If there is one common negative experience that almost everyone has universally had, I presume it would be losing an important document! The reactions vary with the person who is missing the document. The practical ones will start thinking back to trace the document’s last seen time and place; some may go down on their knees in prayer; others may cry their heart out; and for still others, all hell will break lose! However, there also exists an organised minority who may never have had this negative experience. This blog seeks to avoid the missing document heartache for the vast majority, and add more numbers to the organised minority.
Today, digital storage of documents is gaining acceptance, however, there are still many important documents that need to be safely preserved physically and carefully stored. Besides, there are businesses of varying sizes that still prefer physical storage of documents to the new age digital storage. There are additionally certain businesses like Accounting and Legal Firms that have to deal with reams of important paper which must be carefully stored for years or even decades. This blog therefore provides a ready reckoner on what you can do to ensure your business documents are stored safely, and are easily retrievable even after years.
Office storage has come a long way from the traditional space intensive, cumbersome Filing Cabinets, and today we have a range of sleek, aesthetic, space-saving Office Storage Systems like Monorails, Vertical Filing Cabinets, Lateral Filing Cabinets and Compactors of various kinds. So if you are focussed on making every inch of your office space productive and yet not giving it a cluttered look, Kompress is definitely the value-for-money solution you are looking for. The reason: At Kompress, the art of storage is combined with the science of space. More about this later… for now allow us to let you in on the secret to storing business files safely.
Tips for Safe and Efficient Storage of Business Documents
- 1. Shortlist Documents to be Retained
Offices accumulate hordes of needless, archaic documents that are no longer relevant to the business, and yet occupy valuable space which is limited in supply. The starting point to a de-cluttered office is to determine which documents must be retained and what needs to be discarded. Paper shredders come to the rescue for safely discarding personal as well as confidential information that is not required any more. - 2. Categorise Documents for Ease in Storage and Retrieval
Next, the shortlisted documents must be sorted based on their purpose, date, or any other relevant yardstick. The documents must be stored in an organised manner so that retrieval is easy even after years. It helps to keep the sorted documents in labelled folders until the entire sorting is complete. Thereafter the documents in the organised folders can be filed into suitable files or the grouped folders can be stored into transparent boxes with labels that describe the contents. These files and boxes can then be moved into Office Storage Systems for safe storage and quick retrieval. - 3. Analyse Your Storage Needs
Before putting down your hard earned money, it is important to analyse the various needs of the items to be stored. If most of your business documents are stored in files, you need a filing cabinet that suits the size and shape of the files, so that the documents are not cramped, nor is space wasted. If documents are large in size like blueprints etc. they may be stored in labelled plastic folders/large envelopes and then put into transparent labelled plastic boxes. The storage system should preserve documents for years or even decades to come, hence ensure that you narrow down on storage units that preserve the fragile paper from dust, moisture, insects, mildew, etc. Documents should remain legible even after years, hence it is advisable to select storage units that are well ventilated and regulate the temperature and humidity within the unit, in all seasons. - 4. Analyse Your Space Availability
Secondary to the needs of the items to be stored, is space availability which should also be kept in mind. Today there are a variety of space-saving storage solutions that can be customised to your available space. With high cost of land and space rentals, it is important to opt for storage systems that optimise the available space. - 5. Invest in Storage Systems that Best Suit Your Needs
Having gone through the earlier steps, you can now be more confident when finalising your storage system, because it will be based on informed decisions. Your storage system investment will indeed pay rich dividends in terms of easy retrieval of documents as well as in having your important documents intact even after years. Compactors are the modern, aesthetic, ergonomic, space-saving storage options that keep documents secure and well-preserved for years. Filing Cabinets keep documents protected from dust and humidity and are available in multiple sizes, shapes and materials. Metal Filing Cabinets are preferable as they are secure, durable and weather-proof. They are generally equipped with rails to accommodate file organisers easily. However, if security is not of paramount importance, there is the cheaper alternative of Storage Shelves with Boxes or Plastic Bins. These offer the advantage of economy, with easy visibility of record boxes and documents.
Advantages of an Efficient Business File Storage System
- ✓ Speedy retrieval of documents.
- ✓ Smooth and organised workflows that improve employee productivity.
- ✓ Time-saving resulting from organised storage of documents.
- ✓ Cost containment by opting for space-saving and storage-doubling solutions.
- ✓ Preservation of delicate paper documents for years to come.
- ✓ Avoidance of unauthorised access to confidential documents through central locking.
- ✓ Ergonomic storage and retrieval that avoids strain on employees through mechanised and smooth movement facilities.
With the wide range of storage facilities available today, it is preferable to opt for a one stop storage solution provider like Kompress that offers a range of space-saving storage systems for every kind of need. For business documents, there are Filing Cabinets and Compactors which can even be customised to your needs. Let’s review each of these.
Kompress Vertical Filing Cabinets are robust and aesthetically designed to snugly fit into office spaces. Available in a choice of two, three, or four drawer sizes, they accommodate varying sizes of files viz. A4, Legal or Letter sized files. The central locking system ensures safety and prevents unauthorised access of important documents. The drawers are smooth and easy to operate.
Kompress Lateral Filing Cabinets too are robust and elegantly deigned to fit into office spaces. Here too the cabinets come in two, three, or four drawer sizes, to accommodate files of A4, Legal or Letter sized documents. The drawers are smooth and easy to operate; and are equipped with a central locking system to ensure security and prevent unauthorised access of important documents.
Kompress Monorail Storage Systems are great for converting small narrow spaces into productive storage areas. Fixed cabinets are placed on the rear, and rails are laid parallel to these fixed cabinets. The front cabinets with base units glide over these rails either left or right, with the number of cabinets in front being one less than the rear cabinets, to provide easy access to items stored at the back.
Kompress Mechanical Mobile Compactors are innovative space-saving storage solutions that work on the principle of transferable aisles – converting pathways into storage space instead. This greatly optimises space utilisation. Installed on light or heavy-duty base units, they can be shifted parallel to each other, to retrieve items via a single aisle! Doing away with multiple aisles definitely saves on floor space, freeing it up even for other productive uses that can enhance the bottom line!
Kompress Motorised Mobile Storage Compactors are the perfect solution in case of installation with large number of units. They come with an electrical arrangement that allows single or multiple units to be moved simultaneously, with just a push-button control.
Kompress Double Decker Mobile Storage Compactors are specially made for clients who have office or storage spaces with height. By vertically doubling the storage space, our Double Decker Compactors increase storage capacity in the same floor space by 200%.
Kompress Manual Push Pull Compactors are an economic, maintenance-free solution specially made for small storage spaces. They are manually operated and are provided with an easy movement mechanism, as well as heavy duty and ergonomically designed handles that ensure effortless movement of sliding bays.
Visit us at kompressindia.com to view our wide range of safe, secure and simultaneously aesthetic storage systems, designed for every need. Benefit from our storage solutions that are based on international concepts of storage and warehousing, curated by a highly experienced research team. We offer world-class designs from our state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, to keep your documents, inventory, valuables and other items safe in every sense of the word.
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