Examples of Excellence: Stand Up Desk

Note: Links to all of four Japan factory tour posts and the various lessons from those tours can be found here.

This week I'm going out on a limb to show what I hope will become an example of excellence.  Earlier this week I wrote a "Lessons from Japan" on how standing up improves efficiency and speed.  I thought I'd better take my own advice, so over the past couple days I've radically changed my office.  So here is the "before" photo:

And here is the "after":

Am I nuts? Only time will tell.  But I do actually feel more productive!  And yes, I know there are a couple bottles of wine on my desk... when your office is in a region with 130+ wineries within 30 miles, that happens.

Comments

[Sean Stickle]

Where did you get that desk, what model is it? I'd be interested in getting the same thing, as it seems pretty easy to adjust the height with the legs.

[mike!]

did you drasitically reduce the amount of desk real estate? or do you have more standup deskpace outside of that picture?

Also do standup desks need open space underneath them like conventional desks for your legs?

[Kevin]

Sean- That desk is:
http://www.topdeq.com/topdeq/product.do?catid=us_2030&prodid=ppp_2018_GO-2_Tische

It has motorized risers, which I think is unnecessary, but it was half off and fast delivery. Others in my company now want them so we're looking for buying or building mechanically-adjustable desks. IKEA used to have them, but no longer sell legs in the 42" range. You can buy very nice table tops only from IKEA and add lab bench legs.

Mike- Nope, that's the entire desk space. I didn't need all the space I had before, so some quick 5S reduced it down to that one table top. I also keep no paper files, but I have the luxury of being in a company with some nice electronic systems and in a position where I know other people will have copies of anything else I need. I do have a 4' round conference table in my office that you don't see.

You really don't need underneath space... check out the photo in the link in the article. However you do need a small 4"-6" foot stool. I have found I do a lot more walking around the office, and especially out of the office... which eliminates what some lean guys call "seat suction"...!

To be honest, the first day was rough. I hear the first month, or even two is rough. But then everyone I talk to says there's no going back as you really feel the additional productivity and health benefits.

I have also received three emails already with photos of an apparently popular modification: adding a treadmill. That might be a bit too much for now!

Kevin

[Ken]

Awesome job, Kevin!

I've seen a couple offices with stand up desks and what amazes me is how little floor space is needed. You can see that in the other photo in the other link in your post also. Your office must really feel open and perhaps empty!

[Kevin]

Ken- you're right. I had a large office to begin with (a huge waste of space) and now it seems gargantuan (an even larger waste of potential manufacturing space). I had a steady stream of employees "touring" the office yesterday, and one comment was "we could play Twister in here at lunch!" Yes we could. I moved my conference table into the center of the room and it's still big. If it wasn't for the fact that we'll be moving buildings in a few months, I'd probably move four or five cubicle dwellers into this office and take over a much smaller space. In the first photo you probably notice a bunch of file boxes on the right... those are still in the office. Part of a project by our QA group to scan old documents (all new docs are now electronic to begin with), and I refused to pay for outside storage space when I already had underused space in my office. Even more so now.

[kelly]

I once had a boss who had a bad back so he purchased an antique stand-up desk once used by Thomas Jefferson. My former boss loved it. And the desk was beautiful.

[Shimon Rura]

Kudos on the stand up desk. I find it's hard on my knees to stand for more than a few hours, but I've been using a treadmill desk for almost a year now and happily walk for 6 to 8 hours a day.

http://rura.org/blog/2007/11/14/the-treadmill-desk-exercise-for-the-sake-of-hacking/

[Scott Whitlock]

Kevin,
There is a really cool company here in northern Indiana that fills 450 custom orders per day and sells stand-up desks. They are improving, growing, and learning about lean every day. Check out some of their stuff.

www.8020plus.com/82019.asp
www.8020.net

Enjoy the new desk! You are making me want to get on the stick!

[Joseph D]

GeekDesk is another relatively new brand that makes these adjustable-desks. They seem to be pretty popular amongst the "programmer and web developer" crowd, and sell complete desks for $700-$1000.