Tag Archives: modular office furniture

6 Ways in Which Modular Office Furniture Can Add More Value to Your Workplace

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One thing nobody likes is a dull-looking office space. Your office space will have a huge impact on your productivity which is why it is necessary to have the right decorative vibe to your office. Buying the right furniture not only adds a certain warmth but also makes you feel good mentally which in turn helps you boost your productivity. Buying modular office furniture is the easiest option when it comes to your furniture needs.

So, what exactly is modular office furniture? It is basically furniture that can be used individually or in permutations and combinations according to your needs. The biggest advantage of modular office furniture is that it is easy to move around and is flexible to fit in all kinds of decors. Also, with modular furniture, the installation process is considerably shorter and helps you save money as well as time.

Here are some features of Modular Office Furniture:

1. Easily adjustable

As they say, change is the only constant and surely each of you must have wished furniture could be re-arranged occasionally according to need. The good news is modular office furniture can be easily switched to accommodate the latest furniture designs that you might plan to purchase in the future.

2. Variety

The best part about this furniture is that it comes in a variety of selections such as office chairs, lounge chairs & center tables with a wide gamut of colors & designs which makes it easy for you to choose from a variety of furniture.

3. Can be placed anywhere

Since modular furniture can be re-arranged, it can be moved anywhere to your convenience to create a multi-purpose work environment and switch back to the status quo with ease.

4. Space Saver

Modular office furniture can be used effectively to maximize the usage of your office space & some pieces of furniture also have the option of nesting them against the wall when not in use. Saving you a lot of space.

5. Attractive to the eye

Modular furniture is that it comes in a variety of new designs & colors and can easily make any office space look more elegant and livelier. Also, you can order online office furniture through various web platforms.

6. Environment Friendly

Along with great usability & convenience, modular furniture also offers some significant environmental benefits as the raw materials used to make this furniture are re-usable and dust-free to install.

In conclusion, modular office furniture definitely has a lot of advantages over regular furniture and is already becoming popular among office owners. HNI India is one of the largest workplace furnishings manufacturers in the world and a leading seating solution provider with over 350,000 sq. ft. dedicated to a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Nagpur. Redecoration on your mind? Reach out to us at: www.hni-india.com

Is Hybrid Working here to stay?

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As the after effects of pandemic begin to fade and humans start buzzing around offices again, several organizations around the world are considering a hybrid work model as the optimal solution for their businesses. Work-from-home (WFH) culture undeniably served as the contingency plan for companies to counter the pandemic blow. Emerged as a temporary arrangement during the outbreak, today it’s shaping the future of corporate working style. All major companies are considering a hybrid work model to reap the benefits of both worlds — working from office and work-from-home. Although the new approach seems promising it’s still in the nascent stage and needs proper evaluations and preparedness to transform into the mainstream working model. To understand the core value of the hybrid work principle, let’s dive a little deeper!

Understanding hybrid working model

Hybrid working is a location-flexible working model that provides employees with the opportunity to enjoy a mix of remote & office working style. It facilitates working across different workspaces including corporate offices, co-working areas and homes.

Different organizations may adopt unique hybrid models that best suit their businesses. A typical hybrid model may include the onsite presence of a core group where others are free to come and go, depending upon their specific project demands.

While arrangements may vary (same employees may be deputed onsite, or it could be different people on different days/times), the central idea remains the same – facilitating flexibility and convenience at work. This may go as far as including suitable working hours, ergonomic modular office furniture set up, effective communication channels and more.

The hybrid approach gives the employees a chance to strike a perfect work-life balance, paving the way for maximum job satisfaction and greater efficiency.

However, the success of a hybrid system lies in how well you reframe employee touchpoints and redefine the role of the physical workspace. When executed judiciously, this new framework can bear fruits in future in terms of improved productivity, lower costs and stronger work culture, transcending physical boundaries.

Factors that make up for an efficient hybrid work model

People, process and technology are the key drivers that define the success or failure of a business. Tailoring these essential elements is imperative to attaining optimized outcomes from a hybrid working model.

