Space Planning in Records Management: Storing More

Records in Less Space

Records collections are growing for the same reason that office space is shrinking (i.e. getting scarcer). Business growth! As an overall business grows, so does recorded evidence of those activities.

THE GREAT SPACE CRUNCH

THE GREAT SPACE CRUNCH

That same growth at the market-wide level drives up

demand for office space. So the departments and

individual workers responsible for growing file collections have less space of their

own for storing those records.

There is no single wayfor records management to address the problem of storage space. What is needed is a comprehensive,total solution that incorporates RM program tools, smart product choices, and alternate storage services.

SPACE MANAGEMENT: A TOTAL SOLUTION APPROACH

Together, these space program elements work on two levels, which we’ll cover in the upcoming slides. 

SPACE MANAGEMENT: A TOTAL SOLUTION APPROACH

1. Decreasing materials kept in the office by:• Legally disposing of official records once no

longer needed.• Destroying any non-record ‘junk’ that has no real

requirements.• Finding a more affordable location for inactive

records.2. For material which must kept onsite, storing it in less

space. We’ll look at some equipment and supply options to help you do this.

No matter what, the Total Solution must work on both levels. Working on only one level can achieve 50% success at best.

SPACE MANAGEMENT: A TOTAL SOLUTION APPROACH

Decreased Materials

Less Space+

LEVEL 1: REDUCE VOLUME RETAINED

Let’s first look at some ways to reduce the amount of records and non-records in your office…

Functional classification provides the backbone of a records retention program by categorizing records according to the business activities that they support. These categories then provide the basis for retention decisions. In other words, how long do we need evidence and information to support the activity?

LEVEL 1: REDUCE VOLUME RETAINED

A retention schedule applies those legal and informational needs. For each category, we have a standardized retention period, which carries the weight of corporate policy. It provides authority for records disposal to take place and demonstrates due diligence if records are ever called into question.

LEVEL 1: REDUCE VOLUME RETAINED

Of course, not every document is a record. Your organization should have a policy or guideline authorizing secure disposal of copies, drafts and other non-records as soon as their immediate usefulness has passed. Your organization needs processing for reviewing and purging non-records, either on a scheduled Clean-up Day, or on file closure (or both!).

LEVEL 1: REDUCE VOLUME RETAINED

LEVEL 1: REDUCE VOLUME RETAINED

Getting inactive records out of the office is also critical. If they are seldom used, they can sit in a cheaper offsite warehouse. Some markets are even embracing near-site storage of active records. Records are managed by a service provider, who performs scheduled delivery of necessary records as regularly as twice daily. Records are stored outside the downtown core, but still accessible as quickly as if they were onsite.

Finally, records disposition processes are necessary to make sure eligible records are identified and destroyed on a regular basis, subject to review and sign-off by relevant stakeholders. If there is any need to

extend retention (e.g. legal hold), it will be caught during this stage.

LEVEL 1: REDUCE VOLUME RETAINED

On the first level, we saw how to get rid of unnecessary material which would otherwise take up space. But not everything can be removed. For records which must remain in the office, the key is to store as many records in as little space as possible. That’s where space efficient filing design comes in.

Consider the equipment and supply options on the next few slides versus their more traditional counterparts…

LEVEL 2: MORE EFFICIENT STORAGE

End tab folders•These shorter folders increase the number of usable filing rows.•They sits upright without bulky hangers.•File labels are visible from greater range of heights (especially with color-coding).

LEVEL 2: MORE EFFICIENT STORAGE

Lateral Filing:•Vertical pull-out drawers occupy as much floor space as the actual cabinet. •No pull-outs are even needed in lateral shelving with end-tab filing.

LEVEL 2: MORE EFFICIENT STORAGE

Check out the next slide to see the space improvement!

Traditional Filing Equipment•4-drawer lateral rollout cabinets•Linear Filing Inches (LFI): 3,432•LFI/Sq.Ft: 10.73

LEVEL 2: MORE EFFICIENT STORAGE

High-Density Open Shelf Systems•7-high lateral end-tab shelving•Linear Filing Inches (LFI): 8,232•LFI/Sq.Ft: 25.73

Space usage improved by 140%!

High-Density Mobile Shelving:•Replaces multiple aisles with one ‘movable aisle.’•Space previously used as aisles now used for storage!

LEVEL 2: MORE EFFICIENT STORAGE

Check out the next slide to see the space improvement!

LEVEL 2: MORE EFFICIENT STORAGE

Traditional Filing Equipment•4-drawer lateral rollout cabinets•Linear Filing Inches (LFI): 3,432•LFI/Sq.Ft: 10.73

High-Density Mobile System•Compacting end-tab shelving•Linear Filing Inches (LFI): 15,050•LFI/Sq.Ft: 53.6

Space usage improved by 339%!

SAMPLE SPACE MANAGEMENT PLAN

Retention & Disposal Program

Volume Reduction

• Purge non-records• Schedule records for destruction/destroy

records up for destruction• Send inactive records to offsite storage

Up to 50%!

Equipment & Supply Choices

Improved Space Use

• High-density mobile shelving• Lateral shelving• End tab folders with color-coded labels

Store up to 339% more files in the same

amount of space.

Here’s what TAB’s Space Management Plan looks like:

Less of what you don’t need.

DOING MORE WITH LESS?

More room for what you do need.

DOING MORE WITH LESS?

Need more space?

Contact TAB to learn more about our high-density

storage solutions:

www.tab.com/contact