrictions, etc.
In such a case, those sections of the office which are engaged in production and despatcn,
designing, processing, accounting and costing should be maintained near factories or warehouses,
while the sales offices may be maintained in urban areas.
6. Availability of Labour: Large offices
generally employ different types of personnel, eg
supervisors, stenographers, typists, cashiers, clerks, computer
programmers, data processors, telephone
operators, guards, security men, etc. When specialised
is mobile, an office may be located near labour is required and when such labou
the source of such
because of large-scale labour. However, in most cases
unemployment
and
play any significant role in the determination underemployment in the country, this factor does ot
of an office location.
JBuilding Restrictions: If the pürchase of a building for the
manager must ascertain before office is contemplated, the ffice
which the hand whether there are any o
restrictions on building, or the uS
building
may be put, either in the
regulations in any State or conveyance deed or in
Central legislative enactments. In the any local municipal rulesions
or
the decision of office
location may have to be presence of any such restric
changed.
THE OFFICE BUILDING
The
problem choosing the
of
of getting a right location for the
proper and suitable building to accommodateoffice premises is thal
be of a proper andsize shape, it
should also be of such it.The office
as
complicatednotaly
the
of the
enterpriseOften, it is rather
difficult to get a design as to servebuilding should
the particular eds «
organisátion The management should try tobuilding which is exactly suited to the neefs
in the best possible manner. obtain such
premises which fulfil its requiren require
 89
OFFICE SPACE MANAGEMENT

Ownership versus Lease

office building or
The first thing the management has to decide about is whether to own the
it. Where should the constructed building be bought? Should a plot of land be
to rent it or lease
put upon it? Ifa
acquired and a building appropriate to the requirements of the organisation
to the requirements of the
constructed, building is bought, it may be adopted or altered according
enterprise.(The construction of one's own office building may be necessitated in the following
circumstan es:

the business is well established;

large and
( When
(ii) When the demand for the procedures or services of the organisation is of a relatively
stable character;
When there is a cost advantage in the construction of the business premises;
When specific type of building is required for office purposes; e.g., centrally air-
(i a

conditioned, sound-proof or specially constructed for housing computers etc.

and designed to fit the exact
When an office building is constructed, it should be planned constructed than is required
requirements of the organisations. Generally speaking, a bigger area is
In
for the immediate needs of the organisation so that there may be scope for future expansion.
income.
such a case, if there is surplus space, it may be rented out to others to provide a steady
An owned office building may be given the name of the organisation, which
thus acquires some
sort of prestige. However, the financial expenditure involved in buying or constructing a building
is a very important limiting factor.
For small and even medium-scale organisations, buying or constructing an office building may
not be worthwhile because of the financial constraints involved in it. The opportunity cost of the
capital involved, the municipal and other taxes and the maintenance cost of owned buildings may
be too much for a small-scale organisation. Moreover, land for the construction of the buitding may
not be available in desired Tocalities,In such cases, the only alternative is to rent or lease an office
building.
The main disadvantage of a rented or leased building is that it may not satisfy the particular
reuirements of the organisation. However, if possible, the plan of such a building may be modified
or altered to suit its requirements.(At the same time, it should be borne in mind that some
advantages flow from the possessionof a rented or leased office building. These are:
)It allows the management to select the office space in accordance with the financial
capacity of the organisation.
Gn enables the management to shift the office to a newer and better location as and when

necessary.
set
(in An the event of expansion, a larger building may be hired or another office may be
up at a new or nearby location.
(iv). By renting or leasing accommodation, the management avoids the burden of the payment
of municipal taxes and of maintenance costs, etc. The capital required to construct an
office building may be channelled into more productive uses. The time requite
conveyancing or construction can be saved.
o rent or lease a building is perhaps the best alternative for new and small organisatons
 OFFICE MANAGEMENT

90
Premises5
Factors in Selecting Office premises:
while selecting office
should be kept in mind
The following points records and of the persond
Records and Staff: The safety and security of office nnel
of should have the advantao
1Safety
is most desirable. The
office building tage
in an office building
employed automatic safety devices,
etc.
construction, fire escapes,
of a fire proof and satisfactory workino
must provide good
Conditions: The office building
2 Working available. The building should be
Facilities for water, lighting and ventilation should be
conditions.
free from dust, noise, fumes and obnoxious smells
modified or altered so that
should be capable of being
3. Adaptability to Proposed Layout: It
different sections of the office be properly housed in it.
may
telephone, water
adequately provided with electricity,
power,
4. Office Fittings: It should be
connections and other fittings.
When a building is
Future Expansion: It should offer enough scope for future expansion.
5, should be made for additional floor for future
owned or constructed by the organisation, provision
expansion requirements.
rooms which,
to take a building divided into
6. Type of Building:6 "It may not be advisable office
even if suitable when taken, will not lend
itself to reorganisation." The most suitable type of
other than the supporting columns, and
building is that which provides completely open space
temporary partitions which can be removed,
if required.

