For this project I was tasked with reorganizing the archive records kept in the warehouse. This was one of my first tasks within my current company.
The archive files had become disorganised, and the time to retrieve files in time sensitive situations such as audits had become unacceptable. Due to the large number of files that were currently stored, the maintenance of the files had become too much. There were over 600 banker boxes in the archive files that had to be organised.
Files were also organised in various locations in the warehouse without order, and the file contents were maintained in separate excel sheets. The boxes themselves were also organised by their warehouse location, with specific boxes not being identified individually.
I began by recording individual boxes on the pallets and giving them a unique identifier number. This number was also prefixed by a department number. The contents of the box were then recorded with that individual identifier number and this was recorded on a single spreadsheet.
After a considerable amount of time all boxes in the warehouse had been recorded on an individual spreadsheet. This sheet was then broken out by tabs so that each department could easily access their files.
I also added a ‘Quick Search’ function to the opening tab of the workbook that allowed users to search boxes by description, file type, or specific file contained in the workbook and return all possible boxes.
After this was completed, it was decided that boxes would be moved to an off-site location to free up space in the warehouse. It was my responsibility to evaluate various off-site locations, including site visits and report back my findings to management. After a location was chosen, boxes that could be sent for destruction were identified and removed from the warehouse. This was done in alignment with current document retention periods.
The boxes to be sent for off-site storage were then given an individual barcode identifier by the external storage company to ensure that the transfer process between the workbook I had created and their system was as smooth as possible.
After the transfer of files off-site it was my responsibility to write numerous operating procedures and work instructions for the company to ensure the correct documentation was in place moving forward. This also involved training other staff, in case I was not available, so that authorised personnel could still retrieve the needed files in my absence. It also involved a more general training to all office staff to inform them of the changes and new process involved.
This system is still in place within the company. Files can now be easily accessed by authorised personnel and file retrieval for files on-site have been reduced to within an hour of the initial request.
