Aguto, Dana Emmellyne B.

On February 10, 2016 the class set out to observe various office
layouts in UP ITDC. We visited three different offices and a conference
room to see the kind of layout it takes to maximize the efficiency of a
specific department depending on what their work entails.
The first office was the eUP Comms and Content Dev. Office. In this
office, the workers were facing a wall, while the head had a desk that
allowed her to overlook everyone else in the room. The partitions
between the workers desks were relatively low and still allowed for
communication between every one. Since this department was in charge
of content, the space was decorated more freely compared to the next
two offices we visited. I imagine the decor helps everyone avoid creative
blocks. A large whiteboard was hung in one side of the wall, filled with
deadlines and tasks that need to be done. Although the office was a little
small, the low-walls and the space in the center of the room let the team
be more collaborative and group-oriented.
The next office we visited was the Project Management Office which
was filled with administrators. The equipment in this office was more highend than the previous one. They had larger desks, better computers and a
better air conditioning system. Office politics was mentioned. Because
they were in charge of making everything run smoothly according to plan,
it was important that they have the equipment they need. There were no
partitions in the project management office. Its important that they are
able to communicate and adding barriers would increase the chances of
miscommunication. Because many offices heavily rely on them,
miscommunication is something they cant afford.
The last office was the eUP Project Office. Compared to the previous
offices, contact and communication was minimal here. The workers had
earphones in and everyone valued privacy. Focus is more essential than
communication in IT spaces. Their workspaces didnt face each other and
one corner of the room was sectioned off. This is where quality control
works. They were separated from the rest of the group because its
important that they remain impartial so that they could do their job
properly.
After visiting the offices we checked out ITDCs conference room.
The room was larger and less cramped than all the other rooms we
visited. You could move around the tables depending on what you need
them for and a screen was set up in front of the tables for presentations.
There was also a large flat screen beside the screen for teleconferences.