OFFICE LAYOUT
After acquiring the building for the office, the next important task before the office manager
is office space planning or office layout. According to Littlefield, Office layout may be defined as
the arrangement of equipment within the available floor space.t can be described as the arrangemernt
of different departments, equipment and men within a given floor space with a view to make
optimum utilisation of space and ensure maximum efficiency of the office.
G.R. Terry defines office layout as, "The determination of the space requirements and of the
detailed utilisation of this space in order to provide a practical arrangement of the physical factors
considered necessary for the execution of the office work within reasonable cost."

Leffingwell and Robinson (Text book of Office Management) lists out the following factors that should be
in selecting office
building:
considee
The characteristics of the
building, the building facilities, the proximity of the office building to business factors, tne
cost involved, stabílity of tenants, adaptability of space, natural lighting and ventilation provided, freedom from dus
and noise, favourable impression on visitors and general public, provision for employees' comfort and health,
of working processes. taciita
6. The office
building must ensure that:
(a) There is sulficient floor
space to provide for each worker and furniture
(6) Facilities for fresh
air, water, lighting and ventilation are
required by him.
of the workers. available as the absence of these affects the
enec
( The service facilities like telephone and lights are available in the
posis and telegraph etc are also
available nearby.
building and others like banking, transp
(d) There is
scope for renewal and alterations in the
building and more space can he created if required
and in uture
(e) The facilities of general
conveniences, toilets, canteen etc. are
also available in the same
building
 OFFICE SPACE MANAGEMENT 91
According to Hicks and Place, "The problem of layout relates to the arrangement in the space
involved so that all the equipment, supplies, procedures and personnel can function at maximum
efficiency." The object of an office layout is to make arrangements for the placing of men, materials,
machines, furniture and equipment within the available floor space of the office in such a way that
everything can be utilised in the best possible manner. An office layout involves:
The determination of the correct amount of space for each
employee and for machinery
and equipment they 'use;
in The correct arrangement of furniture, equipment and machinery; and
(i The best possible environmental conditions.
Objectives of Layout
According to Mills and Standingford, the layout of an office is the arrangement of furniture,
machines, etc., within the space available. Having regard to the limitations imposed by the
the objectives of an office layout are:
building,
The space should be used to the greatest extent;
(n Service should be available where needed
including power and telephone;
(iin) Good working conditions should be
provided for everyone;
(iv) The supervisor should be able to the staff at
see work;
(v) A sense
of belonging and loyalty the
working group should be fostered, c
to
(vi Communication and work flow should be
facilitated;
(vin The movement of clerks between desks, filing cabinets,
etc., should be made easy;
(viin Noisy and distracting operations should be
segregated;
(ix) Mutual interference between clerks should be
avoided;
(x) Privacy and security should be provided, wherever
necessary.
Requirements of Efficient Layout
While studying the problem of an office layout, an office manager should consider
and shape of the available the size
space, the number of workers to be accommodated, the nature of
to be carried on, the jobs
type of equipment
to be used, the flow or routing of all
allowance for peak periods and expansion, the types of work,
the overall effect of a general comfort and convenience of employees, and
good physical appearance.
The shape of the office is an
important consideration. The building or office space may be
square, rectangular, long and narrow or L or U
shaped. It should be
rectangular space is always better than a long or narrow one, for the remembered that a square
or

much floor crossing and latter will necessarily require

utilisation of space.
back-tracking by the office staff and may not make for the most etficient

Lattietield and Rachel etc. (Management of Office Operations, p. 204) lists down the following objectives ot otnce
layoui:
Eitective work flow; u)
Space that is sufficient and well utilised: (in Enmployee comtort and satisfaction,
impression on cuslomers and visitors, (vi) Ample lexibility for varying needs, tas
Supervsion: {v)Favourable (
vin) Balanced
capacity of equipment and personnel at each d
stage of work flow.
92 OFFICE MANAGEMENT

