Co-Inventor Of The Barcode Passed Away. Without Him Records Storage Wouldn't Be The Same.

Norman Joseph Woodland, the Co-inventor of the barcode passed away on Sunday the 9th. Without his invention the records storage industry would be nowhere near as efficient and affordable as it is today. Every day we scan hundreds of barcodes on records storage boxes to insert and remove your document containers from our inventory. Without the barcodes it would take minutes instead of seconds to locate the files and boxes our clients request.

Barcodes in Records Storage

Woodland was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 6, 1921. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering from Drexel University in 1947.

While at the beach, Woodland considered the problem of how to capture product information automatically at grocery checkout, recalling how with Morse code dots and dashes are used to send information electronically, he started to draw dots and dashes in the sand similar to the shapes used in Morse code. He pulled the dots and dashes downward with his fingers and produced thin lines from the dots and thick lines from the dashes, he came up with the concept of a two-dimensional, linear Morse code, and after sharing it with Bernard Silver, they applied for a patent on October 20, 1949, receiving U.S. Patent 2,612,994 ("Classifying Apparatus and Method") on October 7, 1952.

Woodland was employed by IBM in 1951, and although Woodland and Silver wanted IBM to develop the technology, it wasn't commercially feasible, so they sold the patent to Philco in 1952 for only $15,000. The first item scanned was a packet of Wrigley’s chewing gum in an Ohio supermarket in 1974. Barcodes are now used everywhere, from grocery stores, to blood banks, airline luggage, and most importantly to us, they are used within the records storage industry.
 
When a warehouse holds millions of records storage boxes there must be a quick, efficient way to find them. In the past, before barcoding, companies used paper and pencil and a lot of man hours to shelve and locate records. Now, thanks to Woodland’s invention, the technology has reduced the time spent searching for records from the numerous hours it would take into seconds. The sophisticated barcode tracking system we use makes it easy to find your records.

At Cityside Archives each item and records container for storage receives a unique barcode. Each shelf position also has a barcode. When we place the box on the shelf we scan both barcodes, telling our inventory system exactly where that file and box are located.

To learn more about Cityside Archive’s barcode system or to request a quote for document management and records storage check out our website at www.citysidearchives.com.

Cityside Archives 2 - Natural Disasters 0

Cityside Archives has weathered Hurricane Sandy and yesterday's snow storm with no damage and only minimal service interruptions to our records management services.

We did lose power last week but thanks to our backup generators we were able to function with a limited capacity to fulfill our clients record management needs. Some of our competitors had damage to their facilities and still don't have power. One thing we learned from this experience is that Cityside Archive's planning and emergency systems and procedures worked.

Many businesses are facing a lot of property damage. Hundreds of  businesses had flooded basements and lost years of important files and records. This is one of the risks you can avoid by storing your records and documents offsite with Cityside Archives. Our facilities are built above grade level and are constructed of concrete and steel to withstand high winds and the weight of heavy snow.

Some businesses can't open yet due to power outages and damage to their buildings and it's still tough for some people to get to work. Even if you can't get to your office, Cityside can deliver your files and records to wherever you are working from in the greater New York City Metropolitan Area.

We hope you and your families made it through the storms unscathed and that everything will return to normal for everyone as soon as possible.

If you have any questions on our records storage and related services please contact us. 

Why use a record storage company?

Most, if not all businesses and firms are required to maintain and keep certain records and files for an extended period of time. Many companies store these records and documents in boxes or filing cabinets in their office space, in their basements or attics, or in a self-storage unit. They may think that storing it themselves is the best and most cost effective way to do it. They're wrong!

Why store files and records with an offsite storage company?

Because you have better things to do than to manage and protect your records!

For many businesses it is more efficient and cost effective to outsource records storage and document management to an offsite company with the specialized personnel, vehicles for deliveries and pick-ups, facilities and security measures that are more conducive to the long term preservation and security of your important files and records.

Here are some of the main reasons to store your boxes of files and records with a document management company:

1) The records/files and boxes you need to put into storage can be picked up and the boxes you may need to review can be delivered right to your door.
2) Better organize, preserve and manage your records.
3) Save valuable office space.
4) Save on time and labor costs, limit and/or eliminate liability for your personnel that might otherwise have to drive to and from your self-storage unit, and in the potential for worker’s compensation due to injuries that could be sustained maneuvering heavy boxes of records.
5) No more worrying about flooded basements ruining your important files and records.
6) Increase protection from theft and fire damage with a state-of-the-art fire and security systems.
7) Hard copies can often be delivered in 2 hours or sent electronically even faster.

Some companies like Cityside Archives will even pick up your files and records for free.

Most records storage companies use a bar-code system. A bar-code sticker goes onto the box you are storing. When the box reaches the storage facility, the bar-code is scanned and entered into the system. The box is then placed onto a shelf and scanned again so the system knows where the box is being stored.

Self storage and office space does not come cheaply. A company in the New York Metro area often pays at least $50 per square foot for office space.  Each box you send to a storage company like Cityside Archives can be stored for only around a Quarter per month! Then you can put that extra space to better use, like generating more income for your company, freeing up extra office space to minimize the need for a costly move and making the office look neater and more professional.

For most medium and large sized businesses, and even some small ones, the best and most cost effective way to store files and records is clearly with a document management company like Cityside Archives.

Cityside Rolls Out New Website

After two years with the same website design, Cityside Archives has worked hard to create a new website that is much easier to navigate, more informative and more manageable. The new website allows you the opportunities to buy file boxes and let you take a virtual tour of our facilities. For customers you still will be able to access the client log in site, view your inventory and order your containers using the link above.

Our new website can still be found at www.Ctiysidearchives.com

Let us know what you think, or if you have any issues with the new site so we can fix them as soon as possible.