5-Step Guide

to Cubicle and Office Furniture Storage

Many companies find themselves in a position of needing either short-term or long-term cubicle or
office furniture storage. The reasons why may vary. The company may have moved, combined
divisions, or undergone the unfortunate task of downsizing its staff. In any case, the amount of
cubicles and/or furniture and equipment in their office is more than is needed.
Intuitively, most companies understand the value of shelving these unused assets to reduce immediate costs, but still would like to have them available for future use.
The answer is short-term or long-term furniture storage.
But what are the most important things to think about when considering storage? Heres our 5
step guide to what weve experienced to be the top concerns for short-term or long-term cubicle
and/or office furniture storage.

1. Decide What to Store

2. Determine Storage Area Needs

3. Choose the Right Storage Company

4. Track Inventory

5. Calculate Your Cost Savings

1. Decide What to Store

So, youve made the decision to place unused cubicles and office furniture in storage. Youve

Intuitively, most

talked with a space planning consultant or walked through your office with your team and started

companies under-

making a preliminary list of items that are unused or could be consolidated.

stand the value

Storing these items presents a huge potential to save. But what exactly can and can not be

of shelving these

stored? Heres a list of common items that weve found companies typically store for short-

unused assets to

term or long-term storage.

reduce immediate costs, but still

would like to have
them available for
future use.

Cubicles - new or used cubicles, room dividers, modular partitions

Free-standing office furniture - desks, credenzas, conference tables

Chairs - rolling desk chairs, fixed guest chairs, auditorium seating

Case Goods and Storage - filing cabinets, flat files, storage cabinets, drawers,

overhead bins, book cases

Electronics - copy machines, fax machines, computers, monitors, printers, phones

Hard Copy Files - boxed archives of paper files, books

Artwork paintings, prints, sculptures

Miscellaneous office supplies, hardware, carpet, maintenance materials such

as doors and ceiling tiles and other construction material.

2. Determine Storage Area Needs

Every office area is different and creates different storage needs, but our experience over the
years has enabled us to have a good ballpark figure that should help you with the information
you need. Of course, a specific storage needs analysis for you particular space can be provided by your storage provider if a more accurate explanation is required.
2009 Cubicle Solutions 23 Northwestern Dr. Salem NH 03079 Phone: 8664442823 www.cubicle-solutions.com

Most offices are a combination of cubicles, free-standing office furniture, chairs, case goods
and storage, electronics, hard copy files, and artwork. Most of those items, when stored, take
up far less space than when they are in place and available for regular office use. For instance, cubicles can be knocked-down. Free-standing office furniture, chairs, case goods and
archived boxes, all can be stacked in considerably less space.
Weve found that on average, storing unused cubicles and furniture pieces will reduce space
usage by roughly two-thirds.
Thats a lot of space savings. So, if the area youre consolidating takes up about 3,000 square
feet of space when in use, the ballpark is that it will take up roughly 1,000 square feet of
space when in storage. And since the cost of storage space is considerably less than office
space, storing unused items is actually a double advantage.

. Choose the Right Storage Company

Whether you need a little space for short-term storage, or a lot of space for long-term storage,
finding a storage company and facility that meets certain minimum criteria is important. It will
ensure that your investment of cubicles, furniture and equipment remains available and retains its
value as an asset for your company.

Weve found
that on average,
storing unused

The first decision in choosing a storage company is whether to use a professionally managed storage facilities or a self-storage option. Although there are benefits to both, be sure to compare
apples-to-apples when evaluating which one is right for you. You may find that a professionally

cubicles and

managed facility actually gives you more for your money than does a self-storage option, with

furniture pieces

more guarantees and far fewer headaches.

will reduce space

usage by roughly
two-thirds.

If youre not sure whats right for you, use this quick checklist to compare.