The layout should be planned in such a way that the available space is best utilised to secure
a regular flow of work, efficiency and economy in operation.(An unplanned layout is often
uneconomical, for a faulty placement of office furniture and equipment is likely to result in
waste of time and energy of the office personnel. An efficiently planned office layout promotes
the efficiency of the staft; propely utilises the floor space; facilitates supervision; speed up inter
communication; ensures a better use of office equipment and machinery; and is conducive to the
employees' comfort and morale. A badly planned layout has generally the opposite effects.
Principles of Office Layout
In order to reap the advantages of an efficient layout, an office manager should bear in mind
the following principles:
1. Location of Departments: He should identify the various departments in the organisation
and their relations with one another. Each department should be allotted a convenient area, taking
into consideration the possibilities of its expansion. Departments which are closely inter-related
should be placed adjacent to each other. Office services should be located in a place which i
equidistant from the departments that are served by them. The following points may be noted:
(a)The general office, which provides services to other departments should be located at the
central place
)Departments dealing with the public (selling, buying, public relations etc.) should be
located near the entrance.
(c)The cash department should be kept separate.
(d) The accounts department, the drawing office, the designing department etc., should be
separated from the general office.
(e) All the departments using noisy equipment (typewriters, duplicators, accounting machines
etc.,) should be grouped together and located at convenient
a
place.
Such an arrangement of departments would minimise the
time involved in the movement o
papers and of employees from one point to another.
2. Flow of Work: This is the most important principle of an office layout. Its object is to
ensure that the flow of work is as regular
of a straight line, a circle or a possible: the layout, therefore, should be in the form
as

U shape. Such a layout would restrict the movements of

and of papers to the
minimum, and make for maximum control on the employee
The layout should ensure a part of the management
continuous flow of office work; desks,
so arranged that the
work will not require equipment and men, should De
crossing back-tracking. The low of workanymust
or
backward movement i.e., there would be no cris
be ensured, keeping in mind the office
and routines
which have been devised for the systen
performance of office activities.
3 Space Requirements for Staff
and Equipment: Each
space to handle his work efficiently. employee should be allotted sufficie
The amount of space required Congestion in the office may impair the efficiency of the sta
by each employee should be determined
(a) The nature of his by reference to:
work;
(b) The size and shape of his desk, and
the furniture and
(c) The space required to be maintained in equipment used by him;
between the desks to allow free
(d) The placement of windows, the number and movement
location of columns and doors;
 OFFICE SPACE MANAGEMENT 93

(e) The space required for the storage of files, stationery, and other items
(The number of private offices for executives etc;
(g) General facilities and amenities to be provided for the employees.
The following list of suggested space allowances should be helpful in most situations:

60-75 square feet for a clerical worker

100-120 square feet for a supervisor
150 square feet for a junior executive
200 square feet for a senior executive
300 square feet for a department head
400-500 square feet for a top executive
4-5 square feet for a table
5-7 square feet for a small cabinet
6-8 square feet for a large sized cabinet
4 foot width for a sideway
5 foot width for main aisles.

A Number of Private Offices: These are separate rooms, cabins or cubicles which are
partitioned off from the other parts of the office. Provision for private offices should be discouraged
restricted as far as possible. Private offices
generally take two to five times more space per
employee in the general office work areas. They require more space, and increase the expense on
lighting, ventilation, heating, and do not easily lend themselves to a programme of
Private offices are generally provided for expansion.
high officials or executives and for the following reasons:
a- As a matter of prestige or status of the executives;
(b)_For the performance of work of a confidential nature;
(for work requiring mental concentration;
(d) For visitors who come to see the executives.
The modern trend is to reduce the number of
for office work. private offices and to provide more open space

