The arrangement of the rooms should be such that customers can have easy access to the departments requiring frequent visits from them e.g. cash, sales.
There should also be provision for adequate number of cloak rooms, wash rooms, water fountains, and canteens for the convenience of the staff
Cost of office accommodation
The cost factor will dictate the final selection of accommodation for the office
The cost should not be uneconomical but at the same time efficiency shouldn’t be sacrificed merely for the sake of the economy in cost
Location of departments
- Departments dealing with public like reception and mail office must be close to the entrance
- Those requiring some concentration and much thinking like planning or M.D’s office should be kept a bit far to allow them to work in quieter atmosphere
- The department with heavy machinery and equipment should be kept on ground floor
- Those which serve other department should be kept centrally e.g. typing pool
- Department should be located in such that toilets, wash basins and other facilities are within the reach of all
- Some departments require natural light e.g. drawing department. They should be located accordingly
- Some departments have very close relationship regarding their activities, and thus should be close to each other e.g. sales and credit
Sanitation and cleanliness
Dirty or insanitary conditions not only creates an unpleasant and depressing environment for the workers but also affects their health as they have to spend a large part of the day in office, thus the office should always be kept neat and clean
Temperature and humidity
The temperature and humidity of the office rooms should be maintained at the proper level as too hot and cold humid atmosphere induces physical discomfort and affects the efficiency of the clerks
Noise affects the efficiency of office staff to a great extent .It’s important to control noise that may be external or internal
External noise may be caused by traffic movements on the street, noise from neighboring premises, factories etc.
Causes of internal noise
- Machines movements
- Movement and conversation of clerks, visitors
- Creaking doors
- Calling bells, telephones
- Shifting of furniture from one place to another
