How to Plan An Office Space – help with layouts and terms explained

Office planning is alien to most people, as it's a very specific requirement and usually involves certain people in the business to understand.  However, there are occasions where office managers or admin assistants are being tasked with managing new office moves or redesigns to cut project cost.  With this in mind we have a closer look at How To Plan An Office Space and answer some of the most common questions;

What is a office planning?

Office planning is the process of designing and arranging the office space – helping to set out the office layout for the benefit of an organisation. Office plans are produced prior to refurbishment, relocation or office fit-out programmes, to help organisations plan out the location of workspaces, furniture and equipment, in an effort to maximise efficiency, productivity and communication.

What is a space plan?

In office planning, a space plan sets out how each area of the office will be laid out, how people will use that space and the kinds of activities that will take place in each area. It will also define how people move through the office environment – helping to inform the positioning of furniture, equipment and workstations in the process.

What is meant by layout of an office?

Office layout is a term used to describe the arrangement of office equipment and furniture within the available office space. When creating an office layout – the idea is to arrange the space and the items within it in such a way that the personnel (and organisation as a whole) can operate at maximum efficiency.

What is JDA space planning?

JDA space planning describes the process of using Category Management software and solutions from JDA (an American consultancy company) to support the space planning process. Designed for the retail environment, it uses analytics and insights about customer shopping behaviour to help businesses to develop spaces that boost in-store sales and profitability.

What is the meaning of JDA?

JDA is an American software and consultancy company, specialising in supply chain management, manufacturing planning, retail planning, store operations and category management solutions. It produces a range of software packages and solutions, designed primarily for the retail sector. The initials stand for James Donald Armstrong, the founder of the company.

What is the layout of the store?

In the retail environment, store layout refers to the interior arrangement of the store. How a store is laid out, in terms of the floor space, merchandising and tills has a big influence on shoppers – affecting customer numbers, perceptions, flow and purchasing behaviour. Taking steps to optimise the layout of the store will help to improve sales and drive profitability.

What is a cellular office layout?

A cellular office layout is one which utilises multiple, separate offices (or ‘cells’) as part of the design. It’s the opposite of an open plan office, where all the personnel share the same space. In a cellular office, different departments or individuals will each have their own defined office spaces or rooms, clearly separated by doors.

What is a test fit?

A test fit is a floorplan used to confirm that all the requirements and needs of a layout can be properly accommodated within a given space. It’s done early on in the project planning process, to ensure that all the offices, rooms, furniture, workstations and equipment required by your organisation will fit into the space you have.

What is macro space planning?

In the retail environment, macro space planning refers to the floor planning of the store. It covers the positioning and allocation of different product categories within the shop. Micro space planning refers to shelf planning – how sub-categories and individual products fit within the shelves and wider categories in a store.

What is b1 use?

B1 is a category within the ‘Use Classes’ of The Town and Country Planning Order 1987. Buildings or land categorised as B1 use can be used as offices (other than financial and professional services), for the research and development of products and processes, and for light industry appropriate in a residential area.

What is sui generis planning?

‘Sui generis’ is a Latin term meaning ‘of its own kind’. It’s a term used to describe buildings that do not fall into any of the traditional Town and Country Planning categories – such as theatres, petrol stations, scrap yards, nightclubs, laundrettes, taxi businesses, betting shops and casinos. Changing use either to or from a ‘sui generis’ usage will require planning permission.