For call centers, the most efficient way to cut down costs of overall expenditure is by choosing the right space-saving furniture, which can inevitably cut down bills like electricity and heat, along with real estate spending (i.e. taxes). If the correct office designs are set in place, the furniture can also help add to the overall satisfaction of an employee, which can carry over into a business’ overall productivity.

Let’s start with furniture.

There are some conventional pieces available on the market, like the sit-to-stand, which provides workers with the ability to easily change positions and improve computer-related injuries while also benefiting overall health, like exercise. Then there are the new innovational pieces that have come to make headway, like furniture that has been transformed into exercise equipment. There is the Treadmill Desk, a treadmill machine with a desk attached to the top, and the Standing Desk Bike, which workers can adjust to the height of their regular desks and ride the bicycle throughout the day for daily activity. Each of these pieces, whether they evoke traditional or futuristic value, can be utilized by offices to promote ergonomic awareness.

Next: tackling office design.

There has been much hype around the new trend of an “open office,” which is basically supposed to create a more productive, social environment. There are options like cluster pods, also known as circular core stations or pods, maximize floor space and can allow more privacy, with adjustable paneling and surface area for employees. With an open office environment, employees can also feel more comfortable to utilize the sit-to-stand cubicle, which gives them the option to either stand or sit while working in order to increase physical activity that lacks in such a setting. These types of work stations also make it easier for call centers to move furniture around the office or make additions, essentially creating a setting that has room to grow.

And lastly, solutions and software.

Ergonomics can be incorporated into solutions and software with features that create less strained movements for agents by promoting a neutral body posture and minimizing keystrokes and mouse clicks. There are ways, like click-to-dial and automatic statues changes or customizable hot keys, to help reduce repetitive strain injuries (RSI). Even programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking speech recognition tools or Windows 7 capabilities enable agents to interact with agent desktop software with voice commands lessens the need to type on a keyboard. As call center solution companies continue to advance in the ergonomics sector, users will continue to see new features developed to RSI.