When a filing system becomes unwieldy and inefficient, it can be a cause of inefficiency which in turn may lead to potentially harmful mistakes being made. A government department, for example, that still has traditional filing cabinets may no longer be able to operate this system because of increased volume of paperwork, files, periodicals and so forth.

With computers now very much a feature of any governmental department, it is clear that its paper document storage system needs to be updated. The traditional filing system should be moved away from and a space-saving alternative must be considered.  Not only is this idea practical, it also enhances the working environment and this in turn will result in more efficient operation of the department.

The manager’s next task is to decide on a company to provide him or her with a storage solution that will work inside the monetary limitations.  The department will require a fast turnaround and a robust shelf storage system. The advantage of a fast turnaround time is that the storage system will be installed quickly and this will cause as little disruption to office procedures as possible.

The ideal shelf storage system will have a small footprint, that is to say, it will take up as little space as possible. It should have a track that can be laid on the floor rather than having a line dug into the floor to accommodate the track. Castors at the front and a track only at the back will be ideal and there will be no trip hazard.

A spare bedroom has a plethora of potential uses. The installation of a floor to ceiling shelving system against one wall, for example, would be an excellent way of storing book, DVD or CD collections. DIY websites will stock these systems which can usually be added to if the buyer wishes to extend his storage space.

The shelving units are usually available as self-assembly, in various attractive wood or white finishes.

Assuming the shelving system has adjustable shelves, then part of it could be used for document or file storage. With the addition of a computer desk and desktop computer, the room becomes a small office for those who work from home.

A sofa bed is an ideal way of making a temporary guest room for visitors. When not being used as a guest room, a small TV, DVD player and sound system will create a perfect place to relax on the comfortable sofa and watch your favourite movie or to chill out listening to music.

If you wish to use the room simply as a storage area, then plan carefully how to utilise the space effectively. For documents, papers and files, a range of plastic, lidded storage boxes are available in different sizes. The boxes may be stacked on the bedroom floor or stored on shelves. Plastic boxes are extremely versatile in that they may be used to store any number of different items; children’s toys, photo albums or camping equipment such as portable gas stoves, hurricane lamps and sleeping bags for example.