No matter what industry you work in, making sure you’ve got effective organisational systems in place to keep your workplace tidy and your employees motivated is essential to success. Disorganisation impacts productivity, and also workplace satisfaction. 

After all, if your warehouse, school or supermarket is left to function without any kind of organisational system, it’s likely to fall into disarray.
This is especially true if you work in an office. A busy, chaotic office isn’t likely to breed productivity without any guidance, so you’ll need to put systems in place to ensure everything runs smoothly. Here are our top tips for keeping your office organised and your employees productive:

Invest in appropriate storage solutions

No matter how small or large your office may be, it’s imperative to make sure you invest in the appropriate storage solutions for your needs. Without storage, your office will soon become overrun with piles of important documents, boxes of new stationery and employee belongings, and will soon become far too chaotic to encourage workplace productivity. Making sure that you have enough cupboards, lockers and storage cabinets for your employees' needs is essential to creating a tidy and organised workplace.

TIP: Invest in filing cabinets for all paperwork (and invest time in setting them up strategically so that everybody who needs to access them can do so easily and efficiently - don’t be afraid to revise your filing solutions if they don’t make sense!). 

Move documents online

In today’s digital age, we can expect to see more and more business contracts, pay slips and other paper documentation being transferred online - and for good reason. Limiting your paper usage is not only a great way to reduce your carbon footprint but will also contribute to keeping your office free from clutter, allowing it to be much more organised. There will also be less chance of losing important documents, helping your company maintain a positive business reputation.

TIP: As part of going paperless, declutter digitally by investing time in making sure your online storage solutions are accessible and make sense to those who need to access them.

Implement a labelling system

No matter how many storage solutions and systems you put in place to keep your office tidy, it will still remain as chaotic as ever if your employees don’t contribute to its organisation. To ensure everyone is on the same page, consider implementing a labelling system for all cupboards, lockers and storage boxes. An effective labelling and identification system will ensure that all employees are storing documentation and other items in the correct places, helping the office to run smoothly at all times. Colour coding your supplies is a very visual way to make those choices immediately apparent for employees.

TIP: Consider a deep-clean and purge before implementing your system, so that you start with a clean, tidy office containing only what you want and need. Clean daily, and encourage employees to take ownership of and pride in their own workspaces, to ensure deep cleans don’t need to be done as regularly. At the same time, consider cord tethers and hidden cord solutions, so that messy wires aren’t invading usable workspace - it looks better and could be safer too.

Consider more diverse storage solutions

When it comes to keeping your workplace organised, there’s more to consider than simply adding a few cupboards to the office. It’s important to cover all bases by considering ways that mess and clutter are created, and finding the right solution. For instance, could you tidy up the outside of your office by installing bike sheds or smoking shelters? Could you prevent employees from storing their personal belongings under their desks by investing in lockers? Considering all potential ways to minimise clutter will help you create an organised and productive office space, no matter how small or large it may be.

TIP: Make use of your wall space with customisable solutions or open shelving (this encourages tidiness as it’s visible to all!), consider baskets and bins for immediate filing solutions rather than piles on desks, and segment your desks into usable areas - incoming jobs, outgoing jobs, workspace, and tech, for example.

For high-quality storage systems and solutions for your business, look no further than Racking + Shelving. Based in Northern Ireland, we’re dedicated to helping businesses in all industries make the most of their available space, with effective storage systems and products. Whether you’re in need of cupboards for your office or a mezzanine floor for your warehouse, we at Racking + Shelving have the solution for you.

For more information about our range of services, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team of experts today.