Choosing Professionally Managed or Self-Storage

Factors to Concider

Professional Ofce Furniture

Storage & Management

Secure
(alarms, surveillance, 24/7 access, scheduled access)

Environmentally Controlled
(water tight, constant moderate temperature, airflow)

Fully-Insured
Low or NO deductible, even during transit)

Furniture Professionals
(certified installers for tear-down, office space planning professionals)

Transportation
(pick up and delivery with insured vehicles and drivers)

Packing Supplies
(boxes, labels, packing materials)

Inventory Tracking
on-site during the knock-down and ongoing, online, perpetual
at the storage facility

Self-Storage

2009 Cubicle Solutions 23 Northwestern Dr. Salem NH 03079 Phone: 8664442823 www.cubicle-solutions.com

This guide assumes youve chosen a professional office furniture storage option and are now considering which facility is appropriate for your needs. There are three things to consider:

A. A secure location

B. An environmentally controlled location

C. A fully insured location

D. Certified Furniture Professionals

E. Storage Transportation (Pick up and delivery)

F. Packing Supplies

A Secure Location
Not all storage locations are equal when it comes to security. Youre best bet is to ensure your
cubicles, furniture, and equipment are stored in a secure location. Reputable storage firms
guard their clients valuables in a warehouse that is safe and secure. Entry points should be
locked and visitor access scheduled and escorted. Additionally, facilities should secure the
building with entry alarms and surveillance cameras to maintain a reasonable level of safekeeping. Bonus for facilities where 24/7 access is provided.

An Environmentally Controlled Location

Many of the items youll be storing have the potential for environmental damage. Moisture,
excessive heat or extended cold snaps can warp wood furniture or mold the fabric-covered
cubicle panels. Damaged goods quickly lose their value and usefulness.

Finding the right

A safe option is to store unused cubicles, furniture and equipment in an environmentally

storage company

controlled warehouse to avoid damage. Choose a storage location that is water tight and

ensures that your

investment of

that maintains an average temperature between 54 to 80 degrees with good airflow and
ventilation. Roofs should be leak free, as should walls and entry ways to avoid water
entering the building or pooling around stored items. Maintaining an even temperature

cubicles, furniture

eliminates the twisting and distortion on wood components as well as prevents fabrics from

and equipment

mildewing.

remains available

A Fully Insured Location

and retains its

value

Even the most well managed storage facilities encounter occasional challenges outside their
control. In the event that a facility experiences misfortune, youll want to be sure that it is fully
covered.

Materials should also be covered during transit from your facility to the storage facil-

ity. They should be fully-insured with a minimum or no deductible to you.

Certified Furniture Professionals

Some storage facilities are just that; storage facilities and nothing more. While that may work
in certain instances, often times, companies are looking for providers that combine the physical storage space along with the skill to plan, install, tear-down and reconfigure their cubicles
and furniture. Office space planning services outline office layouts to comfortably accommodate new office needs, while minimizing wasted space. Certified installers facilitate reconfigurations and maintenance. Companies that combine space planning, installation, and storage
options are a good bet for value.

Storage Transportation (pick up and delivery)

Storage facilities that offer furniture pick up and delivery make the storage option even more
trouble-free. Its more convenient to make one call rather than making several calls to coordinate the storage facility, workers to move the materials and a trucking company to transport
2009 Cubicle Solutions 23 Northwestern Dr. Salem NH 03079 Phone: 8664442823 www.cubicle-solutions.com

them. Any transportation company, whether independent or affiliated with a storage facility should always maintain insured vehicles and drivers to guarantee your office furniture is
secure during transport.

Packing Supplies
A storage facility that offers packing supplies can be a real time saver. Although not a critical
consideration, having a one-stop location for all the materials you need for relocation or reconfiguration makes the process easier. Corrugated storage boxes, labels, tape, bubble wrap,
bags and plastic, stretch wrap, and cushioning materials (peanuts and foam) all keep your
valuables looking good.

4. Track Your Inventory

Inventory tracking doesnt just start at the point where the furniture hits the storage
facility. Reputable furniture installation and storage companies should have a multi-point
checking system to keep things on track during the knock-down, removal and transit process, followed by an inventory tracking system once the materials arrive and are stored at
the facility.

