Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Optiplan's main
business?
- Why is Top-Retrieval Filing so much more
space efficient than conventional leverarch or hanging
filing?
- Filing is filing - why do we need a
filing solution?
- Surely I should use electronic filing and
scan all my records?
- What are the main components of a
Top-Retrieval Filing solution?
- What is the benefit of a mobile storage
unit over static shelving?
- How much Filing can I actually have at my
desk?
- How am I going to ensure that my
documentation remains separated from the sales department? Being
financial is more confidential?
- Why are Optiplan Cabinets so
expensive?
- What other accessories does Optiplan
have to make my filing easier?
What is Optiplan's main
business?
Optiplan are leaders in the design, supply, implementation and
maintenance of paper based information management systems.
This is done through the supply of Top-Retrieval Containerised
Filing solutions.
Top Retrieval Filing is fourth generation filing verses leverarch
files, hanging files, lateral files which are all second and third
generation.
These were invented and developed long before the information
explosion and the rapid increase in office rentals. Only Optiplan
Top-Retrieval Filing has been invented and developed post the
information explosion and post computers.
It is therefore geared to massive space saving, hugely efficient
retrieval and easy replacement of the information in the place
where it will be found if sought again.
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Why is Top-Retrieval Filing so
much more space efficient than conventional leverarch or hanging
filing?
Leverarch files store a lot of air and hanging files require the
file then a folder then only the contents. Optiplan Top Retrieval
Filing comprises a container and files that are selected by weight
for the amount of paper they will contain. There is therefore no
air stored in an Optiplan filing system and the files themselves,
comprise a very small percentage of the overall amount of space
used..
Leverarch files are converted into less than 60% of the space they
currently house when stored the Optiplan way.
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Filing is filing - why do we
need a filing solution?
Filing is not filing. Many systems are untidy, inefficient,
space-hungry and do not serve your needs.
Only Top-Retrieval Containerised Filing offers space saving,
efficiency of retrieval and ease of replacement. And old records
can be easily removed for archiving due to the unitised nature of
the filing system.
The efficiency of use is achieved through the scale which is
printed on every file. This incorporates A-Z, 0-9, days of the
month and months of the year. Whatever is being filed, a "system"
is designed, and the labels are then affixed to the files so that
on opening a drawer, all, or part, of every label is eye legible.
This eliminates time wasting finger searching.
In addition to this, labels are colour coded in 18 colours,
allowing differentiation between document types and
departments.
Through efficient use of the scale the area of search is
dramatically reduced when you get to know the system. In searching
for a 5, you don't look from 0 to 4 or from 6 to 9 but simply down
the "5" row. Similarly in an alphabetical search you eliminate 25
/26th's of the search area, homing in on only the letter being
sought.
In a good system the removal of a file creates a gap in the
pattern, and on re-opening the drawer, the removed file can be
replaced in its correct home by simply cross checking and popping
it in.
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Surely I should use electronic
filing and scan all my records?
You certainly can go this route and for specific applications this
is highly recommended. But scanning and digitising is expensive and
is prohibitive for all records.
Scanning and digital retrieval is useful for information that is
needed very urgently and needs to be disseminated. It is essential
where documents from different databases need to be merged and
distributed.
The majority of all information is however needed by the user for
three months to a year and is retrieved on a fairly irregular
basis. This is best kept in a 2 drawer, under desk unit at the
user's finger tips or in a centrol filing area. Records beyond this
useful date are easily archived.
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What are the main components of
a Top-Retrieval Filing solution?
Start with the File:
There are 12 different standard files ranging from
ultra-lightweight through lightweight, middleweight, to
heavyweight. These house from 35 to 400 documents each.
Most of the files have flaps and some have clips. Clips are only
recommended where sequences are important and for certain legal
information.
Then the Labels:
There are 18 colours of either alpha or numeric tabs on which each
file subject is printed. They are then affixed to the file, using
the scale and creating a "system." Upon opening a drawer, all, or
part, of each label should be eye legible.
Then Containers:
There are plastic or board containers, which house the labelled
files. These are simply dropped into the container.
When a system is designed and supplied approximately 20% growth
space is provided.
Cabinetary:
Containers are housed in Optiplan Top-Retrieval cabinets which
range from 2 to 6 drawer units. This is from desk top height to
just over 1.7 metres high. These are 1150mm wide and 600 mm
deep.
Our Optiplan cabinets are made to the highest quality and have a 12
year guarantee, mostly lasting for over 20 years. 15 containers
fill each drawer, being 3 rows of 5 each. A critical feature is an
anti-tilt mechanism which disables all other drawers when one
drawer is opened. This ensures that there is always more weight
inside the cabinet than outside and the cabinet cannot topple
forward. Without the anti-tilt, if the two top drawers are opened,
there is a good chance that the cabinet will fall on the
user.
