Having a disorganized workspace can waste time and hinder productivity, but paradoxically, one would think it requires more time to reorganize their office.
But when you realize how much time you waste daily and the pains you go through due to the clutter, you see why you need to take action.
That you’re reading this blog shows you’ve finally made up your mind to organize your office. But it’s more than just clearing your desk and moving old files to the trash. It’s more about altering the entire look of your workspace to enhance efficiency. Have the things you need where you need them, with the right size, reasonable proximity, and functionality.
This sort of order in your office design creates room for increased productivity and minimal time wastage.
However, reorganizing your office doesn’t have to take days. Through simple, practicable actions as listed below, you can make it an exciting process.
Declutter
One effective way to reorganize your office is taking out everything you no longer need. Think about those files and old equipment you’d no longer have any use for in years to come. If it doesn’t work anymore, dump it in the trash. If it still works, you may repair it.
But rather than having equipment taking up valuable space, it’s better to eliminate anything you can’t find a reason to use anymore. That includes furniture, devices, supplies, etc.
Clear pathways
Are there any objects or furniture pieces blocking your path? These can be a huge nuisance in your office space, both to you and whoever visits. Move such stuff to a better position or take it out if you no longer have any use for it.
Use stacking trays for your office supplies
You’ll likely need to grab a pen and paper as quickly as possible, even while typing or reading. You want to have these items as close to you as possible without having to search all the time. So to prevent them from leaving your office desk cluttered, arrange these supplies in a stacking tray. These simple holders help you save space and keep your office desk organized.
Organize drawers
You often slide drawers out and insert a hand in search of an object. But most often, you end up opening the next and the one after it because you don’t exactly know where you kept what you seek. Time wastage again!
Sort similar supplies into the same drawer. If it’s possible to label them so that you know where certain documents are, do so. Personal items should go in a separate drawer. You can also use a drawer organizer to hold little things like tacks, pins, and paper clips.
Organize your computer
Whether as a corporation or a home office, you’d usually have a workstation with at least one laptop or desktop. It would be best to have a functional and convenient arrangement on your desk to enable you to use your PC collaboratively with other devices present.
But there may be a size constraint that doesn’t allow a standard desktop setup. In such cases, it’s advisable to seek Custom PC builds Ipswich to customize the size of your computer. You can get a company that handles custom PC builds in Ipswich to custom design your PC, workstation, or server as per your requirements.
They can also provide you with a long-term compact storage system rather than multiple HDDs that clutter up your space.
Clear your desktop
If you’ve organized your hardware, it’s time to do the same for your desktop. No, not the PC itself, the home screen.
You possibly have a ton of files on your desktop dated weeks, even months ago. Filling up the screen with such files makes it difficult to search for whatever you’re seeking. This leads to time wastage and frustration. So, delete every file you believe you can never have any use for in the future, and sort your useful files into folders.
Name your folders to facilitate your search. Place new files into their appropriate folders anytime they’re created to avoid going over this process again. It’s easier to sort files as soon as they come than when your desktop is filled with files of all types.
Go over your storage
With the world going entirely digital, businesses now store most of their data on computers. But if you must use paper files, take steps to avoid piling up different files together. It’s helpful to have the following:
- A meeting folder where you put all files to be reviewed or attended to later
- A “waiting on response” folder for those items you await a response from someone else before you can attend to them. So many papers that mess up our office space fall into this category
- A “to read” folder for content you intend to read later. Check occasionally to find those files you no longer desire to read and dispose of them.
- A “to file” folder for storing those papers you need to file weekly.
- An archive folder for items you’re done with
- Storage boxes, such as cardboard, for keeping items out of the way.
Zone your workspace
You most likely will have different parts of your office meant for different things. Dedicate different sections such as a workstation containing your desktop and other devices, a reference area such as a filing cabinet or shelf, and a supply area such as drawers.
If possible, you could also create a small area with a relaxed chair to cool off when you feel exhausted.
Zoning your workspace enhances functionality as it promotes easy location of items, thereby boosting productivity.
Rearrange your piles
Another way to organize your office is to go through the old piles of paper and sort them into their appropriate folders. Dispose of any file that’s entirely outdated and worthless. But also be sure you’re not disposing of relevant documents. That’s one more reason why sorting files into appropriately labeled folders is a great idea.
Label important documents with dates
Some financial and legal documents often come with a specific length of time during which you must retain them. You don’t want to discard such items before they’re due, so you must distinguish and keep them away from others. It also helps to label them with their slated discard dates.
Key Takeaway
Having an organized office space is key to enhanced productivity. But even more importantly, it brings more comfort and ease to your work.
So, go ahead and use one tip or try them all. In essence, you’ll no longer spend annoying moments shuffling through piles to get to whatever you’re looking for.
