Smart Lockers
Lately, “Smart” has become a buzzword in tech circles. Every day, some new intelligent technology pops up to digitize an existing mechanism. In the case of lockers, though, it was a necessity. Moving beyond lock and key was an obvious next step.
The first concern with lock and key systems was security. Organizations store many assets under lock and key, which are vulnerable to tampering and theft. More than that, however, managing keys itself is a hassle. Even a mid-sized organization would have to manage hundreds of keys, and keeping track of them would be a significant headache. Things get more complicated when multiple people access the same documents, and all access history must be maintained in another record.
Access control intelligent lockers are the obvious solution that solves all of these problems and has many other added advantages. We shall take an objective look at the same during this article. They are no longer just a trend but a mandatory practice that your users and staff expect from you.
Why Are Intelligent Lockers Necessary?
Intelligent lockers are necessary today because of many factors. Organizations are scaling. We observe larger and more extensive facilities with more human resources active at a time than ever before. On the other hand, it is easier than ever to manipulate a system and access-restricted items. There is always a need to maintain equilibrium between the two.
Simultaneously, the value of personal belongings — monetary or otherwise — is significantly higher. Some rules require staff and guests to deposit them while working, making safety the responsibility of the organization hiring them.
Lastly, when everything is being digitized, the logs for user tracking need digitization too. It is cumbersome to access ledgers and sit through each entry. Digitization helps you use the data to analyze your guests’ and employees’ usage patterns to optimize the materials and observe usage trends within your organization.
Intelligent Lockers: Who Needs Them?
Every organization needs a system for secure storage and easy access. Intelligent lockers come in various configurations to suit the needs of any business setup. Let us assess the usage through some examples.
Offices: Many offices do not allow personal items in the working area due to various compliance issues. To execute this rule, they need to provide a safe storage solution for their employees. What’s more? They need to store multiple pieces of equipment with limited accessibility. Many employee storage solutions are available to protect these assets, along with storage solutions for valuable equipment.
An example case is hoteling employee storage, used for storing personal items and belongings. The solution used is a smart day-locker storage that works with RFID tags. It is one of the most basic locker systems and an essential investment to assure your employees that their personal belongings are safe while they are on the job.
Schools: Schools need to provide locker storage facilities for students and the staff. Similar to corporate offices, they too need to store expensive lab equipment. An intelligent locker facility helps keep the students and staff safe and ensures that the institute stays organized. In most cases, the progressive people using this system will welcome access control intelligent lockers as a positive change to the school or institute infrastructure.
A specific case is that of intelligent college ID lockers operated through a PIN. These are meant explicitly for deliveries to the students. When someone makes a delivery, it is stored safely in the locker, and the access PIN is sent to the student’s registered mail ID or as a text message on their cell phones. The student can later collect this item. Thus the delivery service has made a secured delivery without interrupting the student’s routine.
Healthcare: When a doctor or assisting staff is working, they should not be worried about their personal belongings’ safety. However, healthcare storage is more challenging than that.
Most on-duty doctors will store their belongings for a limited amount of time, and the safe locker will be used by another person when their shift ends. In such a case, managing keys while ensuring that the items stay safe will be difficult with traditional lock and key systems.
Besides, many restricted medical items need secure storage. The hospital needs to make sure only authorized people have access to it. Since multiple people will be using the locker, key management is a hassle. It is also necessary to keep track of who used the locker and when — all of these mandate an electronically controlled system.
Law Enforcement: The case for law enforcement is even more critical. A lot of sensitive information and articles need to be stored safely. Personal storage might also include firearms that could be hazardous in the wrong hands — particularly with firearm theft on the rise. The lockers also need to be accessible on short notice.
Apart from personal articles, other items, such as ammunition, need storage with proper logging. Proper gun storage needs a reliable locker system that is accessible independently with the right authorization. Ideally, a biometric scanner should unlock the required locker cabinet, enter the time and user, and provide access to the individual item that needs to be retrieved.
Others: From a gym to a fire department, every organization needs a restricted access storage solution. There is no such thing as too much safety in these organizations. The personal belongings of an employee need safekeeping while they work on the frontlines. An intelligent locker with user tracking is a necessity in these institutes and not just a trend. Make sure you bank on this technology as an assurance of safety for your employees and guests.
How Intelligent Lockers Work?
Access control lockers consist of standalone control modules embedded in the electric lock system and a centralized control system. The standalone modules make it easy to access and install, while the control system allows you to add or delete users, view logs, and create time schedules. The lockers use Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to connect and are accessible using RFID, allowing several benefits.
First, they can be accessed even without an internet connection using Bluetooth. Second, you can access them remotely using your desktop or any mobile device. You can even control who can access your lockers and set permissions accordingly using an RFID keypad system that interfaces with computer software for your convenience.
Benefits of Intelligent Lockers
Undeterred Access: These access control lockers operate efficiently and securely 24/7. The keyless locker access control is convenient and always ready to use, even in high-traffic workplaces and emergencies such as electrical outages, thanks to its battery backup. You can even set triggers to give access to the attendants and first responders in an emergency.
Remote Locker Management: You even have the option to access the lockers using the mobile application. Just enter your personalized credentials to view log reports and access permissions. The system data stays on a centralized database, and every change will sync automatically without any sophisticated software applications.
User Tracking: The system stores every interaction on the database so you can track users. Intelligent locker systems track everything using wired and RFID content surveillance. You can pull up a detailed view of the user, time, and other necessary details. This data is available for analysis, letting you figure out the usage trends and identifying organizational changes based on them.
Keyless Access Lockers: Keyless entry is convenient and safe. You can see and control every interaction without any chances of duplication. Besides, access cards or wristbands are also easier to manage than bundles of keys.
Security: Traditional key-ledgers are not only unreliable, but they are also difficult to investigate when necessary. The problem is even worse when multiple people are accessing a locker. The encrypted access takes care of both these problems with an extra layer of security. There is a lower risk of asset theft or misplacement as you know who accessed the locker. Some lockers can even identify whether the user returned the right device. You can even set notifications for late returns.
Keep Your Storage Space Secure with Access Control Intelligent Lockers
Businesses are always looking for a better storage solution. Ever since man started holding property, safety has been a priority. In the digital world, some perfection in the storage of essential assets and personal belongings is achievable. Access control intelligent lockers are a worthwhile investment you can make in this area.
There is an appropriate option available for every sector and many personalizations within that to suit your needs. Make sure you pick the right choice. Once installed, you don’t have to worry about keeping your valuable items secure.
Southwest Solutions Group® provides design and installation services for sustainable battery-less mechanical keyless locks for multi-user day access control in a wide variety of applications. We will also provide you with a free consultation to determine your exact needs and specifications before the design process begins.
To learn more or to speak with a specialist, call us at 1-866-445-8332 or send us a message today.