Most days at the office are routine. People come in the morning and settle in their workstations. They’ll head to the pantry to get coffee and proceed to accomplish their tasks until it’s time to head out for lunch. Once they get back, they’ll finish their remaining tasks or attend meetings until it’s time to go home.
You could even say that workdays are generally predictable because nothing out of the blue ever happens. But when something does happen, it’s likely to cause panic and chaos because no one saw it coming. To make it even worse, the smallest of distractions can trigger a series of unfortunate events that can be difficult to ignore.
Small troubles around the office are far from being life-threatening, but they could bring about discomfort that can disrupt the flow of productivity. For instance, if the toilet is unusable, your employees would have to go out of the office to relieve themselves, which can be time-consuming.
Having a backup plan and knowing how to troubleshoot small disruptions like these will allow you to maintain the routine. Office management may not be as important as your other functions, but it helps your employees focus on their work. So, here are three common problems that may arise in the office and how you can solve them:
Problem #1 The HVAC System Suddenly Stopped Working
The work environment is a crucial aspect that not many people give credit to. It may not be as essential as having electricity or a stable internet connection, but it deserves to be in the limelight too. That’s because if the environment isn’t comfortable, it could be bothersome for your employees and disrupt their productivity.
Take, for example, if the HVAC system in your office suddenly stopped working. It’s hardly a reason to panic, but not having cool air on a hot day can make it hard for your employees to focus. The same can be said if there’s no reliable heating during winter because your employees would be spending their time finding ways to warm up instead of finishing their tasks.
There’s always the option to crack open the windows, but then you’ll be exposed to the natural elements, and insects could get inside. While it’s not possible to have a second HVAC system, what you could do is find a service that offers rental HVAC equipment.
It won’t be the end-all-be-all solution to your problem, but it can certainly get you through the workday. At least you won’t have to cut the workday short and lose potential profits just because your HVAC system broke. With a rental, you’ll buy enough time to schedule a repair after everyone’s gone home.
Problem #2 The Office Ran Out of Supplies
An office without the necessary supplies can feel incomplete. There should always be a steady supply of bond paper rims, ink cartridges, whiteboard markers, and even ballpoint pens for your employees to use. Running out of essential stationery and supplies might disrupt the workflow.
Of course, it’s not the end of the world, but it might as well be. Imagine this scenario: you asked your employee to hand you a printed copy of the report before your meeting scheduled in the afternoon. But when your employee got to the printer, there’s no more ink in the cartridge. This means that they won’t be able to print what you need.
However, because they’re afraid of disappointing you, they might spend all their time looking for another ink cartridge they can use instead of telling you immediately so you can use a digital copy. This causes you to come to your meeting late and empty-handed, all because you ran out of supplies.
To address this, what you can do is keep a regularly updated inventory of your office supplies. This will allow you to see how many supplies are left and let you know when you need to restock so that you can prevent easily avoidable problems in the future.
Problem #3 The Furniture was Damaged due to an Accident
Lastly, it’s rare for office furniture to sustain damages beyond repair due to an accident, but it can cause a major distraction for your employees if it ever does. For instance, your employee slipped on spilled coffee on the floor, which caused them to topple over an old office chair and broke it in half.
The impact alone could be enough to break the worn-out furniture, and even if your employee doesn’t sustain any injuries from the accident, it still left someone chair-less. To address this, what you can do is keep spare furniture in your stock room so that you’re always prepared. Or you could turn a meeting room into an emergency workstation for the displaced employee.
There’s always a solution to every problem, but being in the eye of the storm can make it harder to focus on what happens next. That’s why if you were ever to encounter problems in the office, try not to let your panic overwhelm you. Take a deep breath, focus, and troubleshoot the issue because you already know how to handle it calmly.