Departmental Needs Assessments for Office Workstations

It is important to find a balance between a customized office workstation for each individual and one generic workstation for the entire company. We recommend assessing the needs of each department in order to create a "typical" workstation that will meet their unique needs. You will need to determine the needs of individual departments with questions like those below or download our Needs Assessment Form.

General Department

• How much space will you need in the department in general?
• How much is this department likely to expand in the next 1-5 years?
• Is there a need for departmental filing space?
• Is there a need for a shared printer, copier, fax center?
• How much collaboration do employees do with their neighbors in the department?
• What type of supervision takes place between managers and employees?
• Do your managers call a lot of meetings and will they happen within the department?
• What other departments does this department work with regularly?

Individual Office Workstations

• Is there a size requirement for each office workstation?
• How much filing space does each person need?
• Do any of the filing areas or workstations need to be locked for security or privacy reasons?
• How much space for binders and other reference materials will they need?
• How much of their time is spent on the computer?
• What equipment (monitors) do you have now and will likely have in the future?
• Do employees have special lighting requirements for reading, keyboarding, or computer work?
• How much privacy does each individual require in their workstation?
• How much worksurface space do they need? Consider depth as well as width.
• What type of office equipment does each employee utilize in their workstation or in close proximity to their workstation? (Computer, Printer, Phone, Scanner, etc.)
• By the nature of its work, does this department have special ergonomic considerations?
• Do you have any employees with special needs that would require a specific office workstation solution?

Your department needs assessment is critical to balancing the needs of individuals in your organization with the need to create standards for each workstation. It will allow you to maximize the efficiency and performance of your employees while staying on your budget.