5Use of Partitions: The use of partitions is becoming more popular these

provide flexible substitutes for private offices. days, for they
They offer the following advantages:
(a) They do not cause waste of space;
(b) They provide privacy without any interruption in flow of work;
(c) They facilitate supervision;
(d) They do not create
problems of
lighting and ventilation;
(e)
They make it
possible for the layout to remain flexible and be
J. Special Purpose Rooms: All conveniently adjustable.
good offices provide for
room, A reception room should be a
reception room and a
attractive and conterence
entrance or the main
gate. The conference
well-decorated, and should be located near
the
room should be provided for business executives to hold
meetings for group discussions,
conduct
the top floor or at some distarnce from interviews, etc. Such rooms should be located either on
the general office,
7.
Safety: A good office layout should eliminate
duequate number of exits. ofrice hazarcds. It should provide tor
There should be no obstruction to an
the flow of work, to exits or in the
 OFFICE MANAGEMENT

nt open drawers, overcrowding, unguarded or unfenced machine may

issape Obsoiene equ
acodents; be eliminated with proper care and precaution.
but these can
s e omice harards
or facilities
the office layout, provision of amenities
&Provision fior Amenities: While planning
These amenities and facilities
include telephone, lifts
also be made.
he empiovees should etc. These facilities should be
water, canteen
rest rooms, cool drinking
hng rooms. tolets,

wided a a central or convenient place for all the employees.

of being adjusted and
capable
Fieiblity and Expansion: An office layout should be
maximum workload
n d e d according to the requirements
of the organisation. Provision for the
a e r a n an averzge workload
should be made from the very beginning.
of an office.
The s e n c Even on page 95 shows the planned layout
Factors (Considerations) in Physical Layout
e toiliowing points should be considered
The in designing physical layout of office equipment
the
e m a c h i n e s and employees:
who have to work together in one way or
another should be located near to eact

is limited
Telephones should beplaced on the left hand side of the desk; if desk space
he telephone may be placed on a side table or on a wall bracket near the desk or sitting
Dace
other items which are to be frequently used should be near at hand.
3 Equipment or
consant reference to files is necessary, the desk should be near the filing cabinet
individuals or work groups in frequent contact with the public should be located near th:
entrance of the premises.
sAn Gice where visitors are likely to be seen often should be near the reception poir
possibile. Visinors should not be required to go through other offices and distract th
epioyees working in them.
Adequate space ior opening doors, between desks, for the movement of equipment an
sor moveent around the equipment for example, duplicating machinea and frilir
s shouid be provided.
7 isy gment for example, the telephone switchboard, teleprinter and duplicatin
machunes, e c - shouid be located at a place where their noise would not distract
destr t e uher employees in their work and where the operators, too, would not te

digred Alternatively, sound proof walls may be built to keep in the noise of machine
ieary hines should prefaably be installed on the ground floor.
v e n l o n is through windows, clerical employees should not be located near ther
or hen the papers on their desks would be blown about.
Emloyee dealng with work of a confidential nature should be provided with adequ
prnay ard salety arrangerments
10 Tre spneat the elevators and entrances may be utilised for reception and displat
1 t r e file cabinets
Te
rea
reed f private tooms
may be utilised for storage shelves, which will reduce t
 Facilities Rest Ruom
Reception & Typists Duplicating
Computer & Filing Dept. Receivin9 Entrance Telephone & Section
Office & Mailing& Switch Board Steno
Machines Filing Cabinets Despatch graphers
Waiting I
Room
Exit L Exit

Purchase General Offices

Sales
Department
Deptt.

Stationery
P.A
to General Conference Room
Statisti P.A. Advertising9
cal& General. Manager
Stores Office to
ofice
Department T Planning Facilities Office
Manager I Sales
Manager
Deptt. Manager Promotions

Officers Cabins Seminar Room

Auditors Billing
LLL. Invoicin
Section

iava
tory

Receiving
Rest Personnel Mailing & Accounts
Cash Canteen
Room Department Despatch Department
Exit Department

5.1 Model Layout Plan of a Modern Office

Fig.
96 OFFICE MANAGEMENT

(12) Private rooms for secretaries may be eliminated they be placed in groups
as can in ope
rooms.

(13) Maximum utilisation of space should not be at the cost of safety and flow of work
(14) Toilets, cloak rooms etc., should be within easy reach of every employee in the office
(15) Departments or desks should be located or arranged as to facilitate a continuous flow
work, (e-g, departments dealing with successive stages ofthe same matter so that paper
regularly pass from one to the othen) should be located close together. For instance, the
typing section should be near the filing room and the despatch section, so that files which
have been dealt with may be replaced and material for despatch handed over in each
case with the minimum of delay.

