The file cabinet has been a familiar part of practically every office for more than a century. They provide a convenient way to store, manage and access paper records such as employee files, customer orders, and sales receipts.
But now that most records are recorded and stored digitally on such devices as laptops, smart phones and tablets, are file cabinets something contemporary office really need to have?
The realistic answer is, “yes and no”.
Minimizing the Footprint of Data Storage
Storing data on the “cloud” — in other words, maintaining important documents digitally on remote servers — is not only faster and more convenient, but it also is a space saver. The biggest problem with file cabinets is that they are big and bulky. They physically take up a lot of room in your business. In some instances, entire wings — or even warehouses — had to be built or rented in order to accommodate the storage of all those paper records.
Today, most of these records can be stored digitally and accessed online whenever you need them. They can be effortlessly shared, modified, or held safely until you need them without taking up a single square inch of floor space.
Important Documents from the Past
But what about all of your company’s existing records? If your business has been around since before most businesses went digital, you probably still have a lot of paper records — including important tax documents, payroll records, and other critical information – that you need to access someday.
While it’s possible to scan all of these documents and convert them into digital records, that can be such a monumental task that many companies opt to simply hold on to all or most existing paper records and store all current and future documents electronically.
Cyber Security a Concern
Another concern is security. Cyber crime is a growing concern among many businesses today. Online criminals have proven efficient at hacking into the computer records of some of the world’s biggest and most successful companies and stealing personal information about their customers, including such things as credit card and bank account numbers.
If these companies can’t keep cyber criminals out, what hope do small businesses have?
In some ways, file cabinets are more secure than digital documentation. It’s far more difficult for somebody to break into a locked building, elude all security protocols, and steal paper documents than it is to hack a computer system with the few keystrokes on their laptop.
Transition to Fully Digital Documentation
In a sense, we are in one of those “in between times” when most businesses haven’t fully committed to digital record keeping and still haven’t completely abandoned traditional paper documents.
Consequently, there is still a need for file cabinets. But most companies probably don’t need to have as many as in the past.
As companies gradually convert to 100% digital documentation, the need for storing existing paper records — as well as security concerns — often justifies the continued use of file cabinets in most offices.