For businesses large and small, an organized mail room starts with the proper mailroom furniture. Although they're often overshadowed by more visible processes and systems, mail rooms and the employees who work in them play a key role in delivering the right pieces of mail to the right people at the right time.

Although a mailroom furniture directory might get you headed in the right direction, such a resource also can be overwhelming. It's best to hold off on shopping for mailroom furniture until you have a good understanding of precisely what types of furniture you need. Create your mailroom furniture list and head out shopping to find mailroom furniture only when you know:

1. The volume of ingoing and outgoing mail that passes through your mail room.

2. The functions your mail room furniture will be required to handle.

3. How much space you have for mail room furniture.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Determine the size of mailroom furniture you need

The type and size of your business are two main factors in determining the amount of mail that passes through your mail room each day. It's also important to note whether your employees come to the mail room to pick up and drop off their mail or if your company offers an in-office pickup and delivery service.

I recommend: If your employees pick up their mail in the mail room, a sorter from Everything Office Furniture is a nice choice. If your company offers its employees pickup and delivery service, check out the mail carts at Secure Mailing Systems or Ergo in Demand.

Choose mail room equipment based on necessary mail room functions

Do your mail room employees need countertop space or stations for sorting, preparing and filing? Do you need storage space for packing and mailing materials? Is there any mail room equipment that needs to sit on a table or shelf or that will need its own floor space? Once you know the answers to these questions, there's a solution for every need.

I recommend: For general work and countertop space tables, check out the selection at mailroom furniture provider CNS Office Furniture. If you need storage cabinets and additional shelving, Charnstrom has a nice selection. If yours is a large business that requires a mail hamper, leave room on the floor for one from U.S. Mail Supply.

Measure the space available for furniture in your mail room

One of the most important pieces of mailroom furniture information you need to have in hand before purchasing mailroom furniture is the size of your space. Knowing the layout of the space as well as the dimensions of the room ensures that your purchases fit both your needs and your space.

I recommend: With dimensions and requirements in hand, head over to MikesMailroom.com or PROforma for a large selection of preconfigured and modular mailroom furniture. DEW Filing & Storage offers a compact unit for companies where space is at a premium.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Take a thoughtful stand with your mailroom employees by adding to the mailroom furniture with anti-fatigue comfort mats. Their feet will thank you for it.