Kimball Whitepaper
Benching–An Important Piece of Today’s Workplace
by Terry Carroll, Senior Product and Market Intelligence Manager | Kimball Office
BENCHING IS RELATIVELY NEW TO NORTH AMERICA
In fact, it’s only been around since the early part of the 21st century.
The recent recession and lingering economic challenges driving cost reductions, combined with a strong emphasis on collaboration and increased focus on sustainable office design, are all powerful forces behind the emergence of workplace benching. The convergence of these three factors has placed benching in the spotlight as an important part of today’s workplace. There are multiple benching solutions available in the market today. For discussion purposes, they tend to fall into one of three broad categories.
Based on research conducted by Kimball Office in the spring of 2011, benching continues to take on a more important role in the open plan office environment. Benching is beginning to replace more traditional, panel-based workstations in many organizations. The research identified three dominate worker profiles for benching solutions.
- Traditional workers
- Teams
- Transient workers
Collaboration levels vary across the three worker profiles, as does the appropriate benching configuration.
“CEO’s say that collaboration is very important to their innovation efforts”
—IBM Corporation
Teams
This profile includes workers that spend the majority of their time working in team settings where collaboration is a key component in determining and producing successful project outcomes.
Examples:
Marketing,
Product development,
IT project teams,
Consultants,
Managers,
Engineering,
Research and Development,
Architects and Designers.
Team Benching Configuration
Teams and benching are the perfect match. Team members come together to accomplish a common goal that can last anywhere from a few weeks to more than a year. Access to power, data, storage, and a visual connection between team members provides the ideal environment for a winning outcome. The flexibility of benching allows for easy reconfiguration and expansion or contraction of the work area as one project is completed and a new team moves into the space.
Traditional Workers
This profile includes workers who constantly shift back and forth between interactive and independent work modes throughout the day.
Examples
Office administrators,
legal,
customer service,
finance and accounting.
Traditional Worker Benching Configuration
These workers depend on benching to provide a work environment similar to the traditional cubical workstation, but flexible enough to allow easy interaction and collaboration with teammates. Privacy dividers allow for visual privacy from neighbors and mobile storage units with cushion tops serve a dual purpose— as both storage and visitor seating.
Transient Workers
This profile includes workers who show up in the office on a limited basis to interface with team members. They tend to spend more time traveling and at other sites than in the office; they leverage technology to stay connected and productive.
Examples
Sales,
Consultants,
Guest,
Managers,
Telecommuters,
and Marketing.
Transient Worker Benching Configuration
Transient workers spend a significant amount of time away from the office. When they do come in, they need a place to plug-in and work. The bench provides the ideal touch-down spot with easy access to power and data. The open configuration allows them to interact and collaborate with fellow colleagues.
Summary
Today’s benching solution has improved flexibility, mobility, and easy access to power and data, which make it the ideal solution for a wide range of organizations and workers. Its ability to facilitate interaction and collaboration among workers, while improving real estate efficiencies and allowing daylight to flood into the workplace, are three powerful forces that will give Benching 2.0 and the hybrid panel-based bench staying power well into the future.
RELATED
2-11-2011
End Notes
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