Eight Office Organisation and Storage Ideas to Get More Done

Have you looked around the office lately? What do you see? Is the office a tidy, pleasant space where everyone is highly productive? Or is the space filled with dust, clutter, and more? If your office looks like the latter, then it’s time to get to work cleaning and organising the office!

Does it really matter if an office is a little untidy? Actually, yes, it does!

In this article, we’ll share some tips on how to organise your office. We’ll even share some creative storage ideas to keep your office organised!

Storage and Organisation Tips to Improve an Office Space

Cleaning and organising your office doesn’t have to take up a lot of time. On the contrary, it can be done if everyone pitches in to help. The entire process can be done quickly! Here are some organisation and storage tips to get you started!

1). Declutter the Office

Before the cleaning even starts, it’s essential to declutter the entire office. This means that all surfaces, including desks, need to be completely cleared off. Some companies find decluttering once a week is best, while others set up a monthly decluttering schedule. Find what works best for you and your employees, and then stick with the routine.

All surfaces (including desks), drawers, storage cabinets, and more should be completely cleaned out (if possible). This may not be possible with the files; however, it should at least be done with each employee’s workspace.

This is also a great time to check office equipment to ensure it’s clean and running correctly. If anything is broken, get it fixed as soon as possible.

2). Put Everything Away

Each day, make it a point to put everything away. If something isn’t where it should be, then it should be put away in the right area.

Putting everything away also means clearing out non-essential items from desks and other surfaces. Ensure there are storage places for items that are not used every day.

When this process is completed every day, it’s easy and fast to straighten up the office every day.

3). Get Things Off the Floor

There are times when employees may not have the space they need, which leads them to begin storing things on the floor. If your office has this problem, then consider investing in shelving units and bookcases near workspaces.

Another great option is vertical storage solutions. Vertical storage uses space that’s usually empty and provides employees with a place to keep their files and more at eye level and off the floor.

4). Create Activity Centres

Activity centres are based on specific activities that are done on a regular basis. The idea is to keep all the tools and supplies for a specific activity in one area. Doing so cuts down on time wasted searching for necessary tools and more.

For instance, shipping products out to customers; keep all shipping tools and supplies in one area. This will help employees work better without wasting time. It will also increase their productivity.

Another example is creating an activity centre for reference materials. These may include manuals and other types of references. Keeping them all in one place makes it easy to find the material when it’s needed.

Activity centres can be set up with different types of storage furniture. This can include shelves, hutches on desks (to organise smaller items), and more.

5). File, Scan & Shred

Some employees may have a habit of using the top of their desk for “filing” important documents. This is the perfect scenario to lose crucial documents of all types!

Instead, develop a policy that encourages employees to file documents quickly. Make sure they have the right space to store these documents correctly.

Another option is to create a digital document management system for your office. The company then has a central repository for all essential documents, and the documents are available when needed. Scanning documents right away and filing them in this manner cuts down on clutter. When documents have been scanned, they can be shredded and discarded, or even recycled.

6). Create a Folder for Everything

Whether you choose to use a traditional filing system or create a digital document management system, creating a folding for everything can help.

All folders must be labeled correctly and then stored in the proper place. This is the way to keep everything organised.

If you choose a traditional filing system, you can use hanging folders and inner manila folders. Both need to be labeled. Use the hanging folder as the “placeholder” in the filing cabinet and use the inner manila folder to pull as needed. Using this system means there’s always a placeholder file, which makes it easy and fast to refile the manila folder in the right place.

7). Wrap All Cords

Nothing is messier in an office than seeing cords of various types snaking across the office floor! The cords come from a variety of office equipment such as computers, printers, and more. Not only are the sprawling cords messy, but they’re also a hazard. Someone could trip on the cords and be injured!

To make the office look less messy (and to improve safety), consider organising and wrapping office cables and cords. This can easily and inexpensively be done with twist ties, cord covers, or even zip ties. While you’re at it, now is the perfect time to label all the cords, too! Then it’s faster and easier to find the right cords when it’s time to move or disconnect a piece of equipment.

8). Use Whiteboards or Cork Boards

Some employees love nothing better than making notes on sticky notes. While sticky notes can be helpful, they can make the office look quite messy. For this reason, it can be helpful to use whiteboards or cork boards at each workstation.

Whiteboards & cork boards can be used to track to-do lists, checklists or even to have a meaningful photo of loved ones nearby. Sticky notes are still useful, but having a place to organise notes makes the employee’s workspace more organised.

Summing It up

These are just a few ideas to get you and your employees started with clearing up and organising the office. The key is to find what works and then stick with it.

While the initial cleaning and organising process may not be easy, everyone benefits in the long run. Employees will find they have more time for essential tasks rather than lost productivity looking for documents and supplies!