From group outings to team building exercises, most companies all over the world are always trying out new initiatives in an effort to improve teamwork among their employees. While some of them catch on, others aren’t as successful. One such method that has become quite popular in recent years has been open plan offices, as more and more companies are tearing down the partition walls and are opting for bright open plan spaces.
A lack of walls, doors or other physical barriers in open plan office spaces makes it easier for employees to interact with each other on a regular basis, promoting the flow of communication among employees. Friendships amongst colleagues will also be strengthened, which will make them more inclined to work effectively together.
The ever-changing officeOpen plan allows businesses to create a collaborative working environment where new ideas can be generated and shared. Having an open space also makes it easier for both employees and management. Proximity of other staff members allows for minor issues or queries to be dealt with efficiently, without the need for a formal meeting. There is no need for people to search around individual offices in the hopes of trying to track anybody down and things are easier for managers as everyone is in a centralised area.
Overall, open plan is a highly flexible solution that caters to the ever-changing working environment. However, just as businesses are changing to accommodate new working practices, the world of office desks is changing faster than ever before.
Whereas elaborate executive desks and sizeable corner desks were once needed to accommodate a large monitor, a chunky desktop computer, possibly a printer and to store folders, paperwork, stationery, and the rest – things have now changed significantly.
Today people are working with laptops, flat screen monitors or tablets, with wireless technology and digital working. The general shift towards a paper-less office has also led to a reduction in the amount of paper used by offices and the amount of storage needed by employees. Improved accessibility also allows different departments to share resources such as printers, copiers, communal office supplies and more.
Bench desks suit the modern working environmentIncreasingly, businesses are moving away from dedicated single employee workspaces, towards more flexible working environments, and bench desk solutions are the ideal solution for high density open plan work places. Using bench desks enables businesses to accommodate more office workers in the same amount of space.
Enabling people to work side by side and facing each other with bench desks it is possible to fit an extra 30-35% extra employees in the same space compared to using ergonomic and wave desks. And by fitting more people in their existing offices, businesses don’t have to invest in additional space when they grow and take on new employees.
Adapt bench desk solutionAdapt is our vision for systems furniture in the contemporary office. Offering a new, flexible approach to office furniture design, it is perfect for matching desking with meeting tables and even executive desk design for the totally integrated look. Sleek and stylish with clean cut lines and balanced proportions, the Adapt benching solution is a real stand out in the modern office environment.
Comprising a sturdy steel subframe and bench tops which take on a floating appearance, Adapt offers a clean and minimal look to the workplace. Desk legs can be shared, making it an aesthetically pleasing, cost effective and practical system for high density office spaces. And the sliding top options allows for easy cable management from above the desk which makes hot desking, where employees can simply plug in their laptops and start work, or changing seating rearrangements in the office comparatively simple and hassle-free.
Adapt desk clusters are available in numerous sizes, leg colours and desktop finishes. And new for 2020, Adapt is now available complete with 800mm deep return desks which can be fitted to either side of single straight desks to extend the working area, or to create back-to-back desks with return desks or even 4 desk clusters each with returns to maximise the office space.
There’s also now the option of adding colourful fabric desktop screens to Adapt bench desks to personalise work areas, in addition to the aluminium frame glazed and fabric screens available with black, silver or white frames to synchronise with the desk legs. Bench desks can refresh and liven up even the more traditional workspaces, and although they have an open appearance, bench desks don’t need to mean a mass of cables or wires on show.
Bench desks in general incorporate very effective shared cable management, ensuring a clean look to the office and making it much easier to clean and vacuum under desks. With Adapt, horizontal and vertical cable management allows cables to rise up from the floor via single leg and mass cable risers, which improves office aesthetics and safety. Each desk has three scalloped cut outs in the 25mm tops allowing cables to pass directly through to the cable tray and cable risers to ensure complete cable control.
Assembly per cluster is quick and easy through its highly engineered parts which further increase the system’s functionality and flexibility. Bench desks are designed so that devices can be moved on and off in a few seconds. This makes hot desking where employees can simply plug in their laptops and start work, or changing seating rearrangements in the office comparatively simple and hassle free.
Start simple, then Adapt easily!Offering choice is essential when creating a space for an agile workforce, and Adapt’s thoughtful design and versatile components help you to do more with less. The flexibility of bench desking allows for easy reconfiguration and expansion of the work area as one project is completed and a new team moves into the space.
Bench desking isn’t just about saving businesses money, it keeps the environment of the office consistent allowing managers and colleagues to sit together which leads to improved communication and employees performing better. Today’s benching solution has improved flexibility, mobility, and easy access to power and data, which make it the ideal solution for open plan offices to facilitate interaction and collaboration among workers – everything an office needs to create a happy, healthy, high performing working environment.