Enlisted below are some of the ways that ensure your hybrid work model doesn’t fail:

1. Make employees a part of the process:

One of the simplest ways to ensure your hybrid initiative yields results is by including employees in the Make them a part of the journey by garnering their cooperation and support. Conduct employee surveys and polls and get their views on what they feel about the hybrid system of working. This will help you take the right decisions and set concrete policies. When employees feel involved and their opinions matter, they work happy.

2. Develop your tech support:

Adequate and efficient tech support is an absolute must for a seamless workflow. A company that plans to go for a hybrid work model must zero in on building friction-free and agile technical support procedures. For instance, selecting a suitable remote monitoring management tool that facilitates platform onboarding, simplifies mobile device management, etc. can make a lot of difference.

3. Remove communication barriers:

Overhauling of communication system becomes important to promote coherence in disperse and diverse teaming work culture. A paradigm shift in management style here is unavoidable. Leaders will need to adapt to newer and more effective ways of communication so that employees stay connected, motivated and productive. Be it instant messaging, video conferencing or simply transferring of files, a streamlined communication system will be the pre-requisite for a thriving hybrid work system.

4. Prioritize safety & comfort in workspace:

Create a work ambience that meets the security and comfort requirements of the employees coming back to the physical workplace. For instance, allowing only those people to offices who are fully vaccinated can be the right initiative. Also, as they will be joining the formal workflow after a long hiatus make sure to offer them the convenience of work from home. Go for top quality office furniture like the best ergonomic chair, height adjustable table and more that makes working less stressful.

5. Be upfront:

Irrespective of where your employees are working from, maintaining transparency is critical to sustained success. All working professionals, be it senior executives or new hires must have a clear idea of the specific work policies. Keep them informed of and in agreement with your hybrid work policies so that no is no room for any misunderstanding or friction.

6. Maintain right balance of work culture:

As you need to manage two distinct teams- at home employees and in-office employees, the biggest challenge in Hybrid work system is accomplishing a unified workplace culture. Meaningful collaborations from time to time can play a pivotal role in aligning employees with the company’s shared values and goals. Events such as social hours and virtual town hall meetings serve the purpose right. It allows employees and management to engage in open yet inclusive and focused interaction.

Make hybrid model work for your business

Hybrid work culture stresses on building a work environment that helps employees grow professionally as well as personally. Undoubtedly it has emerged as a practical solution to the current situation for a host of companies but the efficacy will depend on how well you plan and execute the hybrid work model.  If you’re an organization mulling over a hybrid work model, embrace innovative thinking and consider identifying solutions to potential issues before they become a reality. Being proactive and flexible is the route to attaining your goals easily!

Is Prolonged Sitting Eating You From The Inside? Switch To Height Adjustable Table

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Work is a big part of our lives, no doubt. Those with desk jobs spend about 60% of their hours sitting against the computer screen at their workplace. Even right now, you're probably reading this blog sitting in your chair. But do you know that the longer you stay put, the more anxious your body becomes until you stand up again and take it for a walk? This may sound absurd especially when our bodies seem to prefer sitting over standing.

Human body is designed to sit, stand, walk, bend… but not just to overdo any one of it!

Sure, sitting for brief periods can help us recover from stress or recuperate from a workout, but our present lifestyle makes us sit a lot more in comparison to moving around and staying active. Our bodies aren’t designed for such a sedentary lifestyle. Nature has built it to be mobile and active.

So, if every inch of the body is ready and waiting for you to move, what happens when you don't?

Several actions are taking place in your body as you move or sit, here’s a quick run through:

● A typical sitting position at your home office desk involves curved back and slumped shoulders - a position that exerts uneven pressure on your spine causing wear and tear of your spinal discs over time.

● It overworks certain ligaments and joints and puts unnecessary strain on muscles.

● A hunched back also causes your chest to cave in giving your lungs less space to expand when you breathe, limiting the oxygen supply in your blood, and causing you to feel tired & unenergetic.

● The action of sitting also squashes your delicate tissues underneath the buttocks and may even cause swelling in your limbs due to blocked nerves, arteries, and veins reducing blood flow. This is just a gist of what happens when you sit a lot.

