Storage System Problems in the Workplace—Case Studies of the Workplaces in Tokyo and Fukuoka—

Abstract

The results of a survey that was carried out inside five account division workplaces of design companies in Tokyo and Fukuoka in order to identify problems concerning the personal storage system revealed that the main problem concerns how to organize the files within a desk. Firstly, there is a lack of available storage space and therefore a person couldn't work and sit well as the documents are piled up on the desktop and under the desk. Secondly, the files display within a desk is not sufficient to enable a worker to get what he/she needs easily. Hence, with purpose of overcoming the previous problems, we focused on three requirements: a) How to increase the personal storage space; b) How to display the documents well; and c) How to distribute the documents within a desk. We suggested a solution for each mentioned requirement. This study aims mainly to test the recommended solutions in order to examine their effectiveness to overcome those problems. The results of the tests that were conducted with 20 persons in a working area revealed that the files organization through the desk space has influences on the person's comfort and the time for file accessibility.