Reputable

Pre-Storage Inventory Checkpoints

furniture installa-

The first checkpoint is a preliminary assessment and evaluation. This may happen during the esti-

tion and storage

companies should

mate process when you and your storage company vendor walk through your office and note how
many cubicles, offices, conference rooms and other materials are to be stored.

have a multi-point

The second checkpoint is on the day of cubicle or office knock-down. The installation team, or

checking system

in this case the de-installation team, that disassembles the cubicles and office furniture should
create an inventory of how many assembled offices were torn down and loaded for transport
to the storage facility.
The third checkpoint is when the trucks carrying the knocked-down cubicle and office materials arrive at the storage facility. When the materials are unloaded they should be individually
itemized and tagged with a final report available to you for your records.

On-Site Storage Inventory

Once your cubicles and furniture are safely and securely stored, youll want a means of
tracking the status of your stuff so youll have instant access to whats available.
A perpetual (or continuous) inventory is the preferred method of keeping track. It notes
any inbound or outbound movement of materials and updates the accounting version with
the actual stock on hand. This guarantees that youll have full knowledge of whats available
when you need it.

An online inventory tracking system is even more accommodating. It al-

lows you to check the status instantly without calling or visiting the storage facility
in person.

2009 Cubicle Solutions 23 Northwestern Dr. Salem NH 03079 Phone: 8664442823 www.cubicle-solutions.com

5. Calculate Your Yearly Cost Savings

Now that youve decided what to store, determined how much space youll need, chosen a
storage company thats right for you and are actively tracking your inventory, you can bask in
the glory of knowing youve saved your company a bundle.
But exactly how much did you save? Heres a formula to estimate that.

Yearly Existing
Usage Cost

Yearly
Storage Cost

Calculate existing usage cost:

Total
sq. ft.

Office
space cost

Yearly
Savings

Calculate storage cost:

Yearly
Yearly
(.333)
storage
rate per
Total
space
sq. ft.
sq. ft.
cost

Yearly rate
per sq. ft.

Its based on three assumptions:

1. That storage reduces space requirements by roughly two-thirds (.667), according to our experience.
2. That the average office space rates across the Northeast are about $40 per square foot. Although
costs vary by location, you can plug in the rates in your specific area for a more accurate estimate.
3. That although other cubicle installation and storage companies may vary, Cubicle Solutions, Inc. storage rates are typically $12 per square foot per year.

So, lets say that you have six standard-size cubicles (8 x 8) and two offices (10 X 12) that
will be stored. First lets calculate the square footage of the areas.

bask in the glory

of knowing youve

Six standard-size cubicles (8 x 8)

= 6 X 64



= 384 sq. ft.

saved your company

384 sq. ft + 240 sq. ft. = Total of 624 sq. ft.

a bundle

Two offices (10 x 12)

= 2 X 120
= 240 sq. ft

Now, plug your square footage number into the existing usage costs formula and the storage cost formula.
existing usage cost:

Total sq. ft. X yearly office space cost = yearly rate per sq. ft.

624 X $40 = $24,960 per year
storage cost:
(.333) Total sq. ft. X yearly storage space cost = yearly rate per sq. ft.

(.333) 624 X $12 = yearly rate per sq. ft.

208 X $12 = $2,496 year
Yearly Existing Usage Cost Yearly Storage Cost = Yearly Savings

$24,960 - $2,496 = $22,464 Yearly Savings

(or $1,872 Monthly Savings)

Thats a 9-times ROI savings!

2009 Cubicle Solutions 23 Northwestern Dr. Salem NH 03079 Phone: 8664442823 www.cubicle-solutions.com

About Cubicle Solutions

Customers count on CSI for professional management of their office environment needs. This
includes cubicle and office furniture installation, office reconfiguration, office relocation, furniture storage, deliveries, space planning and design, auditorium seating and flooring.
Founded in 2001, Cubicle Solutions has quickly emerged as an office and system furniture
installation leader. We have experienced exponential growth, more than doubling in size each
year since our inception.
The key to our success is our commitment to our clients. Utilizing our many years of experience, we ensure that our clients projects run smoothly, on time, on budget and with as little
stress as possible.

2009 Cubicle Solutions 23 Northwestern Dr. Salem NH 03079 Phone: 8664442823 www.cubicle-solutions.com