Filing Equipment

You may think all filing cabinets are alike, but that is just not true. Do not simply assume the storage system you have cannot be improved upon. You have options to consider. Movable-shelving, color-coded open-shelving systems and even bar-coding have become common in many offices that handle a large volume of records. The old standard vertical-drawer filing cabinet first came into use in the late 19^th century and many records managers consider these cabinets to be functionally obsolete for most modern office applications. “[The vertical-drawer file cabinet] is the most costly of all filing equipment, since it requires more floor space and more physical time and effort to access the folders. It also does not provide the full benefit of visual retrieval aids, such as special labeling and color coding.”^[1]If you know your filing system is inefficient, consider checking into more modern equipment. Although it will cost money initially, it may save money in the long run by saving floor space in your office, thereby postponing the need for expansion or relocation, and by reducing staff time that is wasted on an inefficient filing system with cumbersome storage units.