The document discusses various factors to consider when selecting an office location and designing the office layout and environment. Some key points discussed include the advantages of urban vs suburban locations, factors like convenience and transportation to consider for the office location, and principles of office layout like workflow and adequate space. It also covers types of lighting, ventilation, noise reduction and other physical conditions important for a healthy office environment.

2. Introduction
The office should be established at such a place
where customers can reach without any
inconvenience. As far as possible, the central part
of the city is an ideal place for office location. As
the success of any business concern depends upon
the location of its office, the Office Manger is
required to study the following:
1. Location of an office
2. Office Building
3. Office Layout
4. Office Environment
5. Office Furniture

5. Advantages of Urban Location
Easy contact with other offices
Increased image
Easy access
Transport facilities
Banking, post office and other
facilities
Recreational facilities
Other amenities
Employee preference

6. Disadvantages of Urban Location
Over crowding and congestion
Difficulty to expand business
Higher cost
Demand for more pay
Polluted atmosphere

7. Advantages of Sub-urban Location
Lower cost of living
Low rent and taxes
Quiet and hygienic atmosphere
Scope for office expansion and
modernisation
Less overcrowding and less
congestion

8. Disadvantages of sub-urban location
1. Inadequate service facilities such as
banks, post and telegraph offices,
railway stations, markets
2. Inadequate transport facilities,
airport/port/railways
3. Lack of communication facilities

9. 1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Convenience to customers
Transportation facilities
Safety and climate
Postal, telegraphic and banking facilities
Availability of sufficient space
Need of the business

11. The structure of office building also affects
the office environment. If the office
building restricts the entrance of light, air,
etc. then the office environment will not be
healthy.

12. 1. It represents a wise investment decision, especially,
where part of the building is rented on good terms.
2. It lends prestige to the organization and enhances its
credit worthiness besides improving its image in the
eyes of the customers.
3. As permanency is assured, the address need not be
changed again due to growing needs of the business,
since the design of own building takes care of the
future needs.
4. The building can be planned on the basis of present
and possible future needs.

13. Drawbacks of own building
1. Ownership of building also presents other
problems to the management, like payment of
taxes and settlement of disputes with tenants,
if part of it is rented.
2. Own building may require huge investment
which may not be within the easy reach of
small or medium-sized business.
3. High costs of maintenance may also prove too
much for a small or medium-sized business.

14. Advantages of leased building
1. Maintenance responsibility
2.No investment decision
responsibility
3.Ease in location change

15. Limitations of leased building
1. High rents
2.Wastage of space
3.Not need-based
4.Frequent shift

17. Checklist for accommodation
requirements
1. Location
2. Site
3. Building
4. Physical factors

18. Principles of Layout
1. Work should flow continuously forward, as nearly
as possible in a straight line.
2. Departments that have similar functions or
frequent contact with each other should be located
near one another to reduce travel time.
3. Central services groups, such as stenographic
pools, should be conveniently located near the
employees and departments who use them.
4. Furniture and equipment should be arranged in a
straight line, with any angular placement of desks
and chairs reserved for supervisory personnel.

19. Principles of Layout
5. Space allowances should be adequate for work
needs and employee comfort.
6. Furniture and equipment of uniform size make
for greater flexibility and more uniform
appearance .
7. All the same employees should face in the same
direction, with supervisors placed to the rear of
work groups.
8. Desks should be arranged so that no employee is
compelled to face an objectionable light source.

20. Principles of Layout
9. Units that utilize noisy equipment, such as
data processing or telex machines should be
located in separate rooms to avoid disturbing
other work groups.
10.Work groups that have frequent contact
with the public should be located in an easily
accessible place.
11. Large rectangular blocks of space facilitate
work flow and provide greater flexibility.

21. Principles of Layout
12. Departments in which work is necessarily
untidy should be kept away from public view.
13. Suitable light and air conditioning for all
employees should be provided.
14. Necessary private offices should be located
where they are least interfered.
15. Personnel and equipment needs, both present
and future, should be considered when
determining space requirements and layout.

22. Principles of Layout
16.Water fountains , bulletin boards , and
vending machines should be placed
where they will cause the least
congestion or distraction.
17.Rest rooms and lounge areas should be
conveniently located.

23. Procedures for effective layout for
the office
1. Office Manager should become familiar with general
organizational arrangements.
2. He should analyze, the principal procedures and
work flows.
3. He should discuss with each supervisor or
department head their needs for space, the direction
and plan of work flow for all operations in the office.
4. The blue print referred should be prepared and a
scale drawing of the space under consideration
should be prepared, showing the location of such
items as windows, doors and columns.

24. Procedures for effective layout for
the office
5. A tentative plan of office layout should be
presented by arranging cut outs or models on the
scale drawing or by pencilling in with a template
the location of various items of furniture and
equipment.
6. The proposed plans should be presented to those
supervisors and department heads concerned and
solicit their opinions and suggestions for
improvements.
7. All items of furniture and equipments on the
layout plan should be identified.

