If you are interested in seeing Framery’s pods at the earliest of stages, then you’d likely want to visit the Framery HQ in Tampere, Finland––where all the magic unfolds. What’s really exciting is that you won’t just see pods in production in the manufacturing facility, you’ll see pods being used in real time. When most people think of soundproof pods they think of highly designed corporate offices with open floor plans, but manufacturing facilities benefit from the pods just as well.
“Why?” you might ask. These spaces are wide open, loud, and full of distractions – sounds quite familiar to today’s corporate office, doesn’t it?
Kari Sivula, Framery’s production manager shared some key insights as to how and why the pods are so useful in a production environment. See below for the main takeaways!
- Pods support employees in production for a variety of tasks. Production supervisors use them for one-on-one meetings with the employees, while the different sub-department supervisors use them daily as private workspaces. The pods also provide supervisors the opportunity to be present and as near as possible to their employees every day at least for a portion of it––that way, communicating about daily tasks is easy for teams. The pods are also often used for coffee breaks, unwinding or taking care of a personal matter.
- Noise cancellation is key. With nearly no exception, production tasks always produce some kind of noise pollution. At Framery, for example, we have a very open production area which promotes the “work noises” to be carried all around the factory. Our pods are excellent in either removing the noise completely or decreasing the noise pollution if it’s being conducted right next to the pod.
- Dust and dirt are managed so that they’re not a problem. While production spaces can get pretty messy from assembly and construction, Framery strategically places pods in the production area so that they are as close as possible to the proper departments but far enough so that possible issues with dust are avoided and minimized. Depending on the specific manufacturing line, the dust issues demand daily cleaning operations (as part of 5S operations and real estate-related weekly cleaning operations). This way the possible threats of impurities getting into the pods ventilation and airflow system are mitigated.
- The safety of pod users in the production environment is of the utmost priority. As part of Framery’s production-departments risk analysis, pods are placed so that any safety risks are carefully mapped out. The production area floor markings (different color tapes along the floor indicate different areas and instructions) play a big role in this so that Framery’s safety guidelines are easily visualized.
- Pod mobility is a huge benefit to production spaces. As Framery grows the production facilities are under constant change. This means that the space frequently shifts and pods are relocated throughout the process. The movability kit available for Framery O and Q make this a seamless and easy transition.
Framery Production Team Facilitators Antti Peura and Iira Hyytiäinen use the production area pods and meeting spaces in their daily work and agree about the benefits they bring. “There’s usually a lot of noise at our production area and the pod is a perfect place to retreat to work without disruptions. My pod, as I like to call the pod I mostly work in, is located quite in the middle of the production area so I can see what’s happening on the floor at all times and I’m also easily available for my team when needed,” says Antti. Iira is also very happy that she gets to use the Framery pods versatilely in her daily work: “When I use the pods, I notice that I’m able to focus better on my work, be more efficient and recover from my workday faster”.
“When I use the pods, I notice that I’m able to focus better on my work, be more efficient and recover from my workday faster.”
Framery itself is a prominent example that acoustic pods don’t just benefit employees in common workspaces, but in production facilities too! Nearly anyone could benefit from having a thoughtfully designed private space, whether it’s to regroup with a team member or just to have a moment of relaxation for yourself. Which is exactly why Framery employees utilize pods on the production floor every day and they wouldn’t have it any other way!
For more non-corporate office references, take a look how Framery pods are used in education spaces or how a hospital environment can benefit from our acoustic pods.
