A brief introduction to Activity Based Workplaces (ABW) and how the physical environment promotes productivity.

1. The #1 Office Design Trend
to Achieve Maximum
Productivity

2. The #1 Office Design Trend to Achieve
Maximum Productivity
D+B Group Design-Build
No matter the size of your office or your plans for future growth, increasing productivity is the goal of every
business owner and manager. But maximizing productivity is an inexact, and relatively new, science. After all,
people aren’t machines, as Henry Ford discovered in the 1920s.
One of the results of Ford’s efficiency studies was the assembly line; the other innovation was the 40-hour
work week. Both revolutionized the way the world worked. Instead of assuming more time meant more
productivity, business owners realized that efficiency increased when employees had time to recharge. With
that understanding came a shift in focus from how long a person worked to optimizing the quality and quanti-
ty of their work. This, along with technological advancements, has resulted in employees having more freedom
to choose how, when, and where they work.
How Activity-Based Working Works
Today, efficiency and productivity experts agree that getting the best work out of employees requires a
multi-faceted approach that addresses engagement, company culture, health, collaboration, and focus. In
addition to improving management strategy and updating technological solutions, innovative dental office
design may be able to further boost productivity by incorporating activity-based working into their offices.
Like Henry Ford’s assembly line, activity-based working is predicated on the idea of one specific task being
performed at one specific station. In an office, each space has a designated function, and while there is some
intermixing, in general, you enter a designated area to do one type of task. In the ABW model, employees
don’t have their own workstations, which can be a tough sell. However, the benefits are compelling enough to
warrant sacrificing personal desks.
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3. The physical action of going somewhere to perform a specific task has been proven to help increase
focus, which means employees waste less time and get more done.
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Mobility is healthy. Getting up from a seated position regularly has been shown to improve overall
health and increase energy.
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Cubicles take up valuable real estate, and typical office layouts often have a number of unoccupied
workstations at any given time (sometimes as much as 50%). With ABW, you don’t need a workpoint
for every staff member, which means you can reduce office space by as much as 30%.
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If you include a work-from-home option, studies show that people who work from home actually
work more hours than those who only work in the office.
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In many ABW models, employees check out a laptop for the day, giving them total flexibility over
where and how to work, including treadmill stations, quiet spaces, comfortable couches, or team
tables. Empowering employees to have control over their work environments throughout the day
has been proven to increase engagement and improve productivity, since they can choose the
places in which they work best.
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5 Benefits
of Activity-Based Working

4. Activity-Based Working can be adopted in almost any business, even in office design. The core principle remains
the same: Having the right space for the right task. However, you also need to take into account individual prefer-
ence and the role each employee has within the company. One reason why open concept offices tend to fail is
that they present a single work solution, which rarely works equally well for everyone. Activity-based working
includes many of the benefits of the open-concept office without their significant downsides.
One common criticism common to both open-concept and activity-based working is that employees lose their
personal workstations and lose a sense of control. However, most employees don’t get to choose their cubicle or
office location or layout. By trading the cubicle or office for ABW, each employee can choose the type of environ-
ment in which they can best do the task at hand, such as:
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Private work areas – When privacy and quiet are vital to getting the job done, employees can choose
workstations with varying levels of privacy. These may include traditional offices with four walls and a
door, “quiet” cubicles, or small-group workstations with two to four chairs for highly-focused meetings.
Breakout spaces – Small, informal, collaborative meeting areas, or “huddle spots,” that allow employ-
ees to gather together for impromptu meetings, brainstorming sessions, conversations, and team-
work. These are hubs for collaboration.
Community areas – If one of your company goals is to promote inter-departmental communication
and collaboration, you’ll need a place that brings everyone together. These social areas should
encourage people to relax and allow social connections to form in a fun environment.
An Office Plan
that Supports Individuality

5. Depending on the nature of their tasks, employees
may do better when given the space, peace and quiet
needed to concentrate, or they may do better working
alongside team members or work buddies. By supply-
ing multiple work environments, ABW seeks to support
individual choice of how and where to work.
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How Breakout Spaces Boost Productivity
The effects of breakout areas in office design are under-examined, but a few benefits stand out immediately.
Giving staff a place away from their desks to chat, eat their lunch, or hold informal meetings
works nicely with state laws that require rest breaks
Breakout spaces encourage employees to get up from their desks and move, while still being
productive, which improves energy, moral, and health.
Breakout areas are also efficient uses of space, unlike meeting rooms which serve limited
functions and are rarely filled eight-hours a day.
How Activity-Based Working Works
One slightly different approach to the Breakout Space and Community Area concepts is The Central Zone
– a large area, typically in the middle of the office, that is a center for communication, brainstorming, large and
small meetings, or just gathering together with a few key team members to work on a project face-to-face. The
Central Zone could be set up like coffee shop, feature standing workstations, include picnic-style tables or
diner-style booths for larger gatherings, or anything else. It’s a chance to feature your company culture and
give it a vibrant heart – all while making communication easier.

6. 05
An Office Plan that Supports Individual Goals
Numerous employee engagement studies have shown that when managers and companies align themselves
with their employees’ goals, employees return that investment by aligning with their companies’ goals. The
result is increased productivity, company loyalty, reduced turnover and greater morale. One goal most employ-
ees have is to be more physically active throughout the day, which activity-based working can support with
customizable workstations and walking workstations.
Customizable workstations bring ergonomic workstations to the next level. Some people are more comfortable
sitting; some people want to be on their feet all the time. Most people appreciate both. Workstations that are
height-adjustable allow employees to choose what suits them best that day, that hour, or for a specific task.
Walking workstations in which laptop desks are combined with treadmills share the benefits of adjustable
workstations, increasing energy and reducing health risks.
Whichever type of workstation or office design you choose, be aware that the overarching trend in office design
is to create more personalized work experiences. We expect that trend to continue for years to come.
Benefits of Adjustable Workstations
Studies have shown that spending more time standing during the day may reduce the risk of
obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even cancer.
FF Venture Capital outfitted its meeting rooms with standing desks because they saw that
standing lead to more active, creative meetings.
Facebook says their standing desks help keep energy high in their office.

7. Are You Ready
for Maximum Productivity?
While no single design is right for every office, understanding how different options can help employees
increase focus, engagement, collaboration, and productivity is the first step towards choosing the best
office design solution for your business. Where we work influences how we work, and how well we work.
Let’s work together to make your office work for you.
D+B Group offers an experienced team of designers who specialize in custom office designs
created to improve efficiency and productivity.
Call D+B Group today for a consultation on your project.
Simpler.Smarter.Design.Build
503-232-1974 www.dandbgroup.com