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Art Storage and Retrieval

As you know, in the agency business, we create large graphic files. Which means we must have the server space to house these files, backup these files and archive these files for future retrieval and/or just storage. The equipment and labor costs to do this are not cheap. Here at the agency, I am considering that we pass these direct client costs through on each creative/graphic project via an internal expense task called "art storage & retrieval" (similar to how we pass internal costs for color copies, travel, zip disks, etc). Does any one out there pass these costs through to the client. And if so, how much do you charge?...a flat rate or by estimated mbs?

Pat Hardesty
Malone Advertising, Inc.
VP Operations

I'm not sure how you are archiving your art files, but we have a system that isn't extremely costly. We burn all completed projects to two CDs. One for on-site storage and one for off-site storage. When our on-site storage gets to cumbersome, we send the oldest set of CDs to off-site storage as well. We rarely keep any completed art files on our server for an extended period of time. The storing of art files is considered part of each project and the time spent is logged to the job number. The cost of the CDs and off-site storage are considered part of overhead, which is calculated and added to our hourly rates. On the other hand, we "typically" charge for our time to retrieve files from archive. I suppose you could pass these costs onto your clients, just be careful that the client doesn't feel like you're nickel and dime-ing them too much.

Belinda M. Wilson
Director of Finance & Operations
Fitting Group

We have run into this issue more and more, and are burning files to CD to send to clients, etc. It takes time, and often if they are not on a current project, the client doesn't want to pay the fee to de-archive and burn a CD (we charge about $100). Any other suggestions would be welcome for me, too. I often feel we're not capturing the true costs of doing this, and it's costing us money. Visit our website to learn more about the art and science of branding, and how we have created successful brand programs for clients in many industries.

Jennifer Larsen Morrow
marketing being
www.creativeco.com

So what do you do when the files are several Gigs in size?

Tony Jeter
JB Herrmann Co

We use a Fire Wire drive to store all old files. It is relatively inexpensive and keeps our operation servers running efficiently.

Barry Owens
Controller
MAI Sports, Inc.

That's just my problem. We have a 400gig server (raid system). Every other week we scramble because we are out of room. We have an intern burning CDs by client but that system doesn't seem to keep up. We have a library of hundreds of CD's--some get lost, some people take them to their station and never return them...you know how that goes. With some of our clients, we need a lot of graphic files on-line even though they have been completed/produced. I know we will have to bite the bullet and expand our server space. Backing up a server of this size will require an expensive tape system. And, for archiving/storage/retrieval, we will probably have to purchase some sort of jukebox. All very expensive. It seems to me that an agency isn't in the storage business and that these costs could be passed through to clients to offset these capital investments

Pat Hardesty
Malone Advertising, Inc.
VP Operations

I chopped your message up a bit since it raises some interesting points that I may be able to help with.

That's just my problem. We have a 400gig server (raid system). Every other week we scramble because we are out of room. We have an intern burning CDs by client but that system doesn't seem to keep up.

We do the same, but we make the production department RESPONSIBLE for making sure they do keep up. They have a deadline for getting each quarter of completed jobs burned to CD's. What ever resources they need to get this done, be it interns, faster CD burners or help from IT they get it, but they need to see to it that it gets done. It made sense for us to go that route since they are the people that know what is done and when.

We have a library of hundreds of CD's--some get lost, some people take them to their station and never return them...you know how that goes.

Make people go to production and request a copy of the file. The CD does not leave productions control. Or in your case make the intern the librarian and make people 'check' them out.

With some of our clients, we need a lot of graphic files on-line even though they have been completed/produced. I know we will have to bite the bullet and expand our server space.

There is a rule in the IT world. No matter how much space you give them they will fill it up. Turn it around. Tell them how much space they are allowed to use and set the disk quotas on the server to enforce it.

Jim Kennedy
Manager Information Systems
Brokaw Inc.

I'm not sure how you are archiving your art files, but we have a system that isn't extremely costly. We burn all completed projects to two CDs. One for on-site storage and one for off-site storage. When our on-site storage gets to cumbersome, we send the oldest set of CDs to off-site storage as well. We rarely keep any completed art files on our server for an extended period of time. The storing of art files is considered part of each project and the time spent is logged to the job number. The cost of the CDs and off-site storage are considered part of overhead, which is calculated and added to our hourly rates. On the other hand, we "typically" charge for our time to retrieve files from archive. I suppose you could pass these costs onto your clients, just be careful that the client doesn't feel like you're nickel and dime-ing them too much.

Belinda M. Wilson
Director of Finance & Operations
Fitting Group

Has anyone checked the price of 200 GB Hard drives these days ? $400 last time I checked. So...... (1) 200 GB drive =269 CDs. You have to figure creating 269 CD's would take at least 18 hours of 1 persons time. 18 x $30 = $540 minimal cost. It's almost cheaper (and faster) to purchase a RAID subsystem, backup your data and skip the CD thing altogether. It surely would be faster and more efficient to recover the archived data. Of course only makes sense if you are either using a redundant storage system, or continuous backup to transportable media.

Dave Braford
IT Manager
Hanon McKendry Advertising

We struggle with keeping an organized archiving system in place, but we have started burning DVD's of all of our finished projects once a month. For around $6 your can store 4.6GB. We rarely need more than two a month.

Noah Sarff, Ambient Communications