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Filing System Comparison
There are many different ways to store file folders. The type of
equipment chosen affects the filing system in the following ways:
- Storage Density - how many files can be stored in a given amount
of floor space
- File Security - how critical is file confidentiality
- File Accessibility - how often are files accessed
- Cost of Equipment
The most difficult situation that Professional Filing System's
customers face is where to put all the records. The amount of files seems to
grow constantly. The following diagrams show what can be accomplished with the
different types of filing equipment in a room of given size. For this example
the room is 18' x 28' (504 sq. ft).
Vertical Filing Cabinets
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The room could hold 76 vertical filing cabinets
with 5 drawers. This would provide 9,500 filing inches.
Advantages: Good Security
Disadvantages: Poor Accessibility, Low Filing Density, Costly |
Lateral Filing Cabinets
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The room could hold 42 lateral filing cabinets with
5 drawers. This would provide 7,140 filing inches.
Advantages: Good Security
Disadvantages: Poor Accessibility, Lowest Filing Density, Costly |
Rotary Filing Cabinets
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The room could hold 37 rotary filing cabinets with 8
levels (fixed shelf or pullout). This would provide 14,208 filing inches.
Advantages: Good Security, Good Accessibility, Good Filing
Density
Disadvantages: Costly |
Open Shelf Filing
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The room could hold 62 faces of open shelving with 8
levels. This would provide 16,864 filing inches.
Advantages: Good Accessibility, Good Filing Density, Least
Expensive
Disadvantages: Poor Security |
Lateral Compact Systems
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The room could hold 77 faces of open shelving with 8
levels if the shelving is mounted on a lateral compacting mobile system.
This would provide 20,944 filing inches.
Advantages: Good Accessibility, Better Filing Density,
Inexpensive
Disadvantages: Poor Security |
Aisle Saver Compact Systems
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The room could hold 122 faces of open shelving with
8 levels if the shelving is mounted on an aisle saver compacting mobile
system. This would provide 33,184 filing inches.
Advantages: Good Security (aisles can be locked), Highest Filing
Density, Inexpensive
Disadvantages: Accessibility (only one aisle available at a
time) |
Vertical Carousel Systems
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The room could hold 6 vertical carousels. Filing
capacity is only constrained by ceiling height. Machines 125" tall would
provide 10,710 filing inches.
Advantages: Excellent Accessibility (records brought to
operator), Good security, Interfaces with file tracking software
Disadvantages: Lower filing density, Costly |
Horizontal Carousel Systems
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The room could hold 4 No-Walk Horizontal carousels
with 8 levels in a pod configuration. This would provide 16,000 filing
inches.
Advantages: Excellent Accessibility (records brought to
operator), Outstanding record retrieval and replacement throughput with
software control.
Disadvantages: Moderate filing density, Moderately costly |
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