Parcel locker systems and other related asset-tracking lockers have become increasingly common because they’re an efficient and time-saving solution with a wide range of applications. Smart lockers can be used in apartment buildings, healthcare settings, offices, retail, schools, and much more. Because they’re so easy to manage and offer a superior customer experience, parcel locker systems have exploded in popularity.
Smart lockers pale in comparison to your old gym locker. Loaded with technology and different custom functions, smart parcel locker systems have taken the logistics world by storm and have revolutionized how we send, store, and retrieve goods of all kinds.
What Is A Smart Locker?
A smart locker is a secure storage device that uses smart technology to automate the delivery, pickup, and exchange of goods. Parcel lockers can be accessed with pin codes, barcodes, Apps, biometrics, and more. These intelligent locker systems are most often managed using cloud technology and can communicate with customers once a package has arrived for pickup. Instead of having an employee sort and watch packages, smart lockers now complete these more tedious tasks.
Who Can Benefit From Smart Lockers?
Simply put – anyone can benefit from a parcel locker system. Retailers, property managers, hospitals, businesses, schools, and couriers all benefit from intelligent locker systems. Retailers can use parcel lockers to improve customer experience by allowing for easier pickup and return. Property managers benefit from increased productivity, as package deliveries are known to take up an enormous amount of time from other important tasks. Smart lockers eliminate lost packages, prevent couriers from wandering facilities, and add an amenity that residents genuinely appreciate. Office lockers can be used in hybrid work settings, but they can also be used to store and deliver sensitive documents or personal belongings. The same can be applied to schools, airports, bus stations, and much more. The use cases for smart lockers are endless!
How Can Smart Lockers Be Customized For Your Needs?
Smart locker shells can be made of steel, plastic, wood, or whatever material is best-suited to the intended environment. Coatings of many colors can be applied (as well as branding), but there are also options for anti-graffiti coatings and anti-bacterial and anti-corrosive coatings. Parcel lockers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, with different compartment shapes and sizes available for large or small packages. Also, most smart lockers only require a 110V connection, and can also be solar-powered if placed outdoors or in remote, unpowered locations. Intelligent lockers can also come outfitted with climate control systems for storing food or medicine.
How Secure Are Smart Parcel Locker Systems?
Much more than just a fancy storage box, smart lockers come with an array of different security technologies such as asset-tracking lockers that can detect contraband, charge smart devices, and alert managers when suspicious activity is occurring. Different sensors can detect when a potential break-in is occurring, and some asset-tracking lockers can come with alarms, sirens, security cameras, and other capabilities to prevent theft. For example, a smart school locker could be able to detect weapons inside a locker, but could also detect a smart device inside and begin wirelessly charging it.
Are Smart Lockers Easy To Manage?
While every business is different, smart lockers can connect with many systems including property management software, inventory management programs, and point-of-sale systems. The ability to remotely manage lockers, allowing employees to free up their time, is priceless. Property managers spend hours per day just handling packages – not a great use of their time. Parcel locker systems allow for more productivity in a range of settings including when office lockers are installed, or when smart school lockers are used, students generally find their experience improves. Most importantly, the connectivity allowed by smart parcel lockers means more sales for your business and fewer hours spent on tedious tasks.
What Are The Other Benefits Of Smart Lockers?
- Contact-free: Lockers open automatically via mobile phone or barcode scanner, so the transmission of germs is less likely and packages can be received or picked up at all hours.
- Space savers: Parcel lockers can be placed in many different locations, like outside of retail stores or along barren hallways that would otherwise be empty space. Also, smart lockers can be actively managed, meaning that they can be used more efficiently and smaller locker systems can be installed compared to traditional hallway lockers.
- Time savers: Smart lockers can be accessed 24/7. This means your customers can return, drop off, or pick up goods outside of your business hours. This is a win-win for you and your customers.
- Easy management: Most smart locker systems are able to keep a log of when a compartment was used and what was placed inside, as well as who picked it up and when. This capability can be used to optimize ordering and improve your overall inventory. The data that can be gleaned from parcel lockers can be put to work to drastically improve your business’s sales.
- Customizable: With different features, shapes, sizes, colors, coatings, amenities, and technologies, a smart parcel locker can be built with your exact needs in mind. For example, healthcare lockers require enhanced security but also climate control – and they may also need to be branded for a specific hospital. At DeBourgh, we can easily customize a locker system to the needs of your business.
Parcel lockers combine high-tech hardware with old-school functionality. As such, selecting a partner to design, manufacture, and install a smart locker solution will be important for the future success of your business. At DeBourgh, we’ve been serving customers with quality storage solutions for decades.
To learn more about how we can customize a smart locker system to your exact needs, please contact us today!