The environment of your office can considerably influence your business’s overall productivity and ultimately its long term success. This will include the competency of your office equipment, which affects overheads and your company’s carbon emissions.

If you wish to improve the efficiency of your office space and streamline business critical workflows then here are some useful tips to get you started.

Strategic office lighting

It is said that lighting accounts for almost 50 per cent of the total electricity used in offices. However, recent developments in lighting technology, combined with a stringent in-house lighting control policy can result in greatly reduced overheads. It may be an idea to install a lighting system that switches off the majority of lights when spaces are likely to be empty i.e. before and after office hours and during lunchtime and break periods.

The provision of energy saving with office lighting should actively involve staff members. Without their co-operation, any new control strategy implemented would be unsuccessful.

A paperless office

Admittedly an ambitious task for most small businesses, but reducing the amount of paper within the workplace is a sure-fire way of reducing a firm’s impact on the wider environment. By implementing an electronic document management solution, it is possible to scan and store files digitally on a server that is regularly backed up – eliminating the need to pay for file storage space and reducing the need for hefty archives and filing cabinets within the office.

Employees will also be encouraged to print less and save files to the server instead of printing them. The production and management of documentation is critical. Procuring equipment and consumables into an all-inclusive offering makes perfect sense. Comprehensive managed print services can provide optimal technology with unrivaled support and service from end-to-end.

Turning to the cloud

Even the biggest corporations and businesses are increasingly turning to cloud-based systems to enhance everyday processes. Working ‘in the cloud’ means that businesses do not have to house servers with dozens of software programmes and sensitive documentation on-site. Off-site technology solutions are available to help small businesses and start-ups to operate more efficiently without hiring additional staff or buying expensive equipment.

Video conferencing

Meetings with existing and potential clients in other parts of the country – and sometimes the world – can take up a considerable amount of time and money. When you consider the expenses in traveling to and from meetings, possible food and drink – not to mention time lost in productivity – it all adds up at the end of the month. That’s why many firms are fast switching over to video conferencing to reduce overheads. All you need is a quiet meeting space, a reliable internet connection and software and you can carry out a round-table meeting using VoIP (Voice over IP) that saves money and is a lot easier to schedule.

Employee awareness

Engaging your employees in energy efficiency and carbon reduction is the only way to evolve attitudes and behavior in the workplace. In order to avoid unnecessary energy consumption and to reduce overall carbon emissions why not create an internal campaign to raise awareness and help your staff play a part in achieving your low-carbon ambitions that will have a positive impact on the bottom line.

Even if you feel your business is already running with good efficiency, there is always room for improvement, take balreed.com for example, they offer fantastic print solutions that will help your business going forward. Never stand still; always be prepared to make tweaks and adjustments to the existing system you already have in place.