Page 23 - BOSS Today Issue 11

“digital storage has begun

to play a part, but not as
much as first imagined.”

on the subject than they were obviously useful for gardens, but still looking to fulfil consumer the work his consultancy does,
previously,” says Cheesmond, we then got approached by Toys requirements by supplying he says. “Most businesses we
“and actively seek out eco- ‘R’ Us to do baby toy storage for strong, easy assembly and meet want to move away from
friendly products. There is a Babies ‘R’ Us.” environmentally-friendly filing hard copy and have everything
much greater awareness of Nevertheless, he says, the and storage products.” stored electronically. At work
which green attributes are company, all of whose products Ilsen too, thinks talk of a we send out all our invoices
important to the consumer.” are made in the UK, sees great digital takeover is premature. electronically and 95 per cent
She says consumers have potential in office products. “We “In the long term there may be of the invoices we receive are
additionally become aware have a turnover of £16m and a decline in the market we are electronic. By using services
of the myriad of different had 40 per cent growth last year,” serving thanks to the growth like Dropbox you get the best
independent accreditations he says. of digital,” he says, “but in the of both worlds: digital cloud
there are for environmentally But of course, the green meantime there is great growth.” storage that is accessible from
friendly products, and seek these movement isn’t the only However Stewart Watkins, any device and local PC storage
out when they are buying. threat out there. With the of IT consultancy Lighthouse synchronised across the web.”
Attitudes have also changed onset of cloud computing, for IT, who advises both BOSS Such changes do not
on one issue that has previously example, where consumers can and sister organisation the necessarily spell the end of
dogged “green” products, theoretically store as much data BPIF, thinks there have been paper, he says, but they do
and that is their relative and information they want to interesting developments in probably mean that offices
strength compared with more on a seemingly endless range the market. in the future will not need to
conventional items. “Consumers of servers, both real and virtual, invest so heavily in physical
no longer view recycled isn’t there starting to be a threat Changes storage – either in terms of
materials as a lower grade,” she from digital products too? Just look, he says, at the changes office products, or in terms of
says. “Consequently Fellowes Cheesmond isn’t convinced. that have taken place in recent the space they take up.
continues to provide the “Digital storage has begun to years in everyone’s private life. “I am not talking about
consumer with environmentally- play a part in the consumer “My bank statement, my car and scanning your old documents
friendly products that are consciousness,” she says, “but house insurance documents, and storing them digitally,” he
engineered to deliver strength the acceleration has not had and my utilities bills are now all says, “but putting new systems
and durability.” the impact as first imagined. done online,” he says. “They are in place that control the process
We’re still witnessing local all stored in the provider’s admin management and create the
Plastic storage of physical documents area and although I take a copy required electronic documents
Strata Products, whose range both in the office itself but for my own reference, that tends which you can print out at any
tends to focus more on plastic also within company owned to be a digital copy. Even the given point if and when the
storage boxes including boxes facilities, whether they be car’s MOT is now online - you need arises.”
for CDs and DVDs, has also warehouses or other storage just get a receipt.” That, at any rate, is one vision
not been hugely affected by locations. Consequently we are Such changes are reflected in of the future. Cheesmond at
the onset of environmental Fellowes, however, believes
consciousness, primarily that some office products may
because the company has still have something of a retro
responded to it in a positive pull. Her company has noticed
way. “Our boxes are 100 per continuing high demand for its
cent recyclable,” says sales and R-Kive woodgrain effect storage
marketing director Jay Ilsen, “and boxes – from more than one
we have just launched a range quarter.
that is made from recycled “These remain popular in the
materials.” legal sector in particular,” she says,
The company, which is based “as well as in financial services
in Nottinghamshire, has come and the health sector. But they
to office products through a are also being requested as props
circuitous route. Founded by from TV production companies
Ilsen’s grandfather 21 years who are producing legal dramas.”
ago after he had successfully So the storage box, she says,
grown and floated off another is here to stay – in fact and
company on the stock market, it fiction.
operates in the horticultural and
baby furnishings market as well. n Fore more
Ilsen says that is an accident of inFormation visit
history. “We started out with www.fellowes.com/gb and
storage boxes which were Strata Products’ 40-litre Smart Storemaster box, designed for A4 files. www.strataproducts.co.uk.

March 2012 | BOSS TODAY 23

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