Open Work Spaces Vs. Closed Cabin Work Spaces

To run any business progressively; efficient and well-organized delivery of work is extremely important. For that matter, working setup of the company holds a great deal of significance, as it facilitates smooth and competent work flow in future. Open work spaces and closed cabins are two major systems available to set up a working area. To understand the differences and advantages of both systems, here is a thorough analysis of the two.

Open Office System

Advantages                                                                

1. Improved Communication

It's really easy to exchange ideas and mingle in such working spaces.

2. Easy to Supervise

Having all the employees under one roof in a wall free space becomes very easy for a supervisor to keep an eye on every employee. Such layouts are typically well suited for call centers and KPO's. Wall free spaces like the ones we see in KPO's and call centers are easier to supervise.

3. Perfect for Group Projects

With easy intermingling opportunities and hassle free communication, open-work space suits best for businesses that work on group projects. In addition to that, open-work space enhances team work, allows openness and promotes discussion. This would also be a perfect environment for smaller teams that require communicating more frequently like a start-up.

4. Change of Set up is trouble-free

Alternation of current set up is way easier in a wall-free space. It is easier to re-model when the need to expand work force and working space arises in the future. Layouts can be changed as per the changing dynamics of various teams.

Disadvantages

1. Lack of Privacy

First and foremost, unavailability of private working space and satisfaction of a personalized space is the major disadvantage of open work space. It affects their concentration of tasks, their creativity and eventually productivity.

2. Unrecognizable Individual Creativity

It is quite possible that the employer may overlook individual style of organization, management, and completion of the tasks by a particular individual in an open-work space. It might happen that comparatively more skilled and competitive person remain overlooked. In other cases, such spaces are not helpful in differentiating particular style of working by all the employees. This is a really harsh setback for the company owner, especially if you want to increase productivity.

3. Noisy Environment

With the lack of walls, open space layout can easily become noisy or in some cases chaotic. While it could happen that employees might have some personal conversations at times, the work space might become noisy and unsuitable for productive work.

4. Loss of Concentration

In open-work space, it is very easy to get distracted and lose your concentration from work. Completion of a particular task in a specified time becomes exceedingly challenging and quality of  work could be hampered.

5. Excessive Expenditure in Acoustic Planning

Building a proper work space is a long-term investment, and if you plan to have an open space layout then specific construction techniques have to be put to effect to make the office externally and internally noise free. Such techniques cost a handsome amount of money.

6. Unmanageable Security

In an open space layout, management of security level is very tricky and unwanted situations may take place. On the contrary, personal cabins can be locked easily.

7. Easy Spread of Infections

In an open working space, it is extremely difficult, rather impossible to safeguard each and every employee from infectious diseases. The most common case is the flu. In such cases, sickness spread at an exceedingly high rate. The presence of unavoidable sickness occurring circumstances is one of the main reasons for open space's unpopularity.  

Closed Cabin layout

Advantages

1. Privacy

Having personal space is the basic advantage of having closed cabin set up over open-work space. It gives full opportunity for working employees to work with undisturbed concentration.

2. Executive Status

In many offices cabins are exclusively assigned to specific posts. So, giving a personal cabin on promotion symbolizes faith and confidence of the company on a hard working employee. It also gives an executive status to him/her. It raises the effort level of juniors to aspire and work hard to reach an executive level.

3. Clean Communication lines

Cabin layouts offer a clear communication chain by demarcating layouts for different departments and supervisors. If used effectively, a cabin layout can set boundaries of communication as well as boundary-less communicating environment as per ones liking or kind of business.  

Disadvantages

1. Legislative Requirements

Many countries require pre-approval for closed cabin layouts. There is a set of fire safety regulations that need to be followed while planning this design in the office as precautionary measures.

2. Less Supervision

Working unsupervised in closed cabins may result in less productivity and delayed submission of projects.

3. Expensive

Making separate working spaces is surely uneconomical and would cost a lot to the company.

4. Time-Consuming Process

Complete structural organization of closed cabin layout is a lengthy and time taking process.

5. Difficulty in Alteration of Set up

It is very complicated in closed cabin systems to make changes for the future. In that way it is not feasible for future expansion of work force or space. So unless the company structure is fixed or growth is planned, this layout is not suitable for growing companies.  

Summary

Both cabin style and open spaced working arrangements have their own pros and cons. But, eventually, it comes to your own customized way of planning your business. Take dealings of a software house as an example, where group projects are a norm, there constant communication among your employees is extremely necessary to complete the task efficiently, for that open work space is the best option. Moreover, in offices, where the workforce is more than the available area, opting for open space layout is the best plan to go for. Open space layout is also suitable for factories where a bulk of similar work is executed by dozens of workers at the same time. Setting up a large working space for a huge number of employees for a factory can best be organized in open space arrangement. On the Contrary, if you need some creative, thought processing or artistic work done that needs your full concentration and undisturbed focus, then cabins are a must have. For most businesses, a combination of an Open and Closed cabin space works well wherein a balanced approach to both the options can be achieved based on the structure of the teams and the management hierarchy. This article is brought to you by SupplyVan.com.  https://www.SupplyVan.com . Middle-East’s one stop destination for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul products for Industries, Factories, Workshops, Offices or any kind of businesses.