Prolonged sitting affects not only your body but also your brain

We are often told to sit down and think. But ironically, it is better for our brain if we would stand and move around. As mentioned earlier, being stationary reduces the amount of oxygen entering your bloodstream through your lungs. Your brain requires both of those things to remain alert, otherwise, your concentration levels will most likely dip as your brain activity slows.

Does investing in an adjustable desk pay off?

While being active has no alternative, the closest you can get to it is by using a height-adjustable work desk. An ergonomically designed furniture supports posture better, is more comfortable, reduces the strain on the spine, and also lowers the risk of neck problems. Relief from Static Muscle Fatigue may only be achieved through muscle movement. A desk that allows you to alternate between sitting and standing position, a desk that can be of height adjustable along with memorizing the data can be achieved through a height adjustable desk. Standing improves energy and mood, which means an adjustable standing desk can also significantly improve productivity. The benefits of using a height adjustable table will be visible both immediately and in the long run. Some might find it an expensive choice, but the money that you spend on your own health and well-being is always an investment that pays off! HNI India is a premium office furniture company providing ergonomic solutions such as modular office furniture, office chairs, and tables at not so premium prices. Do visit HNI India estore where you can select from a range of our hand-picked work from home furniture collections including the height adjustable table.

In fact, now that the blog’s almost over, why not stand up and stretch right now? So that your body will thank you later!

Considering Human Anthropometrics in Office Furniture Design

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Ergonomics and anthropometry are two sides of the same coin. Intrinsically integrated, each principle supports the idea of creating comfortable and healthy work environment that promote over all well-being. While most of us are familiar with ergonomics, anthropometrics is a more novel term that many may not be aware of.

Anthropometrics is the study that deals with human body dimensions like body size, shape, strength, and working capacity for design purposes and physical fitness. Ergonomics, on the other hand, is the scientific principle that emphasizes on designing products and systems that are compatible with the needs and limitations of the people.

Ergonomic experts and office furniture manufacturers rely on anthropometric details for designing and producing furniture that precisely meet individual user requirements and improve user experience. All in all, with anthropometry, the application of ergonomics in the manufacture of furniture can be easily achieved.

Why do we require considering anthropometrics while designing furniture?

When you opt for a furniture piece, it’s hardly meant to be used by a single individual. Hence, most furniture must accommodate the variations of a wide range of end users. In fact, this is one of the reasons why furniture with intuitive designs like ergonomic chair and height adjustable tables are high in demand.

Besides age and gender, disparities in physical attributes also arise due diverse regional population groups. For instance, people living in Netherlands tend to be taller than those living in Asian countries. Now these differences come in the way of designing standard size furniture that fits the majority.

The gap created due to the unavoidable factors can be bridged with the help of anthropometric data. Based on the anthropometric details of a region, it’s convenient to determine the upper and lower limits for the range of adjustments. Be it an ergonomic chair or office table, anthropometry can be instrumental in determining suitable seat height, seat depth, seat width, backrest height (upper), armrest and desk height for varied classes of people

How is the measurement done? 

Different tools and methods are employed to record the anthropometric details. While a beam caliper, spreading caliper and the sliding caliper are the traditional instruments used for recording the body measurements, photometry, stereo photography, videography, motion capture and 3D scanning are the modern methods paving way for more accurate readings.

Heights from the floor, assorted circumferences, body breadths, and depths form the key elements of anthropometric data. Respective subjects are palpated in order to locate specific landmarks on their body. Measurements between landmarks are taken in various positions, usually standing and sitting, but sometimes prone or supine may also be required.

Percentiles in anthropometric measurements

Anthropometric dimensions for each population are ranked by size and are described as percentiles. It is common practice to design for the 5th percentile (5th %) female to the 95th percentile (95th%) male. The 5th% female value for a particular dimension (e.g. sitting height) usually represents the smallest measurement for design in a population. Conversely, a 95th% male value may represent the largest dimension for which one is designing. The 5th% to 95th% range accommodates approximately 90% of the population. To design for a larger portion of the population, one might use the range from the 1st% female to the 99th% male.

How to choose furniture that is right for India?