Preparing the Layout

After the above principles and factors of layout have been studied and analysed, a scale
model of the floor plan should beprepared to show the details of the office layout. The
steps should be taken while preparing a drawing of an office layout:
following
() A drawing or blueprint
of the available area should be prepared;
(i) The areas of the main work or traffic movements should be determined;
(ii) Theinter-relationships between equipment, information and personnel in the flowof
work should be
determined;
(iv) A plan of the flow of work, office systems and procedures and hierarchical relationships
between individuals should be prepared;
(V) Space for the reception room, the conference room and private
offices should be allotted
(vi) Lighting, heating, ventilation and air-conditioning schemes should be shown;
(vi) The types of furniture and equipment schemes and future expansion plans should be
indicated.
Once the drawing for the floor layout plan has been
prepared, the exact location of each
piece of furniture and equipment should be determined. The layout
plans may be made with the
following:
(a) Templates: template is a plastic or metal device with certain areas cut out to indicate
A
the size and shape of various types of desks, chairs,
cabinets, files and other office equipment. This
device permits you to draw office furnishings and
floor plan.
equipment on the scale drawing on the office
(b) Cutouts: Cutouts are paper or plastic shapes cut to scale
size that represent the space
required by each item of office furniture or equipment. Cutouts may be
they can be made by hand. They are normally pasted onto the scaled purchased
in packages or

layout.
(c) Plastic Models: Plastic models are scaled models of
various pieces of office furniture
equipment. These models may be easily repositioned on the floor plan. Their use facilitates and the
exploration of the various layout possibilities on a
layout board.
Re-layout
Re-layout means changing the
existing layout i.e., planning the
hecome necessary for the purpose ot
improving the existing layout
layout afresh. A re-layout may
or adjusting it to the changed
envn
reviewed:

When there is an increase or decrease in personnel;

When the flow of work is changed by new procedures;

When more working space is required;

When work piles up at one station while others wait
When work is lost in transit;
When employees complain of bad lighting or ventilation;
When employees appear to have difficulty in moving about the office;
When overcrowding of personnel and record room is apparent;
When buying new equipment or replacing the old equipment;
When there is a change in the;organisation when there are new personnel, new

authority and new responsibilities;

When alterations to the space are to be made;
Where there are lease difficulties;
When functions have been added or taken away from a section;
When the balance of the sexes changes radically;

When some persons have been promoted.

Layout Checklist
P.W. Betts° suggests the follow checklist for an office layout:
1. Avoid overcrowding.
2. Ease of daily cleaning.
3. Staff not facing directly into light.
4. Proximity of cloakrooms and toilets.
5. Comfortable furniture.
6. Non-slip floors and stairs.
7. Fencing any exposed moving parts of office machines
8. Minimise staff movements.
9. Place filing cabinets near staff using them.
10. Group together staff with related activities.
11. Adequate space between desks.
12. Positioning
supervisors at appropriate points.
3. Separate noisy machines from staff who are engaged in work requiring high concentration.

