Even though things are becoming more digitized and a lot of businesses are reducing their paper use, most businesses still rely on paper records. Whether you have a designated file storage room or a stack of files in a corner of your office, everyone can benefit from having an organized file storage system. A well-organized file storage system can help make filing and retrieval faster and ensure that your important paperwork does not get lost in the clutter. Read on to find out how to create better file organization in your office.
Getting Started
The best place to start is by cleaning out your existing filing cabinets, decluttering, and sorting your paperwork into stacks. Next, work on creating a comprehensive filing system. This is a great way to create a designated spot for all of your documents and will make it easier for them to get filed correctly down the road.
Then you can start assessing your storage needs and figure out what kind of storage system you need. Does your business use large folders and books, or do you mainly have loose sheets? Also, evaluate how often the files will need to be accessed, and how they will be organized.
Finally, measure your space to see what size of shelving to get. Having shelving along the walls is a good way to keep everything out of the way. When measuring, make sure to consider the depth, width, and height restrictions. Also account for comfortable walking and working space around your storage units.
Shelving units make versatile and efficient file storage systems. They can also accommodate different file sizes, books, catalogs, and bins. There are different storage systems to pick from depending on your storage needs and space. Here are some of the most commonly used options:
Rivet Shelving
Rivet shelving is a great lower-cost option that comes in many different width, height, and depth options. They are suitable for medium to heavy loads. This type of shelving has teardrop holes on its uprights at regular intervals. Shelves are secured to the uprights by aligning the holes and sliding a pin in them. This installation is very quick, easy, and results in a durable unit.
Rivet shelving is one of the easiest options to assemble. It’s a versatile system that can be built piece by piece by combining your own components, or from a kit. This makes it easy to customize them to your needs.
To figure out which rivet shelving kit to order, first, take a look at your measurements. American Storage and Logistics carries many different size options for rivet shelving starter kits. Our heights options are 76”, 88”, and 121”. Take into account your room’s ceiling height and any obstacles in the way. If you are thinking about adding more units down the road, consider where those will be placed. Next, you have depth options ranging from 12” to 30”. When selecting a depth option make sure that you’re leaving enough space for people to walk by comfortably. The width options are 36” and 48”. Keep in mind that both options have a 250 lbs shelf capacity, so if you need your rivet shelving to be able to carry heavier loads, you may want to go with the narrower width and add more units to achieve your desired shelving width. Once you have your starter bay in place, it’s easy to add more units by ordering the adder bays.
Wide-Span Shelving
If you are looking to store larger items in addition to your file storage, and have the space available, wide-span shelving is worth considering. This type of shelving is also great for storing large file folders and bins to organize your paperwork. Wide-span shelving is similar to rivet shelving in design and installation but features larger shelves and higher load capacity. The uprights of this shelving system come with pre-drilled keyhole slots that make it easy to install and adjust the shelves.
Wide-span shelving can create up to 8’ of storage space and can carry to up 2500 lbs. One of the other advantages of a wide-span shelving system is that these units allow for easy access from all sides as they have no back or side braces. This makes wide-span shelving a great option if your file room is set up in aisles and you need access to both sides of the shelving unit.
Wide-span shelving can be purchased in kits. American Storage and Logistics has wire deck and particleboard starter kits. There are also adder bay kits that you may add to your starter unit down the road if your storage needs increase. We carry wide-span shelving accessories to further customize your shelving units. There are wire-mesh and laminated shelving options, heavy-duty shelf supports and other reinforcements, and specialized storage options like hanging rods available. Laminated shelving options are often the best fit for file storage.
In a time crunch? Most of our wide-span shelving kits with wire deck shelves can ship UPS Ground to save you time and money!
Bin & Shelf Systems
Bin and shelving systems can also be used for filing storage. They are easy to label and store loose sheets that need to be accessed frequently. This is also a versatile storage system as you can use bins to store other office supplies.
Bins come in many sizes and shapes. When selecting the best system for you, consider the size of items that will be stored in them.
Some Tips for Organizing Your Filing Storage
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Take time to design things out and create labels for different files. Making sure that every file has a designated spot will keep things organized for a long time.
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Try to utilize open shelving instead of closed filing cabinets. It’s easy to throw things into a filing cabinet and close the door. Open shelving will force you to remain organized.
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Bins and containers are great to keep paperwork safe and organized until they get filed.
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Consider using a label maker to label the designated area of each item. Labels are especially useful for opaque containers and bins.
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When purchasing shelving units, keep your future needs in mind. If you are planning on adding more units in the future, you should consider buying the type of shelving that can be added onto.
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Clean out your filing units periodically. Determine how long you need to keep documents for and shred the ones you no longer need. Staying on top of cleaning will make it easier for it to remain organized.
Where To Buy File Storage Systems
American Storage and Logistics has been a leader in new, used, and refurbished storage systems for over 50 years. We have a great selection of shelves and racks in stock, and ready to ship! If you are in the mid-Michigan area near Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo, or Battle Creek, you can purchase your shelving products online and pick them up at our warehouse the same day, or get them delivered to your location as soon as tomorrow. Many of our products such as wide-span shelving are also available to ship nationwide via UPS.
Need help with your order? We also provide design and consultation services. Just give us a call at 866-690-5392!
