1. Office Layout Techniques and Space Requirements
Chapter 12
Office Layout Techniques and Space Requirements

2. Objectives
After reading the chapter and reviewing the materials presented the students will be able to:
Understand the importance of office planning
Identify various types of office spaces and advantages and disadvantages of each
Understand the systematic approach of office planning
Able to perform office space calculations

3. Introduction Focus on information and paper work flow.
Understand office systems and procedures in order to provide proper placement of offices.
An organizational chart is an informative tool to communicate the relationships among departments and their people.

4. Goals of Office Layout Design
Minimize project cost: The layout planner must recommend facilities designs that are cost effective.
Employee productivity: You do not want them to walk long distances, using slow equipment, or performing useless work.
Flexible office layout: flexible office furniture.
Maintenance and cleaning: layout will affect this cost.
Material flow: Good flow analysis will minimize paper and supplies flow distances.
Pleasing atmosphere: will promote pride and productivity.
Pleasing reception area: first impression for visitors – organized, efficient, and neat.
Work space and equipment: must be adequate and address needs.
Convenience: restrooms, lockers, lunchrooms, and lounges conveniently located.
Safety: aisles, stairway, machines and clutter can cause safety problems. Layout must consider safety.

5. Types of Office Space
The median cost of office space ranges from $ 75 to $ 100 per square foot.
Many corporate offices are located in major business centers for convenience to other businesses.
Manufacturing plants and other offices are located in rural areas where space and living costs are usually less.

6. Supervisor’s Offices
A 10 x 10 foot office space located in the middle of the production department (fig 12-1, page 378).
Shipping, receiving, and maintenance as well as production supervisors could use this type of office.
Supervisors should be located where they are immediately accessible to their employees.
Discipline should always be carried out in private.

7. Open Office Space Open offices are popular for the following reasons:
Less space is required compared to private offices.
Heating, cooling, and ventilation costs and problems are minimized.
Supervision is easier.
Layout changes are easier and less costly.
Cleaning work is reduced.
Disadvantages are:
Less privacy.
Confidentiality may require private office space.

8. Conventional Offices
Fixed wall offices have independent furniture, four walls, and a door.
More than one person can be assigned to an office.
A function, such as accounting, purchasing, personnel etc. may be performed in an office.

9. The Modern Office
Tailors individual work areas to satisfy needs of the organization.
Tables are built into panels to save space and costs.
Utility (electrical, computer and phone) lines can be carried in the panels.
Can be rearranged to meet the changing needs of the organization.

10. Special requirements and considerations
Privacy may be required by some office employees. Personnel problems should be discussed in private.
Every office department needs a supply room or controlled area.
Offices in manufacturing plants often have a second floor, since ceilings are often 20 feet or higher. Departments placed on the second floor should not require outside visitors or much travelling during the day.
Conference rooms can be used to provide privacy when required in open office areas.
Legal requirements force companies to keep documents for years. Central files reduce the needs for many copies.

11. Techniques of Office Layout
Analyzing organizational needs, paperwork flow, who works with whom, and the relationships among departments lead to a master plan.
Organizational Chart: The organizational chart (fig 12-8, page 388) gives the layout planner an idea of the size of the office area. A rough estimate of the office space needs can be calculated by multiplying the number of office people requiring office space by 200 square feet each.
Flowchart: Standard process chart symbols (fig 12-9, page 390) have been developed. Figure , page 391shows the movement of purchase order forms around the office. This movement has an effect on office layout.
Communications Force Diagram: requires office planners to talk with each person in the office and find out with whom they work the most (fig 12-11, page 392). The number of lines connecting the subject person to the periphery people will indicate the importance of the relationship: A – absolutely necessary to be close, E – especially important, I – important and O – ordinary relationship.
Activity Relationship Diagram: It shows the relationship of every department or person with every other department or person (fig , page 394).

12. Techniques of Office Layout
Activity Worksheet: The data is taken from the activity relationship diagram to create individual blocks for each person.
Dimensionless Block Diagram: Place A relationships on the top left hand corner, E relationships on the top right hand corner, I relationships in the bottom left and O relationships on the bottom right for all the blocks (fig 12-15, page 396). The block with the most important A and E relationships is placed in the middle.
Office Space Determination: The workstation layout approach is the most detailed and will include restrooms, lockers, cafeterias, reception areas, board rooms, conference rooms and anything else that takes up space.
Detailed Master Layout: The General Services Administration ( posts a document “Space Use Study” which is useful in serious space planning and developing.

13. Summary
Minimize project cost: The layout planner must recommend facilities designs that are cost effective.
Many corporate offices are located in major business centers for convenience to other businesses.
Manufacturing plants and other offices are located in rural areas where space and living costs are usually less.
Supervisors should be located where they are immediately accessible to their employees.
Discipline should always be carried out in private.
Fixed wall offices have independent furniture, four walls, and a door.
Analyzing organizational needs, paperwork flow, who works with whom, and the relationships among departments lead to a master plan.
A rough estimate of the office space needs can be calculated by multiplying the number of office people requiring office space by 200 square feet each.
The workstation layout approach is the most detailed and will include restrooms, lockers, cafeterias, reception areas, board rooms, conference rooms and anything else that takes up space.
The General Services Administration ( posts a document “Space Use Study” which is useful in serious space planning and developing.

14. Home Work
Why are corporate offices are located in major business centers ?
Why are manufacturing plants and other offices are located in rural areas?
How can a rough estimate of office space need be calculated?