Okay... so let's recap here...

800
880
1056
1200
1680
1875

Palletize
Don't Palletize

I guess there seems to be a difference of opinion here. =)

First, you had asked about doing this as part of a BCP, and needing to "do
it quickly".   I'd think when developing a BCP, you wouldn't include in it
the prospect of moving ALL of the boxes in the record center quickly, but
rather you would consider the location where the boxes are stored and
minimize the potential that the facility would be impacted such that you
wouldn't NEED to move the entire collection quickly.

You might consider keeping the records stored in a facility away from your
normal place of business, dividing the collection into smaller, more
manageable "chunks" (so if there WAS a risk type incident, you'd have less
to move from any one location), ensuring what's vital is stored elsewhere,
and that a second set of them is available (either in image form, or paper
form) in the event they are damaged, or some combination of the above.
You'd also need to consider having a site available to move them to, rather
then leaving them in trailers/trucks in the event you need to move them...
and the facility would have to be large enough to accommodate the stacks or
pallets you've estimated you'd be moving out.

As for the issue of "to palletize or not to palletize", I'd DEFINITELY go
with palletizing.  There are a number of reasons for this. You can deploy
people to different aspects of the load-out ... some to stripping the
shelves, some to inventorying the boxes, some to stacking the pallets and
shrink wrapping them.  You also have fewer objects to track this way... 20
or 24 pallets versus anywhere between 800 and 1875 individual boxes. Each
box is handled fewer times, so there will potentially be less damage to the
boxes. When you reach a destination, if you need to gain access to a
specific box in a hurry, you can search your inventory lists and locate the
pallet that the specific box is on (quicker to search 40 boxes than identify
one in 1875).  And the shrink wrap helps keep the boxes from shifting as
much when they are moved by truck, so the possibility of contents spilling
and getting commingled is MUCH lower.

Also, keep in mind the need to have material moving equipment available,
like pallet jacks, forklifts, hand trucks, ladders, shrink wrap rollers, and
evaluate both the facility they're in and the one you plan to move them
to... is there a loading dock? A truck pit?  Do you have a flat bay? How
large of a vehicle can you accommodate? Is there a large enough roll up/down
door? Do you have adequate fuel for the forklift to complete the job?  Does
the pallet jack require 220 wiring? Will you have equipment at BOTH ends of
the move available, or do you need to have room in a truck for this as
well?  Can you move the records WITHOUT putting any fuel or fuel using
equipment in with them?

Good exercise... one we should all consider dry-running every now and then.

Larry
--
Larry Medina
Danville, CA
RIM Professional since 1972


On 1/19/06, Brouillette, Deanna L. <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> In designing our business continuity plan, the question came up....if we
> had to move all of the boxes in our records center quickly to another
> location, how many trucks would that require?  So my question for the
> list is this:  has anyone ever figured out approximately how many
> standard records boxes would fit in a semi/tractor trailer-sized moving
>

List archives at http://lists.ufl.edu/archives/recmgmt-l.html
Contact [log in to unmask] for assistance