Most of the furniture brands offer range that are based on international measurements and hence are not fit for Indian body type. However, the long wait for right furniture is now over.

At HNI, we focus on ergonomic needs that are derived from Indian anthropometric data.  If looking for top-grade modular office furniture that could complement Indian standard types, then HNI is the perfect destination to head for. Offering a new standard in seating comfort, we have come up with an ideal solution that’s elegant, cost effective and just right for you!

Cut Your Anxiety and Be at Your Productive Best Using These Workplace Tips

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It’s normal for any person to experience work stress at some point in time. Whether it’s about meeting deadlines or resolving project issues at critical stage, work related stress can leave you unnerved. Studies show that excess stress can have significant impact on your physical health. Headaches, high blood pressure, trouble sleeping and mood disorders leading to anxiety and depression are just to name some. In such a scenario even the most personalized work-from-home set up including your comfy home office furniture can fail to offer the desired solace.

Ongoing-stress can also take a toll on your professional as well as personal life. Reduced work quality, deteriorating relations at personal and professional level, lack of motivation and concentration, all can throw you off balance. If you are experiencing stress or anxiety at work, do not overlook it. Instead, try to figure out the root cause and adopt effective strategies to weight it down. Easier said than done, right?

Well, here are some tried and true methods that will guide you to relieve stress at work – so you can bounce back.

• De-clutter Your Workspace

Do you have mounds of files and papers strewn around your desk or walls that are too heavily hung with picture and artwork? Well, you really need to rethink about your work space. Clutter has way of diverting attention and causing confusion. The more things you see, the more distracted you can get from work. Going minimal is the key. Take time to de-clutter your office workstation. Identify the items you use routinely and place them within your reach. Rest you can put in a drawer or some other space on your desk. Also, check if your modular office furniture arrangement supports ingress of natural light. With a cleaner and well-organized workspace, you will feel more put together and motivated.

• Create a comfortable workspace

Being locked to the screen for long periods of time, especially when you’re not positioned properly, can be detrimental to your body muscles and joints. Create a healthy work space with right furniture that supports you. Invest in best ergonomic chair to avoid working at uncomfortable position. HNI India offers a wide range of ergonomic chairs that are primed to help you maintain right posture and feel relaxed. You must give it a try! Remember, ergonomic seating is not a luxury but a necessity. Also, staying active is important. Stretch a little before sitting down, go for a mid-task walk, stand every thirty minutes/hour and even consider investing in a movable desk where you can arrange the height to stand or sit.

• Adopt practical approach to fulfill your commitments

It’s good to be career-driven and goal oriented but don’t buckle under the strain of long term commitments. If you are too stressed about future to-do list instead of focusing on present task, you might find yourself stuck. Try to shift your focus to short term task list. If you have a major project to handle, break it into smaller tasks and tackle each, one at a time. Learn to prioritize and delegate responsibility. This will help you stay de-stressed and attain your objectives positively.

• Comparison can hold you back:

It’s human nature to compare ourselves to others, but doing it in a way that makes you feel insecure and stressed out can get you into a vicious trap. There will always be people around you performing better or appear to be more together. Don’t strain yourself trying to keep up with them. You can’t be that person and it’s just fine. Avoid negative comparison to others in the workplace. Instead focus on your strengths, development and performance to secure personal success.

• Add a little privacy to your workday:

Working remotely poses challenge in establishing a personal workspace that fosters productivity, creativity and connection. If you are sharing your office space with your roommate/partner or your children are cause of distraction, then getting that professional feel of office workstation is difficult to achieve. However, you should not let these factors hinder your work. All you need to do is systematize things a bit- align space and time that suits you best. For instance, you can choose to work early morning when there is least distraction or place a sign of I’m busy on the door when attending an important meeting. You may even re-arrange your furniture or order an item that can help create the illusion of separation. Drawing balance is essential; just strive to set those healthy boundaries and reap long term benefits.

In the current times when it’s easy to lose motivation, connection and certainty, discover ways to bring joy and positivity into the working space. The above pointers will help you stay more aware of your requirements, maintain healthy work style and reach your optimum potential.