WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT

Workplace management is a series of activities for planning, designing, using

and disposing items surrounding the workplace for the purpose of helping employees
organize their daily tasks and optimize the use of resources and facilities. Managing
the workplace means following specific management approaches and having a plan
to understand the potential needs of employees and address the challenges they
could face at their workplace, while ensuring that employees have everything they
need to do their tasks and duties.
Employee Satisfaction
In general, a well-managed workplace is likely to be more satisfying and relaxing.
Imagine having to go to an office every day that’s physically uncomfortable and
procedurally hampered by outdated tools and ineffective policies. Effective IWMS
and CAFM tools play a big part in seeing to the smooth logistical operation of an
office environment and as a result, workers feel more comfortable and more engaged
in the office. People like technology that work to their advantage—and SpaceIQ’s
collaboration and visibility tools certainly fit the bill. Employees can locate each other
on our platform and use integrated tools such as Slack to streamline collaboration
both virtually and physically.
Don’t discount the value of employee satisfaction. Business leaders of the old school
dismissed employee satisfaction as a wasteful concern, but while the work does get
done in a less-than-ideal office environment, it doesn’t get done with the passion and
drive it takes to remain competitive in our innovative environment.
There’s a reason that some of the most successful modern companies
make headlines not only for their stock valuation and innovative new
products but also for the unconventional approach they take to hosting
their team members in the office. The notion that employee comfort
leads to better work is backed not only by casual observation but also by
hard science.
Plus, as younger generations of digital-native workers come on board in
the workplace, comfortable settings and properly functioning
technology are going to be a deal-breaking expectation. It’s already
begun; the Dell/Intel Future Workforce Study showed that 42% of
Millennials would leave a job that didn’t provide the right technology.
SpaceIQ’s ability to address both the physical and digital realities of life
in the office helps organizations take a robust approach to ensuring
employee satisfaction, especially for tech savvy young talent.
Workplace management through 5S
5S is a method or a tool that helps to systematically achieve organization, cleanliness,
and standardization in the workplace environment. A well-organized workplace
results in a safer, more efficient, and more productive operation. It helps to boosts
the morale of the employees and promoting a sense of pride in their work &
ownership of their responsibilities.
 SEIRI – Sort Out
Seiri is sorting through all items in a location and removing all unnecessary items
from the location.
Goals:
• Reduce time loss looking for an item by reducing the number of items.
• Reduce the chance of distraction by unnecessary items.
• Simplify inspection.
• Increase the amount of available, useful space.
• Increase safety by eliminating obstacles.
Implementation:
• Check all items in a location and evaluate whether or not their presence at the
location is useful or necessary.
• Remove unnecessary items as soon as possible. Place those that can not be
removed Immediately in a 'red tag area' so that they are easy to remove later on.
• Keep the working floor clear of materials except for those that are in use to
production.
 SEITON – Straighten
Seiton is putting all necessary items in the optimal place for fulfilling their function in
the workplace.
Goal:
• Make the workflow smooth and easy.
Implementation:
• Arrange work stations in such a way that all tooling / equipment is in close proximity,
in an easy to reach spot and in a logical order adapted to the work performed. Place
components according to their uses, with the frequently used components being
nearest to the workplace.
• Arrange all necessary items so that they can be easily selected for use. Make it easy to
find and pick up necessary items.
• Assign fixed locations for items. Use clear labels, marks or hints so that items are
easy to return to the correct location and so that it is easy to spot missing items.
 SHINE – Seiso
Seiso is sweeping or cleaning and inspecting the workplace, tools and machinery on a
regular basis.
Goals:
• Improves the production process efficiency and safety, reduces waste, prevents errors
and defects.
• Keep the workplace safe and easy to work in.
• Keep the workplace clean and pleasing to work in.
• When in place, anyone not familiar to the environment must be able to detect any
problems within 50 feet in 5 sec.
Implementation:
• Clean the workplace and equipment on a daily basis, or at another appropriate (high
frequency) cleaning interval.
• Inspect the workplace and equipment while cleaning.
 STANDARDIZE – Seiketsu
Seiketsu is to standardize the processes used to sort, order and clean the workplace.
Goal:
• Establish procedures and schedules to ensure the repetition of the first three ‘S’
practices.
Implementation:
• Develop a work structure that will support the new practices and make it part of the
daily routine.
• Ensure everyone knows their responsibilities of performing the sorting, organizing
and cleaning.
• Use photos and visual controls to help keep everything as it should be.
• Review the status of 5S implementation regularly using audit checklists.
 SUSTAIN/SELF-DISCIPLINE – (Shitsuke)
Shitsuke or sustain the developed processes by self-discipline of the workers.
Also translates as "do without being told".
Goal:
• Ensure that the 5S approach is followed.
Implementation:
• Organize training sessions.
• Perform regular audits to ensure that all defined standards are being
implemented and followed.
• Implement improvements whenever possible. Worker inputs can be very
valuable for identifying improvements.
