Are space-planning challenges making it difficult to give your employees the work environment they require for maximum productivity? Office partitions are one solution that we’ve used successfully to help many of our clients create order out of chaos. These products can be grouped into a couple of basic categories:

Wall Dividers

These are prefabricated and can be delivered/installed at any time in the life of the office space. They are much more cost-effective and flexible than walls that are built in as part of the original construction or major remodeling. These interior office partitions can stretch from floor to ceiling or just above head height. Some have glass for the top portion (clerestory style) to let in more light. Others are paneled with wood veneer for aesthetics or acoustic fabric for noise reduction. The degree of adjustability varies by wall type:

• Architectural walls (installed semi-permanently but movable during renovation)
• Modular or movable walls (field adjustable for easy reconfiguration)
• Accordion walls (freestanding or wall mounted for dividing space in under a minute)

Workstation Dividers

These small office partitions are installed at individual workstations to provide boundaries at a granular level. They may be permanently mounted, but more modular and mobile solutions are also popular. These include freestanding cubicle panels and desk mounted privacy panels. They come in the same type of materials as movable walls to match or complement the existing interior design theme of an office space.

Space dividers can benefit your business in a variety of ways:

Break up the open office landscape. Employees really do need choices between collaborative space and “heads down” work space. Movable walls can create hubs for dynamic teaming interaction. Desk top or freestanding panels create workstations that promote uninterrupted concentration.

Attract and retain top talent. This is a low cost way to offer senior employees an individual office space (rather than just a bigger cubicle) as part of their total compensation package. Despite the “flattened hierarchy” in many of today’s work environments, a private office is still viewed as a substantial perk.

Align with privacy regulations for greater compliance when dealing with sensitive information. Healthcare is an obvious use case, but HR and Accounting are departments in most organizations that can benefit from greater privacy.

Brand a business with colors, materials or even custom printed office partitions. This is especially important for organizations that are moving into a space that was previously owned by another company.