Deanna, I've done a number of studies over the years comparing costs,
generally for organizations with a broad mix of equipment (file
cabinets, movable shelving, lateral files, open shelving, etc...). In
general, one comes up with a 1:1 relationship between square feet and
cubic feet in an average active office environment. In others words,
every cubic foot you remove from active office space has the potential
to save a square foot of floor space. I realize that this doesn't work
for organizations using a lot of high density shelving where the ratio
will be less square feet per cubic foot - again, I've just come across
this result from organizations with a wide mix of equipment and office
configurations (which is true in most local governments). With this in
mind, you can compare storage costs in terms of the cost per square foot
of active office space, and the cost per cubic foot in inactive storage
space (or filming, or scanning, or whatever). Admittedly rough - but it
works as a quick and dirty guesstimate. It does not include cost of
equipment (much more expensive in an office) or cost of usage (the major
cost factor). Often, however, folks can see the square foot/cubic foot
difference and fairly easily understand that the other costs would only
broaden the difference further. In other words, it works as a start to
the conversation. 

Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Fleet, Records, Electronics, Distribution & Stores
(FREDS)
1620 SE 190th Avenue
Portland OR 97233
phone: (503)988-3741
fax: (503)988-3754
[log in to unmask]

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