25. Office Layout – Recent Trends
1. Landscaped offices
2. Movables partitions
a. Ceiling high partitions
b. Half partitions up to the height of door
c. Folding partitions up to the ceiling
d. Counter high partitions that segregate
general office from the private office.
3. Modular units

26. Open Office and Private Office

27. Advantages of Open Office
1. Better space utilization is possible, because space
has not been lost by partitions.
2. The section heads or supervisors feel easy to watch
the office. It is also possible to reduce the number
of supervisors.
3. The layout of the office can be altered or changed
without any expense.
4. There is more economy in arrangement of light.
5. Easy communication from department to
department is possible.

28. Disadvantages of Open Office
1. Work will be affected by visitors and movement of
the staff themselves.
2. There will be internal noise, because of the
conversation in the office by staff themselves or
visitors.
3. Infections and disease may spread quickly.
4. A big hall may not be efficiently supervised.
5. The office will appear to be a crowd place.
6. Secrecy cannot be maintained.
7. Top executives may not feel comfortable in the
open office.

29. Advantages of Private Office
1. There is increase in efficiency on
account of absence of noise.
2. Confidentiality can be maintained as
greater privacy is possible.
3. It promotes personal atmosphere.
4. It adds value and prestige to the
individuals.

30. Disadvantages of Private Office
1. Lot of space is wasted for partitions.
2. It affects the flow of work.
3. More supervisors are needed to watch the work
done in office. Thus supervision becomes more
expensive.
4. It is more expensive to build separate offices.
5. There will be more expenses to provide
adequate light.
6. Cleaning of the office becomes a tedious work.

31. Disadvantages of Private Office
7. The office layout will be a complicated one.
8. More expensive furniture arrangement is
needed than the open office or general office.
9. Extra means of communication is needed for
each room.
10.Assistants, messengers have to waste time to
see whether the concerned man is there or
not in the private room.

33. The environment, in which the office employee
performs office services is known as office
environment. Office environment includes:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Working place
Working condition
Working hours
Working equipments
Training facilities
Incentive payment system etc.

34. The advantages of a good office
environment to the employees
1. Ease in work
2. Simplicity in work
3. Improvement in mental and
physical fitness

35. The advantages of a good office
environment to the concern
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Increase in production
Increase in profits
Increase in efficiency
Improvement in employees relations
Reduction in employees turnover
Reduction in employees absenteeism
Increase in the goodwill.

36. Physical Conditions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Lighting
Ventilation
Colour Conditioning
Air-Conditioning
Reduction of Noise
Cleanliness
Safety Provisions

37. * Lighting *
1. The light must be sufficient for the work but not
too strong, otherwise glare will result.
2. There should be no dark shadows cast.
3. The lighting system should be efficient, i.e. the
required lighting should be given at the minimum
cost.
4. The lighting fittings should be made sturdy and of
good appearance when both lit and unlit.
5. It should be possible to vary the amount of light as
required.

38. Lighting
6. The walls should be decorated in light shades in
order to gain the maximum light reflection.
7. Furniture with light finishes should be chosen, with
the desk tops having a similar finish to avoid too
great a contrast when papers are laid on them.
8. To avoid glare, light should be suitably shaded or
diffused so that an angle of at least forty five degrees
is created between the worker’s eyes and the lights.
9. Desks should have matt, not polished or glossy
surfaces, and glossary cards and paper should not be
used.

39. Good quality light
Good quality light is relatively free
from glare and diffused evenly about
the seeing area. Brightness should be
fairly uniform rather than varying
greatly from one portion of office to
another. Shadows have to be
minimized, though it is not possible
to eliminate them in total.

40. Types of glare
1. Direct glare – it is produced by
a sharply contrasting light
source within the field of vision.
2.Reflected glare – it occurs
when light strikes a bright or
polished surface.

41. Sources of light
1. Incandescent light
2. Fluorescent light

42. Normal lighting
The office must try to use natural lighting or day
light. Large windows, adequate number of
skylights, bright colouring of walls and the
ceiling may be used to get the maximum
advantage of natural. Provisions should be
made to prevent direct sunlight falling upon the
surface. Light should come from behind the left
shoulder of an employee. Natural lighting is not
only economical but also healthy.

43. Artificial lighting
The cost of installation and maintenance of
artificial light is high. The natural light
may be supplemented with the artificial
light. Artificial lighting is used where the
rooms do not allow natural light to
penetrate in adequate quantity. However,
artificial lighting is not healthy and strains
the eyes of employees.

44. Types of artificial lighting
1. Direct lighting
2.Semi-direct
3.Indirect lighting
4.Semi-indirect
5.General

45. Benefits of good lighting
1.Increased output
2.Better quality of work
3.Reduction of fatigue
4.Better employee morale

46. * Ventilation *
 Ventilation refers to supply of free air at the
right temperature and of right humidity.
 Ventilation is one of the most common office
problems; draughts can cause more strong
feeling than any other aspect of the
environment.
 The requirements of good ventilation are that
there should be a constant flow of fresh air to
remove staleness without causing draught.

