Productivity Ratings of Filing Systems

Filing systems are rated based on their capacities, cost, usefulness and productivity. Productivity is the last thing a customer thinks of when purchasing a system however. Most people want to know:

Rarely does a customer ask how productive a system is or how much work they can do in a system during an 8 hour business day. The one cost of a filing system aside from floor space that isn't figured into the usual buying process is productivity or personnel time.

ARMA (Association of Records Managers & Administrators) says the annual total personnel costs for maintaining one four drawer file cabinet of active records is approximately $1,078.00. This amounts to 83% of the total cost of filing.

Why then is 83% of the total cost of filing? Poor performance, ergonomics and productivity.

Horizontal Carousels:
Performance-
Ergonomics- No bending, stooping, twisting, reaching, pushing and pulling. Items come to end user in the front of the system .
Productivity- 250 file actions per hour maximum. This equates to 2,000 filing actions per 8 hour business day.

Rotomat Office (Vertical Carousel):
Performance- 50 to 55 filing inches per square foot
Ergonomics- Fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. No bending, stooping, twisting, reaching, pushing and pulling. Optimal ergonomic relationship.
Productivity- 90 file actions per hour maximum. This equates to 720 filing actions per 8 hour business day.

High Density Compact Mobile Shelving:
Performance- 50 to 55 filing inches per square foot
Ergonomics- Excessive worker fatigue from climbing, bending, stooping, reaching, pushing and pulling.
Productivity- 40 file actions per hour maximum. This equates to 320 filing actions per 8 hour business day.

Lateral Shelving Systems:
Performance- 30 to 35 filing inches per square foot
Ergonomics- Excessive worker fatigue from bending, stooping, twisting, forceful gripping, reaching, pushing and pulling.
Productivity- 35 file actions per hour maximum. This equates to 280 filing actions per 8 hour business day.

Static Shelving:
Performance- 25 to 30 filing inches per square foot
Ergonomics- Excessive worker fatigue from bending, stooping, reaching, pushing and pulling.
Productivity- 40 file actions per hour maximum. This equates to 320 filing actions per 8 hour business day.

Rotary Files:
Performance- 30 to 35 filing inches per square foot
Ergonomics- Excessive worker fatigue from bending, stooping, reaching, pushing and pulling.
Productivity- 40 file actions per hour maximum. This equates to 320 filing actions per 8 hour business day.

Filing Cabinets:
Performance- 10 to 15 filing inches per square foot
Ergonomics- Excessive worker fatigue from bending, stooping, reaching, pushing and pulling.
Productivity- 35 file actions per hour maximum. This equates to 280 filing actions per 8 hour business day.