Unit 3 Office Layout

UNIT 3 : OFFICE LAYOUT

UNIT STRUCTURE
3.1 Learning Objectives
3.2 Introduction
3.3 Office Layout
3.3.1 Importance of Layout
3.3.2 Principles of Layout
3.3.3 Types of Layout
3.4 Location of Office
3.4.1 Choosing an Office Location
3.4.2 Office Building
3.5 Let Us Sum Up
3.6 Further Reading
3.7 Answers to Check Your Progress
3.8 Model Questions

3.1 LEARNING OBJECTIVES

After going through this unit, you will be able to:

 describe office layout
 explain different types of layout
 discuss about location of an office

3.2 INTRODUCTION

In the earlier unit, we have given a brief description of office

management. In this unit we are going to discuss about office layout and
location. Every office should be properly accommodated, have a good
working environment and should be properly equipped to improve efficiency
and reducing cost. The place of work and its surroundings are important
factors which affect the efficiency of employees to a large extent. An office
should be established in such a place where visitors, employees and
customers can reach comfortably. Office location and layout plays a vital

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Office Layout Unit 3
role in attracting visitors and customers. To perform the office activity
smoothly, the office manager should decide on location of the office, office
building, and office layout and office environment. In this unit we will discuss
these aspects in details.

3.3 OFFICE LAYOUT

Office layout may be defined as the arrangement of equipment within

the available floor space. Office layout deals with design and set up of an
office. It takes into account all the accessories and equipment needed in an
office. The details of the office work depend on the type of business involved
and activities conducted. Features of an office such as people, space,
equipment, furniture and the environment, must fit together well for workers
to feel healthy and comfortable and to be able to work efficiently and
productively.
One could look at how the office is laid out, including where people
sit in relation to equipment and furniture. The equipment and furniture should
be suitable for the type of work that people are doing in an office. This
includes seating, desks, computers, printers and anything else that they
might use to do their job. The environment of the office depends on the
temperature, ventilation, lighting, decoration etc. All these aspects of an
office are considered in relation to the individuals in the office with emphasis
on their safety, health, comfort and productivity. This includes arranging
where people need to sit for the specified work in the office, according to
who they work with , what equipment they need to do their job and what sort
of working environment they need. Some people may need a very quiet
area to work, for example if they need to concentrate, and could be put in a
separate area away from noisy people and equipment. Other people may
need to work creatively in teams, and would be better off in a relaxed, open
plan area. If the office has shared equipment, such as printers and scanners,
they need to be easily accessible to everyone who needs to use them. One
also needs to think about the facilities that people will need for storage.
People might need their own filing cabinets or shelves. In large or busy

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Unit 3 Office Layout
open plan offices, the layout needs to be planned very carefully, as many
people with different jobs will be using the area. Also, if space is restricted,
the layout becomes important to ensure that the working space should be
arranged nicely, and people don’t get in each other’s way. Access and
emergency routes need to be defined and laid out to ensure that people
can move around the office easily and quickly if necessary.

3.3.1 Importance of Layout

To work efficiently a worker needs proper working environment. So

unless he or she is provided with adequate and suitable physical
accommodation and a good working condition, it will not be possible
for them to maintain the physical and mental stability necessary for
performing their duties efficiently. Before setting out to find the
accommodation, manager should check the location, site, building
and other physical factors while selecting the layout.

3.3.2 Principles of Layout

The important principles of office layout are as follows :

 The office must be located at some convenient place so that it
may serve the entire organization in the best possible manner.
 Work should flow continuously forward, as simply as possible.
 Departments having similar function should be located near one
another to reduce travel time.
 Furniture and equipment should be arranged in a straight line,
with any angular placement of desks and chairs reserved for
supervisory personnel.
 Space allowances should be adequate for work needs and
employee comfort.
 Desks should be arranged so that no employee is compelled to
face an objectionable light source.
 Units that utilize noisy equipment, such as data processing or
telex machines should be located in separate rooms to avoid
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disturbing other work groups.
 Work groups that have frequent contact with the public should
be located in an easily accessible place.
 Departments in which work is necessarily untidy should be kept
away from public view.

3.3.3 Types of Layout

Different types of office layout exist depending on the requirements

of the office. There are basically two types of office i.e open office
and private office. These two types of layout can be further
segmented into three different types based on the recent trends in
the office layout, which are discussed as follows:
 Open office : An open office refers to a large room where all
the departments’ employee and equipment are housed under a
single roof without partitions.
Advantages of open office :
 Better space utilisation is possible.
 Easy for the supervisor to watch the work.
 There is more economy in arrangement of light.
Disadvantages of open office :
 Work will be affected by visitors and movement of the staff
themselves.
 There will be internal noise of conversation by the staff
themselves or with the visitors.
 Infection or diseases may spread quickly.
 Private Office : Private offices are small rooms occupied by
departments. Each department will be placed in each room.
Such rooms are allotted by considering the nature of the
confidential matter to be dealt in, or for top officials etc.
Advantages of private office :
 There is increase in efficiency on account of absence of noise.
 Confidentiality can be maintained as greater privacy is possible.

