A disorganized office signals inefficiency. It also means lost productivity and heightened stress.

According to Delphi Group, a Boston-based consulting firm, every misplaced piece of paper costs a business US$120, and 15% of all paper in business is lost at some point. In Canadian terms, lost paperwork costs the federal government $870 million a year in wasted time, says the Library and Archives of Canada in a report entitled Case for Action.

Clearly, it’s time to clean out the clutter from our offices. Here are some tips from the experts:

> Use Space Sensibly. “The major problems, in terms of managing office space, are not usually related to the amount of space available but to an ineffective use of space,” notes Paul Holstein, co-founder and chief operating officer of CableOrganizer.com. He recommends replacing your computer’s large CRT monitor with a slim LCD monitor and placing your computer directly on the work surface. This way, there is less room for paper, trinkets and kitsch.

> Use Space Judiciously. There is no natural law that says because there is an empty spot on your desktop, the floor or the filing cabinet, it must be filled. Indeed, Holstein says, items on the computer desktop and the physical desktop are distracting. Only essentials should be there.

> Use Space Smartly. Make your office space functional, says Cyndi Seidler, a professional organizer and founder of Los Angeles-based HandyGirl Organizers.

For example, there’s no reason to have cable wires, computer wires, lamp cords and fax plugs jumbled in a dangerous heap on the floor. Computer cables can be protected and organized in a number of ways, including “cable tamers,” affordable translucent split tubes that bundle wires and cables tidily under an office desk, leaving the floor free of clutter.

> Use Colour. Light and cool colours on walls make a space look bigger and feel less cluttered, says Eileen Crowley Couse, owner of Emerald Interiors in Halifax. She also says the wall colour of home offices should be different from living spaces.

> Use Tools Efficiently. Getting rid of unnecessary items is productive, but storing often-used items out of reach is not. Staplers, paper clips and blank DVDs should be within arm’s reach if you use them everyday.

> Use Files Efficiently. Handling the same item or piece of paper more than once is counterproductive, Holstein notes. “People will receive something in their inbox and leave it there until they go through the inbox. Then they’ll look at it briefly and put it back in the box. This can go on for weeks.”

The golden business rule is to handle items only once.

> Use The Vertical. Filing cabinets, bookshelves and boxes that eat up floor space are often not necessary, says Crowley Couse. Take maximum advantage of empty wall space to store files, books and less-used items.

Clearing the office of clutter is a step toward getting rid of clutter elsewhere. It can also reduce stress. “If a room isn’t cluttered, you feel better,” says Crowley Couse. “It clears your mind, letting you be more productive.”

And your clients will be more comfortable, too. IE