• When issues arise, identify their cause and implement the changes necessary to
avoid recurrence.
Quality of Work Life (QWL):
• Dissatisfaction with working life affects the workers some time or
another, regardless of position or status. The frustration, boredom and
anger common to employees can be costly to both individuals and
organisations.
• Managers seek to reduce job dissatisfaction at all organizational levels,
including their own. This is a complex problem, however, because it is
difficult to isolate and identify the attributes which affect the quality of
working life.
• Profitability of a company is linked to satisfaction of its work force. A
company that does not measure and improve employee satisfaction may
face increasing turnover, declining productivity and limited ability to
attract and retain qualified replacements.
• Employee satisfaction and quality of work life directly affect company’s
ability to serve its customers. Efforts towards QWL measurement help
in efficient and effective allocation of resources to enhance productivity
and stability of the workforce.
• It leads to:
• Positive employee attitudes toward their work and the company.
• Increased productivity and intrinsic motivation.
• Enhanced organizational effectiveness and competitive advantage.
Quality of work life involves three major parts:
• Occupational health care.
• Safe work environment provides the basis for people to enjoy his work. The work
should not pose health hazards for the employees.
• Suitable working time:
• Companies should observe the number of working hours and the standard limits on
overtime, time of vacation and taking free days before national holidays.
• Appropriate salary:
• The employee and the employer agree upon appropriate salary. The Government
establishes the rate of minimum salary; the employer should not pay less than that to
the employee. Work represents a role which a person has designated to himself. On
the one hand, work earns one’s living for the family, on the other hand, it is a self-
realization that provides enjoyment and satisfaction.
• Work-Life Quality — defined, as the balance between an employee’s work demands
and outside interests or pressures — is a long-standing but ever-evolving area of
corporate social responsibility. Some organizations view QWL as important, but do
not formally link it to their strategic or business plans.
Nature and Scope of Quality of Work Life:
The following aspects improve the QWL:
1. Recognition of work life issues:
Issues related to work life should be addressed by the Board and other important
officials of the company like why people are not happy, do they need training, why
employee morale is poor and numerous other issues. If these are addressed properly,
they will be able to build, “People-Centred Organisations”.
2. Commitment to improvement:
QWL can be improved if the staff is committed to improvement in productivity and
performance. This issue can be taken by the board through staff recognition and
support programmes. Board should prepare QWL reports on periodic basis to boost
the system. They can also introduce reward system which will be of help to them.
3. Quality of work life teams:
Board members should form the combined team of managers and workers and all the
issues and common themes must be identified.
Work Life Teams = Managers + Staff
All issues must be addressed like loss of morale, lack of trust, increased intensity of
work, reward, recognition etc. and commonly, managers and staff should arrive at
solutions.
4. Training to facilitators:
Both the leader and staff can assess the job requirement and decide jointly what type of
training is required to improve the quality of work life.
5. Conduct focus groups:
Formation of focus groups can affect the QWL and discuss the questions in
a positive way like:
(a) What brought you here today?
(b) What do you feel are the top three issues that affect your quality of work life?
(c) What do you want the organisation should do for you?
(d) Do you want company to increase the salary, etc.
6. Analyse information from focus group:
After the formation of focus groups and their discussion on different issues and
collection of information, the information should be analysed to give right direction
to organisational activities.
7. Identify and implement improvement opportunities:
It is important to identify and implement improvement opportunities like
communication, recognition and non-monetary compensation. Improving support
structure, constant review of reward and recognition system etc. would help in
formulating communication strategies, focusing on linkages between managers and
staff.
8. Flexible work hours:
The diverse work force of today does not want to work for fixed hours or days. They
want flexibility in their work schedule so that professional and personal life can be
managed together.
Flexibility can improve the QWL in the following ways:
i. Work for longer hours in a day with less number of working days in a week.
ii. Going to office for fixed hours but in different time slots rather than fixed working
hours. Many companies even provide the flexibility of work from home.
9. Autonomy to work:
Delegation is an essential element of organisation structure. People want freedom to
work in their own way, in terms of forming teams and making decisions. If they are
allowed to do so, it enhances the QWL. An organisation with high quality of work life
is “an organisation that promotes and maintains a work environment that results in
excellence in everything it does – by ensuring open communication, respect,
recognition, trust, support, well-being and satisfaction of its members, both,
personally and professionally”.

Significance of Good Work-life Quality:

1. Decrease absenteeism and increase turnover,
2. Less number of accidents,
3. Improved labour relations,
4. Employee personification,
5. Positive employee attitudes toward their work and the company,
6. Increased productivity and intrinsic motivation,
7. Enhanced organizational effectiveness and competitive advantage, and
8. Employees gain a high sense of control over their work.