Overcrowded workplace?

Do you work in an office that is bursting at the seams with people and equipment? Here are some suggestions to handle the clutter:

1. Evaluate whether you have put enough thought into the placement of new equipment and furniture. It’s easy to keep adding people and equipment and furniture. So, it is common to just put these things wherever space is available. This may mean you are not making the best use of available space. Sketch the work area on a piece of paper, then use sticky notes to represent each desk, filing cabinet and other pieces of equipment. Arrange the items on your piece of paper to come up with a plan for equipment and people.
2. Look at all the equipment and furniture to see what can be stacked or eliminated. Perhaps two or three people can share a filing cabinet. Maybe there can be a central project area for people to spread out when they need more space for their work.
3. Consider whether some people could work at home, even one day a week, to reduce the number of bodies competing for space in the office. That way several people can share a work station.