Picking out the ideal location intended for a printer follows definite considerations, like floor area, wall and ceiling design, and personnel movement within an office set-up. These three should be acted upon simultaneously to arrive at a well-intentioned office environment.
Floor area: This is important because an office operates following different work zones. Each work zone is unique and demands degree of consideration. An imaginary division separates zones from each other, although all are part of the same office set-up.
First, an office will have an active zone, an area where most activities happen. This includes the lobby, the reception area and lounge where clients and personnel interact. It is also the place where employees converge during coffee and lunch breaks. In short, the life of the office emanates from this corner.
Second is the passive zone or the actual office area. This is where employees work and mostly composed of working desks and chairs. Total silence is normally expected on this area to as much as possible avoid disruption. Normal working environment characterize this zone to maximize personnel efficiency and promote productivity.
Third is the service zone, the area where servicing activities to the different equipment and work zones pass through. In the past where wireless communication was non-existent, the service zone is the wackiest part of the office. As physical activities engulf the service zone, all personnel tend to be here at any time to print, to arrange and retrieve files.
Now that new communication protocols are in place, the work zones had deteriorated in terms of importance. Personnel mobility has been reduced to a minimum, as most depend on wireless connectivity to communicate and only stretch-up when retrieving printed documents sent to the central printer.
Wall and ceiling design: Since printers and other office equipment are usually located in the office service zone, its location affects the ceiling and wall design. The reason is of course based on the assumption that printers and office equipment generate a lot of noise. To maintain an ideal environment even with the equipment around, floor, walls and ceiling finishes are treated acoustically to contain whatever noise generated.
Personnel movement: It is a major contributor to the office set-up. The central printer must be located on an area easily accessible to the personnel who use it. And with this, equipment must be arranged to maximize circulation, to minimize walking and be freed of the usual physical complexity in using the equipment.
To top it all, some offices require that printers be enclosed in rooms to reduce if not eliminate the source of noise in an office set-up. Arguing that noise is a pollutant and when not contained affects the well-being of office personnel.
