Whether following a renovation or a change of address, as a business owner you will be required to relocate your archives. This operation requires meticulous preparation. So you need to ask yourself the right questions for a successful archive move. Which documents should you keep? How do you choose a new storage facility? How do you organize the transfer of your archives?
Inventory your archives
The first step in moving your archives is to establish their quantity. This will give you a clear idea of the overall condition of your archives. Don't hesitate to sort through them, keeping only those documents that are still of use to your company. A recollection of your archives will also enable you to determine whether any files are missing or damaged. You'll be able to note whether any files have been lost, or proceed with the destruction of documents that no longer have any legal value.
In the event of significant deterioration of crucial documents, you can plan for their restoration, or even opt for a digitization operation. Evaluating your archives' old filing system will give you the opportunity toestablish a new retrieval system that will enable you to remedy the shortcomings of your old methods.
Linear footage: unit of calculation
You can use typology and volume as a basis for the sorting required for the transfer. Your calculations will be taken into account when designing the shelving. In fact, service providers use the linear metre as a unit of calculation to list storage. One square meter is equivalent to 8 linear meters. This corresponds to approximately 40,000 sheets. Similarly, a standard-sized office cupboard can hold around 6 linear meters of archives. This translates into 30,000 A4 papers.
To calculate how many linear meters you need for your archives, there are several angles of treatment. For example, if your documents are stacked, you need to measure the height of the piles they form. If, on the other hand, they are arranged vertically, you simply need to calculate the length over which they extend. If you're storing in racks, you'll need to define the specific length of each drawer. If it's a heap, consider determining the volume using the cubic metre. Then multiply the result by eight to define the linear footage.
It's also a good idea totake stock of the equipment you need to manage and store your archives, so that you can adapt it to your new space.
Prepare the new premises
It's very important to prepare the new place where your archives will be stored in advance. You need to check that its configuration is appropriate for the volume of documents to be stored there. It's also important to know whether the new space complies with preservation standards that will prevent your precious documents from deteriorating. With this in mind, we recommend that you evaluate criteria such as temperature, light exposure andhumidity levels.
Technical details relating to the infrastructure must also be taken into account. From the height of the ceiling to the layout of pipes and emergency exits, nothing should be left to chance. That's why we recommendone or more visits to your future premises before finalizing the transfer of your archives. With all the facts in hand, you'll be able to optimize the use of your future archive storage space while guaranteeing optimum accessibility.
Get professional help
For accurate data and appropriate results, it's best to entrust this procedure to an experienced service provider. Leaving this task to your own staff can create a colossal margin of error. When it comes to handling a large volume of archives that may contain confidential documents, put your trust in Rolls Rapides. Our company has distinguished itself by working with both SMEs and international corporations.
By contacting our operators, you will discover our moving solutions for corporate archives. Our experts will assess your needs and suggest the most suitable formulas for your situation. We'll provide you with a transparent estimate that's both reliable and cost-effective.