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Unit 3 Office Layout
 It promotes personal atmosphere.
Disadvantages of private office :
 Lot of space is wasted for partition.
 It is more expensive to build separate offices.
 Cleaning of the office becomes a tedious job.
In respect of the above, we may have some variations in
the way the offices are organised. Some of them are indicated below.
a) Landscaped Office : A landscaped office is an open office that
the arrangement of straight lines of desks. This type of structure
is suitable for technical specialist, management information
services etc.
b) Movable Partitions : This type of structure is used in private
offices. Movable partitions of ceiling, partial or counter height
made up of metal, wood, glass or plastic materials are used to
segregate the office space.
c) Modular Units : They occupy less floor space; enhance work
efficiency by eliminating unnecessary motions. The most popular
type of modular desk is the L-pattern desk unit with a flat surface.

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Q 1: What is office layout?

..................................................................................................
Q2: State any two principles of office layout.
..................................................................................................
Q3: What is open office and private office?
..................................................................................................

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3.4 LOCATION OF OFFICE

Once the office is set up it is very difficult to move to other place.

So, before starting the office proper location should be selected for the
office, as per the requirements of the employees, visitors and customers.
The office manager has to consider wide range of factors like, markets,
labour supply, local laws, power, taxes, trends in regional and local
development, transportation facilities, and better infrastructural facility etc.
before choosing a location. The selection of location also depends on the
cost factor. The best location is one which gives the maximum advantage
at lowest possible cost. While selecting the location, following aspects
should be taken into consideration:
 Convenience to Customers : The office location should be near to
those parties with whom the business concern has almost daily contact.
 Transportation, Postal and Banking Facilities : Office should be
located at a place where there is good transportation, postal and banking
facilities.
 Availability of Sufficient Space : The place selected for location office
should have sufficient accommodation and future expansion scope.

3.4.1 Choosing an Office Location

Since the main purpose of an office is to facilitate the conduct of the

business, its proper location depends primarily upon where it can
be of most benefit to the business. The office location can be either
in urban place or in suburban place depending on the service they
provide. Basically there are five factors which affect the selection of
location. They are:
 Proximity to Related Trade : It is desirable to have an office
near other offices which are engaged in the same line of trade.
 Proximity to Other Departments : When all the functions of a
business are carried on at one location, the office should be
located in the same location, so that it function in a more effective
way.
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 Nearness to Service Facilities : The office should be located
near such service facilities as banks, posts and telegraph offices,
railway stations, markets, trade or stock exchanges etc.
 Nearness to Transport Facilities : The locality in which an
office is situated must be adequately served by transport
services of all kinds.
 Availability of Labour : Large offices where different types of
employees are needed should consider this factor.

3.4.2 Office Building

The location of office building is very important and it affects the

office environment. If the office building is located at a far place or in
a dirty place, it will affect the health of employees adversely. The
size of office building should be adequate to run the office. Security
system in the building should be proper. When an office building is
constructed, it should be planned and designed to fit the exact
requirements of the organization. The office building can be either
in own house or can be leased or in rented house. Office building
should be selected based on the following criteria :
 Safety and records of staff.
 Working condition.
 Adaptability to proposed layout.
 Office fittings.
 Future expansion.

3.5 LET US SUM UP

Office location and layout plays a vital role in attracting customers.

In this unit we have discussed the following aspects in details:
 Office layout includes the room, computers, communicating with others
by telephone or fax, keeping records and files, furniture, temperature,
ventilation, light, environment etc.

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 There are basically two types of office layout exist depending on the
requirements of the office. i.e open office and private office.
 An open office refers to a large room where all the departments’ men
and equipment are housed under a single roof without partitions.
 Private offices are small rooms occupied by departments. Each
department will be placed in each room.
 The office manager has to consider wide range of factors like, markets,
labour supply, local laws, power, taxes, trends in regional and local
development, transportation facilities, and better infrastructural facility
and cost etc. before choosing a location.

3.6 FURTHER READING

1) Balachandran, V. and Chandrasekaran, V. (2009), Office Management,

Published by Tata McGraw Hill Education Private Limited.
2) Chopra, R. K. and Chopra, Ankita (2009), Office Management, Published
by Himalaya Publishing House.

3.7 ANSWER TO CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

Ans. to Q. No. 1 : Office layout deals with design and set up of an office. It
takes into account all the accessories and equipment needed in an
office.
Ans. to Q. No. 2 : Two principles of office layout are as follows:
 Work should flow continuously forward, as nearly as possible in a
straight line.
 Departments having similar function should be located near one
another to reduce travel time.
Ans. to Q. No. 3 :
 An open office refers to a large room where all the departments’
men and equipment are housed under a single roof without partitions.
 Private offices are small rooms occupied by departments. Each
department will be placed in each room.

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Unit 3 Office Layout

3.8 MODEL QUESTIONS

Q1: State the principles of an office layout.

Q2: Discuss different types of office layout.
Q3: How office location can be selected?

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