7 Top tips for banishing unproductive clutter in the office

From over-flowing filing cabinets to jam packed cupboards and cluttered desks,

is your office suffering a storage disaster?

Did you know the average person can waste up to 4.3 hours a week looking for papers due to a disorganised office? This could have a real financial impact on businesses as it reduces concentration and creative thinking.

Banish distracting clutter and promote a more productive office with these 7 top tips for creating the perfect organised office solutions.

1. Think about how you use your space to create storage that works

Make sure that filing solutions are built in around how you use the office. The National Association of Professional Organisers (NAPO) found that disorganisation can lead to financial losses equivalent to 10% of a manager’s salary.

So, look at ways to organise your office which promotes productivity. For example, keep filing cabinets for invoicing near accounts and paper stored near the printer. Keeping storage solutions logical to the areas that they are needed makes things easier to find and easier to tidy away. It may seem simple but NAPO has found that 80% of clutter is due to disorganisation rather than a lack of space so relook at how the office works. Ask yourself: have things changed and do you need to reorganise to make life simpler?

If you have a table top printer is there a storage unit below for paper and ink supplies? Is the stationery cupboard centrally located and neatly organised? Does each desk have enough drawer and filing space to keep things organised? The simpler the solutions the better.

2. Desk top tidies to stop stationery getting lost in the clutter

Keep stationery organised and don’t leave pens floating around the office. Personal desk tidies are a great way of making sure that pens, pencils, scissors and rulers are where you can reach them when you need them. Keeping everything organised saves stationery getting lost in paperwork or stuck at the back of a drawer.

3. Find every item its own place

Storage comes in all shapes and sizes from floor to ceiling storage cupboards to filing cabinets and desk drawers. When you are designing or updating your office make sure that you think about where documents and stationery items will be stored so that you aren’t left with rogue items piling up as it has nowhere to go.

Storage can be introduced into all kinds of areas from built in desk drawers to under desk cabinets or filing cabinets, providing space saving solutions. Make a list of all the documents, items, equipment and stationery you need in the office and make sure when you design your space you create suitable storage for each item.

4. Order stok as you need it

Boxes of paper, folders and stationery take up a lot of room. If you are short of space and don’t have the room for larger deliveries then try to keep stockpiling to a minimum.

Piles of boxes around the office can be a trip hazard and create a messy work environment. Maximise storage solutions where items can be filed behind a closed door to keep them looking neat and tidy and avoid trip hazards.

Boxes stored in corridors or offices risk not only being a hazard to others but can also get damaged. If you want your paper free from coffee spills and tears order as and when needed rather than stockpiling.

Services like LG Davis’ Stock and Deliver (link to area on site) mean you can bulk buy items and only get them delivered when needed avoiding mammoth delivery runs.

5. Review paperwork regularly

Don’t leave drawers bulging with unused paperwork. Take 5 minutes a day to file paperwork in its proper place or have a set time each week where everyone takes a few minutes to review their paperwork and keep on top of it.

Shredders are an invaluable asset in a modern office. For GDPR compliance you shouldn’t keep information any longer than needed so it is important that you dispose of documents in a timely fashion and don’t have them piled up around the office.

Having a set time to regularly review paperwork is a great way of shredding sensitive information that is no longer required and making sure that information is easily accessible when needed.

6. Filing solutions to keep projects organised

At the end of the day most people have a pile of paperwork to still go through or that they need to hand for the next day. There are lots of innovative ways that you can create ways to store these documents. From magazine holders and filing trays on the edge of the desk to lever arch files and document wallets. You could even have mini filing cabinets either built in or stored under the desk. Find a way which works for your business and helps staff to keep paperwork they are working on filed away at the end of each day creating a tidy desk policy.

It isn’t only a matter of keeping your desk free from clutter but prevents important documents being lost and sensitive information being left lying about.

7. Don’t let rubbish overflow

Make sure bins are emptied regularly so they don’t over fill. Recycling bins and rubbish bins should be easily accessible so that staff can get rid of rubbish throughout the day and it doesn’t keep piling up on their desk. Break out rooms and kitchens should also have suitable rubbish bins that are regularly cleaned and emptied. Nobody wants to see an over spilling bin with empty packets and drink cans creating a mountain of teetering rubbish.

By the printer do you have a wastepaper store so that paper can be reused and recycled instead of thrown?

In the office does every desk have a small bin accessible for rubbish?

The quickest way to keep desks free from clutter is to provide enough ways to get rid of that rubbish.

Working in a clean and tidy office environment is proven to help increase focus and improve productivity by cutting down on time lost looking for documents.

How can you get the most out of your office storage?

LG Davis offers office furniture solutions for all your storage issues. Why not have a look at our catalogue

or talk to one of our sales team on 0121 430 9000 about how we can help get your office in order.