14. Put close work near to natural lights.

8. Dartnell: Office
Manager's Handbook.
9. Office
Management (Teach Yourself Books)
98 OFFICE MANAGEMENT
15. Minimise paper movement by designing according to work flow.
16. Adequate space for main aisles and sideways.
Advantages of Good Layout
A good office layout offers the following advantages:
(1) Increase in Efficiency: A properly laid out office promotes efficiency as it follows the flo
of work. The movement of employees and paper follow the shortest route and this allow
for smooth flow of work.
2) Reduction in Cost: A good layout aims at making the most economic and effective u
of the available floor space. Thus it leads to cost reduction in the office
(3) Effective Supervision: In a good laid-out office, the amount of supervision needed wou
be reduced to the minimum, thereby reducing the burden of the supervisors and savin
in the cost of supervision.
(4) Optimum use of Machines and Equipment: A good layout provides for joint use
machines and equipment. This is turn, reduces the amount of investment in machines an
equipment.
(5) Better and Speedy Inter-Communication: In a good laid-out office, activities are place
in a sequence and flow the shortest route. This speeds up inter-communication.
(6) Lesser Costs of Office Systems: A p operly laid out office tends to reduce the cost
cooling, heating, air-conditioning systems as well as their running and maintenancecos
(7) Better Morale: A badly planned office inereases employees' fatigue and tension wherea
a well planned office is conducive to their comfort and morale. Good layout has
positive impact on employees' morale.
(8) Improves Goodwill: A well-planned layout projects an image of efficiency to the outsidea
visiting the office. This results in better goodwill.
OPEN AND PRIVATE OFFICES
Open Offices
In planning the general
office, one of the major decisions to be made is in regard to t
provision of separate rooms for the different departments or sections, or for
into one large room or "open office". The bringing them togetn
modern tendency is to adopt the open office
accommodating departments or sections in separate: instead
room where all the
apartments. An open office refers to a ld
departments, men and equipmentor are housed under aa separate
partitions or walls separating them. Each department section is allotted single room
spacewilin
same room, which is often demarcated by placing filing cabinets
between them. One or
gangways throughout the whole floor may be provided and desks
so as to facilitate may be arranged facing one
supervision and easy access. It should be
provided for top executives whose work calls for secrecy noted, however, that private oftiCe
and concentration.
Advantages of Open Offices: Open offices offer the
(1) Economical: Since unnecessary partitions following advantages:
and corridors
better utilisation of office space possible. t is
are avoided, open offices
a common to
experience that nearly 23
 OFFICE SPACE MANAGEMENT 99
cent of the office space is taken up by walls and partitions. Open offices enable the
management to effect savings in rent and reductions in the cost of office operations.
(2) Better lighting and Ventilation: With the removal of unnecessary walls and partitions,
open oftices allow a free flow of air and natural light, which step up the efficiency of the
office staff.
(3) Better Supervision: Open offices encourage better work through better supervision and
easier operation. Only a tew supervisors are required to supervise the staff. The worker
faces the supervisor and therefore he cannot waste time without being found out.
(4) Better Communication: Open offices facilitate better interdepartmental communication.
A worker is not required to go to another room for consultation, advice or instruction. It
also facilitates better co-ordination of office activities.
(5) Flexibility: There is a greater flexibility in planning the layout of an open office, which
ensures a more effective placement of office machines and equipment. Further, changes
in the layout can be effected without much difficulty.
(6) Other Advantages: The other advantages of an open office are:
(a) In an open office, the sharing of machines and equipment becomes possible;,.
(b) In an open office the cost of decoration, cleaning and maintenance is lower
(c) It wears a smarter look and, to that extent, is an advertisement for the organisation
itself;
grades of staff placed in the
(d) It, makes for a democratic set-up because all are same
room;
(e)It makes better working conditions possible.
Drawbacks: The drawbacks of open offices are:
() Absence of Secrecy: When secrecy of work is desired, an open office is not a good
choice. Privacy cannot be maintained in an open office for work is done in full view of
all the staff.
(2) Concentration not Possible: Open offices are not suitable for work which requires
concentration of mind, e.g., accounting and statistical work. Moreover, distraction provided
by visitors and the general movement of office staff cannot be avoided.
3) Unbusinesslike Appearance: Too many people working in the same room and moving
about their work make an open office look untidy, shabby and unbusinesslike.
of
(4) Lowering of Morale: Apparent regimentation and loss of individuality, reduced sense
tells on
belonging to a well-defined group, and apparent loss of status among senior staff
the morale and efficiency of office workers.
(5) Impersonal Atmosphere: From the point of view of the staff, the atmosphere in open
office is generally rather impersonal. For instance, instead of working in a small
room
referred to as the Accounts Department, a small corner of a general office may be
attachment of the worker place or
to his
Occupied. This adversely affects the feeling of
work.
and
(6) Noisy: The efficiency of the staff may be impaired by the noise of ringing telephones
clicking typewriters.
100 OFFICE MANAGEMENT