In summary, files, labels and containers make up the software part
of the solution, while the cabinets make up the hardware.
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What is the benefit of a mobile
storage unit over static shelving?
If you erect double sided static shelving you need to have a
minimum of an 800mm passage between each row to allow users to
access whatever is stored on the shelves.
With mobile storage the units are rolled back and forward on geared
wheels and a track, and only one 800mm passage is therefore
necessary.
In a 6 or 8 or 12 bay unit this allows 60% additional storage over
static shelving. The Indexing on each unit guides the user to the
sought information.
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How much Filing can I actually
have at my desk?
At the desk a 2 drawer mini or a standard 2 drawer cabinet easily
replace a pedestal and a credenza and fulfil the purpose of
both.
The mini has 2 drawers holding 10 containers each which is the
equivalent of 2 metres of filing.
The standard cabinet holds 15 containers per drawer which is 3
metres of filing.
Both of these have a top stationery drawer which contains a pen and
pencil tray and also has space for telephone books, handbags and a
lunch pack.
If there is less filing then mentioned above, then a base plate can
be placed in one of the drawers to facilitate housing of other
objects.
In summary one could start with 5 containers being half a metre of
filing and increase all the way through to 3 metres, which is a
huge amount of information conveniently at one's fingertips.
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How am I going to ensure that
my documentation remains separated from the sales department? Being
financial is more confidential?
The first differentiator would be to use different colour labels
for files in the sales department than in the financial department.
Should a financial file be seen anywhere in the sales area this
could easily be retrieved.
The second differentiator would be to use a different colour
container in each department and this would also eliminate
misfiling or misplacing of records.
It would be very difficult in any circumstance to stop someone in
one department taking records from another department other than by
restricted access. But by using colour differentiation, misplaced
records can easily be identified and the error can be
corrected.
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Why are Optiplan Cabinets so
expensive?
The investment in an Optiplan Cabinet is for a minimum of 12 years,
which is the guarantee period. Most cabinets last for 20
years.
But this is not the only issue. Through the compactness of Optiplan
Top-Retrieval Filing, 40% of floor space is saved verses
conventional systems cabinets or 4 drawer steel cabinets and the
price differentiation therefore falls away completely.
In addition to the cabinets being on a par in terms of their price,
and what they store, there is an additional saving of office rental
when storing the Optiplan way.
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What other accessories does
Optiplan have to make my filing easier?
There is a divider card which is a light board and is the same
height as the files. This has its own scale and a place on the
right side to affix white labels signifying the start of a new
section. These are used to split up letters of the alphabet or
document types or can be a person's name in a personnel system.
When re-filing, the information on the divider card is used as a
quick reference or check to the file being replaced.
Then there is the file out card. This is a bright red colour and is
used in a number of ways. Preferably the person removing the file
should write their name on the file out card, in the space
provided, along with the name of the file and the date. In this way
anyone seeking a removed file knows where to find it.
Another method is to give each of several users of a central filing
area a number of file out cards each, with a label showing their
name. They simply place this file out card in the place of the file
when they remove it and a second user will know where to go when
they seek that file.
By giving each person 4 or 5 cards you are also limiting the number
of files they are entitled to remove at any one time.
The pocket fix is a small plastic envelope into which a white card
is inserted, bearing the contents of whatever is being demarcated.
This can be used on drawers or on mobile storage or on a plastic or
board container identifying the contents.
The file divider is similar to the divider card but is A4 size, and
is of a much lighter grammage. This is for dividing the contents of
a file into different categories and the file divider label is only
seen once the file is opened.
There are Optiplan Carry Bags. The one holds one container and the
other two. These are used for easy transport of part of your
filing. A file or two can easily be carried to a meeting, but a
large volume needs better containerisation. The bags have
compartments for brief case contents such as pens, spectacles, a
lap top and loose papers.
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Handwriting the labels does work well with a neat handwriting,
and is quite efficient when adding one or two files to a
system.
However the printed labels are neater and more consistent and to
enable this, there is an Optiplan label programme which is supplied
on a disk.
There can be 1, 2 or 3 fields per label and a page full of label
indexes can be captured at a time for instant printing onto the
full page.
Optiplan labels are a composite of the paper label and the plastic
overlay and these are peeled off the back of the board and placed
carefully on the back scale of the file. The overlay is then folded
over and rubbed firmly with one's fingers.
Remember, there are 18 different label colours.