The Benefits of Modern Filing Cabinets for Your Business or Home
Offices usually find documents and papers lying around and organizing them is a struggle. There are various ways to organize this mess including the use of file folders. But if you have tons of these file folders containing important documents, you have a bigger problem. One way to straighten this out is by using a filing system and a modern filing cabinet, which helps store photographs, training materials, documents or magazines in one place for immediate retrieval.
Modern Filing Cabinet Benefits
Modern filing cabinets are one of the most common types of business or home storage. Because these storage units have various functions that improve daily operations, they are essential for any home or business.
Here are the overall benefits of using modern filing cabinets:
- These cabinets can accommodate a lot of documents without occupying much floor space.
- It’s simple to store and categorize folders and files, making it also simpler to retrieve documents and thereby contributing to office productivity.
- The ability to store all the files in one location can help minimize the loss of any business information.
- Businesses can also opt to improve the security of files in the cabinets by choosing fireproof and locked units.
- These cabinets come with different types of locks that can enhance the security of confidential information stored in them.
For businesses that need more than the usual office space storage, you may find this storage idea helpful.
Types of Modern Filing Cabinets and their Benefits
Because of its benefits, it is no surprise to find various types of filing cabinets for dorms, schools, offices, and businesses of all sizes. Modern filing systems are also used in business offices to organize documents efficiently. Let’s take a look at these types of cabinets and their benefits.
Modern filing cabinets are usually made of wood or sheet metal. The drawers typically use a slide in facilitating its opening and include a “stopper” that prevents it from being completely pulled out of the cabinet. Most metal filing cabinets come with a sliding mechanism or a thumb latch to help open it. The drawers also have handles to grip and pull it with. The front face of drawers usually has a label holder to help identify the contents inside it.
Most file cabinets use a keyed lock in preventing unauthorized access to documents being stored. There are two locking systems: the cam lock and the plunger lock. The cam and plunger locks are opened using a key to rotate the locks but cabinets with plunger locks are closed by simply depressing the lock’s body.
1. Horizontal filing cabinets
This is a filing cabinet where documents or letters are chronologically placed in folders on top of each other in a flat position with the oldest documents at the bottom and the most recent ones at the top. Here are the benefits of horizontal filing cabinets:
- This kind of filing cabinet uses a system that is easy to understand and requires a simple operation
- Cost-effective since it uses filing folders that are affordable
- Requires a small space in storing files
- Protects letters and documents from moisture, dirt, termites, and silverfish
2.Vertical filing cabinets
This kind of cabinet uses the most well-known type of filing system where documents are placed upright in their folders. Here are the benefits of vertical filing cabinets:
- Provides an enormous capacity to hold a good number of documents and letters
- Filing system is flexible and can house any quantity of folders as required
- Safe way to hold documents
- Cost-effective due to its storage capacity
- Documents can be readily retrieved since it can be indexed in various ways including numerical, alphabetical and subject-wise
- Cabinet uses a filing system that can be applied anywhere
3.Lateral filing cabinets
Lateral filing cabinets are usually 20 inches deep and come in 30, 36, and 42-inch widths. They also have 2, 3, 4, and 5-drawer versions. In this kind of modern cabinet, the documents are arranged laterally along the shelf with the pockets containing index strips on their visible ends of the files. The shelves can be fixed up to a height of two meters while the depth of the shelves is less than 60 cm. Here are the benefits of lateral filing cabinets:
- Needs less space to install due to its small-size cabinet
- Documents can be easily accessed because of their indices
- Provides better scope for expansion as the needs of a modern home or business grow
5.Open-shelf filing cabinets
This is a common filing type of cabinet where the files are placed on open shelves in a numerical arrangement. These shelves are arranged in rows with enough space in between two rows for people to quickly move. The open shelves can be of any height. Here are the benefits of open-shelf filing cabinets:
- Helps save time in locating the documents
- Convenient enough for employees to handle
- Recommended for large offices with a huge volume of files and documents to handle
- Cost-effective
Final Thoughts
Almost all homes and offices have to deal with documents and paperwork every day. These files usually contain valuable information that needs to be protected. Using the appropriate modern filing cabinet can provide the safekeeping that important documents need. With the different filing systems to use, you can easily find one that will suit your office needs.