--- title: Increase operations efficiency by cutting office space description: Bigger offices also take more staff time away from income producing activities. Its time to cut your office space image: https://blog.lern.com/hs-fs/file-16547776-jpg/images/1yearbusinessman.jpg --- [LERN Club Sign-In](http://beta.lern.org/club/) [![lern-logo.png](https://blog.lern.com/hubfs/June-folder/lern-logo.png "lern-logo.png")](http://lern.org) ** # Articles # Increase operations efficiency by cutting office space Fri, Apr 27,2012 @ 08:04 AM by Suzanne Kart | Bigger continuing education offices cost somebody more money. Bigger offices also take more staff time away from incomeproducing activities. It’s time to cut your office space. Being more efficient with your physical office space will have positive spill-over impacts on becoming more efficient in other areas as well. **Why Cut Office Space** Over the last ten years, the average office space has been reduced by 25%, except for organizations positioning themselves for greater success, where office space has been cut by almost 50%.![operations, continuing education](https://blog.lern.com/hs-fs/file-16547776-jpg/images/1yearbusinessman.jpg?width=186&height=301&name=1yearbusinessman.jpg) Here are the top reasons why you should cut back on office space right now: **Save overhead costs** Space costs money. Space also costs money to light, heat, and clean. Even if you are not paying for that cost directly, someone is paying for it. Either your program saves money, or you create good public relations and image by helping your institution to save money. **Status is gone** The status that goes with more space is gone. The perks that go with more space have disappeared. Buildings are an albatross, not a sign of success. If you need to demonstrate your success, cite the growth in your web site, income and enrollments, or percentage of your community served. **Travel time is reduced** Travel time around an office? Exactly. Communication takes more time in bigger offices. It takes time getting up, walking down the hall, checking to see if someone is there or not, looking in other rooms for people, and returning when people are out for a bit. **Maintenance is lowered** Every piece of equipment you have will break down at some point in time. Every shelf needs to be cleaned sometime. And everything takes time to maintain: clean, move, store, decide to get rid of, and then get rid of. **Objects expand to fill space** One of those mysteries of the universe, but the more space you have, the more objects you get, the longer you keep them, and the bigger clutter you get. **Clutter creates mental clutter** Your staff’s physical surroundings do matter. That’s why when there is physical clutter in the office, it can very well create mental clutter for your staff. Let individuals keep their desks how they want, but keep the group space uncluttered for maximum productivity. **Paper creates work** The more paper you have in your office, the more work is created. Paper is the most common tangible product for your office. And when paper is created, additional tasks are created. Use technology to store information, not paper and save staff time. Want more information on operations issues? Download our free tip sheet. [![Click me](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/119076/cb39f5b9-953c-433f-ae51-7ac226121e8c.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/119076/cb39f5b9-953c-433f-ae51-7ac226121e8c)       ### LATEST NEWS Video: How to Get the Most From a LERN Membership LERN Video - The LERN Program Review: Position Your Unit for Success LERN Cancellation Rates and New Programs: A Lesson From Netflix Kathryn Lynch-Morin Ready for Liftoff: Drones and Drone Courses are More Popular Than Ever Kathryn Lynch-Morin Working with the University of Nebraska - Omaha LERN [Tweets by @LernUpdates](https://twitter.com/LernUpdates) [LERN Club Sign-In](http://beta.lern.org/club/)