Filing Systems

Organizations always have a need to record their communications. Creating a Filing System that can support your business, is as important as the Office Layout or Space Planning required to ensure efficient flow of such records, without cluttering workspaces. A good filing system will put you back in control, enhance your professional image and increase productivity, by helping you find relevant correspondence.

According to Susan Silver (Organized To Be The Best!, Adams Hall Publishers, 1995), when it comes to files and piles, people have three fears. Do any of these sound familiar?

• Afraid to make a decision (where to file it). If it doesn’t have a name, it doesn’t get a home & collect in unnamed stacks, piles, drawers and in-boxes.
• Afraid to discard anything. Heaven forbid you should throw anything out – you might need it someday.
• Afraid you’ll never see it again. Filing an item in some systems is like flinging it into a black hole.

CA Office Design, believes that Filing Cabinets are one of the best tools in maintaining an organized and efficient office space at your business. Not long ago, your choices in filing cabinets were limited to two or four drawers and black or grey. Today, there are countless sizes, colors, materials and other options to find just the right filing cabinet.

Filing Cabinet Types

• The more traditional of the options are generally 28″ deep but take up little width (15″), as they are only as wide as a vertical folder and range from a 2 drawer to 5 drawer filing cabinet.
• The typical office vertical file cabinet 28½ inches deep and the drawer holds 27 inches of files.

Shallower cabinets are also made: 26½-inch deep cabinets with 25″ drawer depth, 25″ deep cabinets with 23½-inch drawers. Naive buyers shopping for price often inadvertently compare units with shallow and deep drawers.

• Has open shelves, like a bookshelf, with a set of (lockable) doors.
• They are mainly available in the following sizes:
  • 36″W x 18″D x 42″H
  • 36″W x 18″D x 72″H
• Colors: Black, Light Grey & Putty

• A lateral filing cabinet, on the other hand, is designed for use where wall space is not important but depth may be a factor.
• Lateral Files normally are available in either 36″W or 42″W options and are usually 20″D.

• Ideal for storing large sheets of paper such as blueprints, drawings and sketches.
• They vary greatly in depth and width – depending on the size of the drawings you need to store.
  • 36″W x 24″D
  • 42″W x 30″D
  • 48″W x 36″D
• They are available in either 5 Drawer or 10 Drawer options, both units accommodating 1,000 documents each.
• Colors: Black, Light Grey & Putty

Quality of Filing Cabinets

There are three main areas you need to consider when checking the quality of a filing cabinet:

• Suspension – One of the most important aspects to consider is the suspension. If the suspension is flimsy, as in many cheap file cabinets, the drawers will not open and shut properly once they have files in the drawers.
• Durability – You should also examine the durability. High quality filing cabinets are made of reinforced steel, which will ensure protection of important files.
• Safety Features – There are a variety of features that can be utilized to ensure safety in your home, office and workplace. Be sure to check for the following:
  • Anti-tipping features that does not allow multiple drawers to be opened at one time.
  • Counter weighted drawers, locking mechanisms that allow only one drawer to be open at a time, and drawers that open smoothly even when heavily loaded.

Wooden Filing Cabinets

Wooden file cabinets are usually the top choice for home office furniture or executive offices. Wooden options will give you a warm ambiance and will look more like room decor and less like a storage system. You can normally choose from Mahogany, Cherry, Espresso, Urban Walnut & Slate Grey. See some of  CA Office Design’s Case Goods options hereby.