It is easy to understand that the more orderly your office space is, the less time you waste at work and the higher your productivity becomes. However, the task of organization can seem daunting when there is so much to do, so many things to throw away, and so many things to add – but, you can do it a little at a time. In fact, it is much better and more effective to do on-going organizing of the office space you have, rather than dealing with it like a massive project you must finish in a day.
In order to help you get started on this task, we have outlined some steps you can follow in order to do so.
Purge the office
We know that it can be challenging to let items go, because you might think you will use them at some point in time. Even in offices, there are plenty of items you might not have touched in a while, yet you still take advantage of new Crown Net 30 offers to purchase new office supplies for your office use.
If there are office tools and stationery that you have never used or forgotten they were even there then take the time to empty, de-clutter, and throw them away. Shred old papers and files that are not useful to you as well.
In order to be more effective, tackle sections of the office at a time, and note everything you do not need. If, for instance, you find an old, broken stapler, you need to decide whether you will repair it or toss it away. The same case also applies to other supplies, equipment, furniture, decorations (yes, decorations), and so on.
Set aside ‘work zones’
When re-organizing your activity, always keep in mind the activity you want to happen in every area of the office space. For instance, you will want a main workspace (where you place your desk, some Crown supplies, and computer), a supplies area (where you keep the shelves, drawers, and closet), and a reference area (binders, files, filing cabinet, or shelves).
You will then use these areas to position the appropriate supplies and equipment, and keep them in these areas as much as possible.
Arrange certain items in close proximity
If you have tools, stationery and equipment that you need within your reach, arrange them on your workspace desk or close to you. You can then store away things that you use rarely.
Label items and spaces
In order for you to keep track of where you are keeping your items, choose a good label marker that is easy to use. Label all your drawers, baskets, shelves and bins. This organization will not just help you – it will help anyone else who needs to put away, find, or use items in your workspace.
With that said, we go to:
Revising the filing system you use
As we continue to progress into the digital age and modify our office tools, the use of paper files and traditional stationery continues to decrease. More businesses are opting to store files digitally, rather than purchasing Crown office supplies and storing loads and loads of folders and files.
This brings up an important question – what are some of the things you can store in a digital space? Are there any files that are duplicates and you need to get rid of? Asking these questions can help to eliminate some of the folders and files you have previously used, or do back-ups on a regular basis if you store them on your computer.
There are some ideas that prove useful when you want to improve your filing system, which include:
- Creating a waiting on response (WOR) folder – this can help to manage the messy files that you are keeping on hold until you receive a response from someone else. Make a WOR folder on your computer, and check it regularly to see if there are additional actions to take or follow-up.
- Creating a meeting folder – if there is a meeting coming up, you can easily keep track of its agendas by creating a meeting folder. This can also prove useful if you need to submit reports, hand off some items, and prepare yourself for meetings.
- Reading folders – this can help you to keep track of documents or articles you want to read later, like after meetings.
Final thoughts
There are plenty of methods you can use to re-organize your office space, and we have not exhausted them all. Regardless of what you use, maintaining an efficient working space helps your productivity in a major way.