(7) Unhealthy: A large open ofice is generally objected to on grounds of health. That
infectious diseases are more easily passed on and that there is insuficient ventilation are
two of the frequent complaints against open offices. But these disadvantages can be
avoided to some extent by segregating work which is confidential, noisy or distracting
However, the psychological disadvantages remain, lor "many people do not like working
"10
in an open office.
Private Offices
Private offices are small rooms or cubicles which are separated from similar other rooms or
the open office by full or half partitions. Private offices are allotted to the top executives of the
organisation. Sometimes a private office accommodation is provided for a group of people whose
work is of a confidential nature. It may also be allotted for work which should be isolated in order
to eliminate noise, e.g., accounting and statistical work.
Advantages of Private Offices: The advantages of private offices are:
(1) Greater privacy is ensured for confidential work and discussions.
2) They promote a personal atmosphere and lend a sense of prestige or importance to the
concerned staff.
(3) They increase the efficiency of the workers by facilitating concentration of mind which
passible because of the absence of noise.
14) They are
more congenial and less regimented x .
C a
5) There can be better ventilation and
on grounds of health.
heating/cooling arrangements. They are also preferred
Drawbacks: The disadvantages of private offices are:
(1) Uneconomical: On a rough estimate, 25 per cent to 33
wasted in per cent of the office space is
partitions and corridors. When an office is situated in a rented
of office operations increases
considerably. building, the cost
2) Costly Supervision: Private offices make
also becomes less
supervision more difficult and costly. Supervision
effective because the supervisor loses personal contact with
Besides, more supervisors are needed to supervise
the staft.
The cost of supervision is thus
effectively the same number of workers
3) stepped up.
Adversely Affects Flow of Work: By erecting barriers
affect and partitions, private offices adversely
(4)
inter-communication and free flow of work.
Affects Lighting,
Ventilation: Walls and
and the flow of
natural light. partitions also adversely affect free
ventilation
5) inflexitble: Private offices make
the task of office layout
New Trends in more
complicated and less
Office Layout Tiexid
1.
of straightLandscaped Offices:
lines of desks
A
landscaped office is an
divided open office which avoids the
and at
diferent angies from by straight gangways. Desks are arranged arrange n
9JC. Denyer, Offce
one
another. Gangways change individually or in go
10. G. Mlls and O. Management, p. 37. direction, skirting round ared of
Standingford, Oifice
Organisation and Metihods, p. 273.
 OFFICE SPACE MANAGEMEN 101
aving sizes and layout. Individual desks may be set in different areas of the floor space according
a
to eds-orthe
to needs-or the privilege of the users) The open floor is broken up by readily removable screens
i plants, natural or artificial. Landscaped offices look pleasant and attractive. They are, well suited
to the needs of technical specialists, managernent information services etc.
In the pure form of office landscaping there are no private ofices. However, atus and
orivacy are achieved by location, space assigned and type of furníture and appointment Attention
to such environmental factors as (1) Air conditioning, humidity control, lighting and
Aesthetically pleasing decor involving wall
acoustics; (2) Functionally designed furniture and, 3) decorative appointments.
attractive colours, and use of plants, statues and other
to wall carpeting, in organisation
is maximum flexibility to accommodate changes
An immediately obvious advantage costs of initial
fixed partitions. Experience has shown that
and work flow, since there are no
lower.12
installation and maintennce are significantly
are now being used
in
setting up private oftices.
2. Movable Partitions: Movable partitions be
or glass. They may
are made of metal, wood, plastic
These partitions
( Ceiling high partitions;
(i) Partitions up to the height of the door
the door, and
the ceiling or the height of
(iin Folding partition up to offices.
to separate the general office from the private
(iv) Counter-high partitions for example, when
themselves to flexible uses;
Movable partitions are less costly and lend as
be removed, and the layout plan be changed
private offices are not needed, partitions may
desired. units normally
units are becoming increasingly
popular now. These
3. Modular Units: Modular to a height of four
to six
with dwarfed partitions up
and filing cabinet
consist of a combined desk the L-pattern desk unit
witha fiat surface. It occupies
of modular desk is materials and,
feet. The most popular type easy access to working
to increase
work efficiency, provides
less floor space, helps for the employees.
element of secrecy
e n s u r e s an
at the same time,
sUMMARY
efficiency
accommodation is an important factor in improving
Accommodation: Suitable office include:
Office office
accommodation
and reducing office costs. The principles of
Convenientlocation; and
for expansion;
Gn Sufficient space and scope
required for the comfont and
well-being of the sta
and amenities
Gin Provision for the conveniences
consideration because an unsuitable
location may
location is an important the office s
Location of Office: Office inconvenience and annoyance to
in loss of time, where, the ou
and effots and in the same building
result in a waste of r e s o u r c e s office should be located
with thern. A srnall buiiding
and the persons dealing but a large office should
be located in a separate
are carried on;
activities of the organisation
office activitiesmay be
central1zed.
an office is large,
Office Organisation
and Methods, p. 273
11. G. Mills and O. Standingord: Znd Ed. p. 631
of Managemert,
12. Carl Heyel: The Encyclopaedia