What is a Smart Locker?
A smart locker system is a digitally managed storage solution that uses electronic locks, IoT connectivity and software to control and monitor access through mobile, RFID or PIN methods.
Smart locker systems have the ability to provide incredible capabilities beyond the simple storage locker. Thus they are nowadays a common replacement of traditional school lockers, gym lockers, end-of-trip lockers and workplace office lockers.
What are the Benefits of Smart Lockers?
Improved security
If the locker access method is lost or stolen, smart locker access can be revoked from cards or apps through the tap of a button, although physical key locks need to be replaced by a locksmith. Furthermore, security can see who is using which locker and when they access them, providing a live audit trail. This cannot be done through traditional lockers, creating issues around hoarding and tracking.
Improved experience
Users can simply tap their swipe card on a reader or tap an Open button on their mobile phone to authenticate and unlock their booked or allocated locker. The experience is seamless compared to requesting and keeping hold of a key and locker number. On the management side, experience has improved ten-fold. Rather than using pen and paper to track which key has been allocated with which user and locker, management can simply allow users to self-book (meaning zero onboarding time from management), or allocate a locker to a user in a few clicks.
Savings on amount of lockers and space required
Smart lockers allow users to use a locker ‘on-demand’, meaning users can book and access a locker when they need it. This allows organisations to save on the number of lockers and space required, rather than having to provide a locker for every potential user. Offices and workplaces can calculate their locker and space savings.
Large savings in administration time
Administration staff need to consistently turn their focus onto managing traditional lockers, providing and retrieving keys from new and leaving users, assisting users that have forgotten their code or needs assistance in getting into a locker. Large organisations have over 10 FTEs (full-time employees) managing just 10,000 traditional lockers, compared to only 2 FTEs for the same amount of smart lockers. Offices and workplaces can calculate their administration time savings.
Personalisation and analytics
Smart locker systems open the doors to all sorts of opportunities for organisations, including being able to monetise usage, e.g. pay per hour/day, allow for transfer or sharing of ownership of locker, e.g. for pick up and drop offs of laundry, packages, and analytics, for workplaces to understand how their hybrid workplace is being utilised, with the ability to adjust and customise the system on the go.
Installation
Smart lockers have become easier to install and implement, with wireless and serverless options available, they have become as simple as installing a key lock onto a locker.
The benefits of smart lockers have clearly outpaced the traditional smart locker in all aspects. Find out more about how smart lockers work and get access to a short demo video here.
FAQ's
What is a smart locker?
A storage locker fitted with an electronic, keyless lock instead of a key or padlock. It is a digitally managed storage solution, opened through mobile, RFID or PIN methods and managed centrally through a dashboard.
How is a smart locker different from a traditional locker?
A traditional locker uses a physical key or combination. A smart locker connects to software, so there are no keys to lose or reassign, usage is tracked in real time, and the whole locker bank is managed remotely.
How do you open a smart locker?
Ideally with a credential people already have: a building access card or RFID fob, a mobile app, a digital wallet pass (Apple or Google Wallet), a PIN, or a touchscreen kiosk. Some systems also allow access from workplace apps like Microsoft Teams or Outlook.
Do smart lockers reduce how many lockers you need?
Yes. Because people book and access a locker on demand, you no longer need one per person, which cuts the number of lockers and floor space required, commonly by up to around 30 per cent for a shared, software-managed model.
Are smart lockers secure?
A well-built system uses encryption, recognised security certifications such as ISO 27001, and an audit log of who accessed which locker and when. If a card or phone is lost or stolen, access can be revoked instantly, whereas a physical key has to be replaced by a locksmith. However, not all systems are equally secure, so it is worth researching a provider’s security credentials and data handling, and looking at the option to host data on your own servers.