47. * Colour Conditioning *
 Colours convey feelings.
 Different colour combinations not only add to the
appearance of a room, but also has a psychological
effect on the people who are working in it.
 Bright and cheerful colours have a cheering effect
on them resulting in more and better work.
 Soft, cool colours are the most suitable for offices.
 Colour can also be used to provide some degree of
individuality; each section, department or entire
floor of an office can be given its own colour
scheme.

48. * Air-Conditioning *
Air-conditioning system falls into two
categories – Package and Central.
Advantages:
1. It helps to protect the product or
equipment in the plan.
2. It helps safeguard their health.
3. It helps to keep production costs low.
4. It helps maintain employees’ efficiency.

49. * Reduction of Noise *
Internal noise is created by:
1. Movement of machines.
2. Movements and conversation of clerks,
peons, visitors etc.
3. Cracking doors
4. Calling bells, telephone bells.
5. Shifting of furniture from one place to
another.

50. Reduction of Noise
External noise is created by:
1. Street sound
2.Noise from moving vehicles
3. Noise due to the opening and
closing of doors and windows.

51. Control of noise
1. Office can be located in a quite place.
2. Sound absorbing materials for office
floors, ceiling and walls can be used.
3. Doors can be fitted with door closers
and rubber lining or with hydraulic
controls.
4. From the main office, telephone switch
boards should be housed far away.

52. * Cleanliness *
It is the office manager’s task to
see that the offices are kept
clean, the cleaners employed
are properly supervised and
that they are provided with
adequate equipment.

53. * Safety Provisions *
1. Sanitary requirements
2. Over-crowding
3. Drinking water
4. Spittoons
5. Toilets
6. Canteen
7. Rest rooms

54. Fire Precautions
1. Fire exits shoild be marked clearly.
2. All members of staff should be informed
individually on how to find the nearest fire exit
in the event of a fire alarm.
3. The fire alarm should be tested regularly.
4. Adequate fire extinguishers
should be
installed.
5. Staff should be
trained to use fire
extinguishers.

55. Fire Precautions
6. Fire extinguishers should be inspected
regularly to ensure that they are in proper
working order.
7. Each member of staff should be provided
individually with a carefully prepared
procedures sheet explaining what to do in the
event of a fire.
8. The telephone operator should be aware of the
procedure in case of fire.

56. Fire Precautions
9. Fire drills should be held regularly.
10. An automatic fire alarm system should be
installed.
11. Ash trays should be provided to avoid placing
lighted cigarette stumps in waste paper
baskets.
12. The main electric switch in the building
should be switched off when the offices are not
occupied.

57. Fire Precautions
13. Flammable materials should not be left in
the sun.
14.A fire prevention code should be issued to
all staff incorporating items such as
switching off all machines at night and
unplugging them from the power points;
ensuring that all heaters/fires are switched
off.

59. Four main criteria in choosing
office furniture
1. Is it functional?
2.Is it attractive?
3. Is it hard wearing?
4.Is it cost within the budget?

60. Factors to be considered when buying office furniture
Design
Saving in space
Appearance
Comfort of the
office worker
Capital quality
Durability
Fire risk
Weight
Hygiene
Safety

61. Desk Materials
1. Wood
2. Metal
3. Fibreglass
Types of desks
1. Executive desks
2. Special purpose
furniture
3. Built-in
furniture
4. General clerical
desks
5. Modular desks

62. Meaning of 5S
Seiri – Sorting Out
Seiton - Systematic
Seiso – Spic and Span
Seiketsu - Standardizing
Shitsuke – Self-discipline

63. Benefits of 5S System
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Improved quality
Achieve work standardization
Decreased changeover time
Improved safety
Reduced storage costs
Reduced cycle time
Reduced machine down time
Boost employee morale as well as work environment
Helps to quickly identify the root cause of a problem.
Helps to determine the relationship between root
causes of a problem.
11. Can be learned quickly and does not require statistical
analysis to be used.

64. Cost saving
1. 5S reduces the wastages of tools and materials.
2. It cuts down time spent for ordering and saves
time for productive works; 5S is also time keeper.
3. It can be reduced production time and prevent late
delivery.
4. It contributes positively to safety.
5. It establishes spacious, comfortable and visually
excellent work place.
6. It requires faithful compliance to ruling.
7. Passage ways are clearly defined, preventing
disorderliness of flow.

65. Standardization
1. It requires everyone to follow procedure
ruling to execute his duty.
2. It makes procedure clear.
3. 5S standardization stabilizes process work,
quality and cost.
4. It promotes work satisfaction and work
moral.
5. It provides a clean, bright work environment.