1. Vertical Filing Carousel: How to Free More Working Space
Whether as an investment or an existing floor plan, space may well be the final frontier. To free
more working space in a bustling Los Angeles office, one facility manager introduced a new filing
and storage system that not only saved space, it improved filing efficiency and streamlined
document retrieval in one of the busiest investment property offices in southern California.
It greatly reduces the amount of space we use by traditional filing system.
Space saving was a major consideration in selecting the system, she added. The compact filing
system not only stores more of the documents we use on a day to day basis, but it also improves our
filing efficiency.
A single vertical storage unit has the capacity to hold the same number of documents as three 5-
drawer flat files, all the while taking up nearly 75 percent less floor space.
Traditional filing storage systems were designed for letter or legal-size documents. Through the
years, large drawings, maps, charts have been stored in flat files or pigeon holes.
One vertical file holds the same number of documents as three 5-drawer flat files, and
requires 75 percent less space. Users find that they can save an average of 68 percent in the time it
takes to retrieve and store drawings. Improving efficiency was also a primary concern for Martin.
Filing took too much time. When you needed to get to the bottom drawing, you had to go through
every other layout. It was even harder to put everything back where it was’. Martin continued,
Vertical file storage saves us a lot of time and keeps everything organized. Everything is
accessible, easy to get to and very well protected she said.
The system offers us greater protection for our documents. They can be safely stored on
hanger strips, which eliminate the need to touch them. We can even give the special documents
added protection by using a protective envelope, which easily slides in and out of the cabinets, said
Martin. Without a doubt, vertical file storage systems are an efficient and ergonomically
friendly filing and storage system,” said Martin.
The vertical cabinets are the perfect solution for storing our maps, property diagrams, architectural
documents, and pretty much any other document imaginable. The files hold anything from 11
inches up to 6 feet in size, and this system is highly versatile”.

2. By transferring files into a compact, smaller footprint, we were able to free up a great deal of
space. Our one vertical file stores the same number of documents as three 5-drawer flat files and
takes less space. We transferred all of the blueprints and floor plans into the new system with room
to spare.
“Because it has a smaller footprint than our old filing system, it saves us a lot of working space,
she said. I can't get over how easy it is to use, she said. I find it to be much easier to look up
specific blueprints and refer to documents quickly. This is no surprise, considering this system
takes an average time of 10 seconds to retrieve documents.
“Vertical files are extremely versatile, almost any size and type of document or material may be
stored in sequence including blueprints, maps, film, artwork and digital media. Vertical file storage
systems offer identification and color coded accessories to make locating and sorting much faster.
Dividers separate projects for further organization. All of the cabinets are fitted with a lock for
additional security”.
As the cost of office space continues to skyrocket, office managers everywhere are looking for
better ways to conserve floor space. This trend has caused an extraordinary increase in use of
vertical document vertical filing storage systems in offices worldwide.
When Tom Fujiwara, Assistant Public Works Director for the City of Redlands, California, needs to
study plans for street repairs or review a map of his city’s storm drain system, he locates and
retrieves large documents more quickly and efficiently than ever before by using the
department’s new vertical file storage system.
“We chose vertical file storage systems because they work. It’s that simple. The cabinets don’t
damage our documents and they are very, very easy to access,” he explained. Before adopting
vertical file storage systems, the city’s thousands upon thousands of pages of large drawings, maps
and exhibits required by the department were stored mainly in flat files or rolled up in tubes in a
corner. “It was very challenging to get your hands on the right document,” Fujiwara said.
According to Fujiwara, “The main benefits of vertical files are that you can access and retrieve files
as you need them. It doesn’t destroy or bend the document. What you don’t want, you can slide
back and access only the files you need at that moment. Everything is accessible, easy to retrieve,
and protected”
For municipalities like the City of Redlands, flat file cabinets just don’t make economic sense
anymore. Vertical file storage systems can store as many documents as 15 drawers of flat files,
while requiring 75 percent less space. Vertical file storage systems save time and money, while
conserving valuable office space.
Jewell Hardin