What to consider before investing in more traditional office storage...

For growing small businesses, the traditional approach of buying familiar or second-hand office furniture may work up to a point.  But as you expand, and have more paper, you grow out of these traditional methods.  At this point, it may be worth taking stock and investigating a long term high-density approach.

Take the typical scenario... You buy second hand 4-drawers and cupboards. Business grows and you need more and more storage. But there's nowhere to put it. What do you do?

Option 1: Continue to buy more second-hand or traditional static shelving and 4-drawer cabinets, knowing that you will eventually run out of space. 

Option 2: Get another room, if this is available on-site. This would be the ideal opportunity to take stock and review your ideal use of work and storage space.   By starting afresh you could consider new, non-traditional space-saving solutions, while clearing and preparing your first room to eventually offer the same space-saving advantages as your new room.

Option 3: Off-site storage   Your files are stored and accessed remotely.  In some respects this is the easiest option, as another company handles the storage and retrieval for you.  But for this to happen your files need to be barcoded and correctly organised before handover.  This is also the most costly option as you pay for storage as well as each retireval.

Option 4: High Density Storage. This may prove the most cost-effective and practical option if increasing floor space or using off-site storage is neither practical nor within your budgetary constraints at this time.

What is high density storage?  This concept includes a variety of shelving, racking and filing systems designed to save up to 50% floor space.  These include mobile shelving - which can be manually or electronically operated -, double-depth rotating cabinets, automated carousel card holders, and tall cabinets, taking advantage of every usable inch of office space with minimal wastage. 

More importantly, you have total control over your files and have 24/7 access, which can only improve your efficiency and productivity.  Financially, you are investing in your organisation and the money saved annually will be paid for over a period of time. 

So how can cost and disruption be kept at a minimum?  If you are interested in high density storage solutions for your organisation, we offer a easy 5-step plan to help you achieve your objectives:

1. A review of your current systems  and equipment, the area it occupies and what your potential capacity is.

2. A report with recommendations, including one or several options, where appropriate.

3. Delivery and installation of equipment, often out-of-office-hours to minimise disruption, and/or built in phases to spread costs.

4. Transfer of existing files into new system. In addition, we can move existing files into new folders and archive boxes.

5. Full instruction and training for all on-site users, to maximise the benefits of your new storage system.