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Six Benefits of Smart Lockers in the Warehouse
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Six Benefits of Smart Lockers in the Warehouse | eLocker
Warehouses are seriously busy places. Where space often comes at a minimum and time is always short, having access to quality lockers can be a game-changer for staff and employers. The world is embracing smart and wireless technology at an astonishing rate, but smart lockers are one of the few innovations which can make a genuine difference to your business.
In this piece we’ll take a look at what makes smart lockers so powerful, and how they can make your life, as either management or on-the-ground staff, much easier.
Fewer Administrative Headaches
One of the major pitfalls of conventional locker systems is the administrative chore. For a start, people are always losing their keys – over a quarter of us lose keys every month, and you can bet that locker keys are well up on that list. You then need to alert security, explain what happened, cut a replacement and frequently change the lock.
This is a prolonged and expensive process. On one hand there’s the downtime. If employees are chasing up engineers and worrying about their possessions, they aren’t working or contributing to the bottom line. These repairs are a constant occurrence in larger companies and the accumulated expense over the course of the year can be substantial.
However, if a contactless card gets lost, there’s no real problem. Security disables the old card, prescribes a new one, and you’re good to go in a few seconds. Since cards are so cheap, the expense is negligible compared to replacing a physical lock and k
Stronger Security
The security of smart lockers is superior to traditional locks in almost every way. When a card is lost (or stolen) it takes an administrator just a few seconds to remove it from the system and render it useless. Similarly, if an employee leaves without returning their card, or if there is any suspicious activity around the locker, it can be opened easily by the security manager.
There’s also the psychological effect: having a secure locker gives employees added peace of mind. They’re comfortable leaving their valuable possessions inside during a shift, and know that if anything goes awry, their security manager can quickly resolve the problem.
Extended Lifetime
With prolonged use, keys and locks inevitably get damaged, worn down, or simply break due to hardware malfunctions. We’ve all been there, struggling furiously to open a jammed lock rather than stumping up the money for a replacement. A hard plastic card can be held lightly against a sensor for decades without any wear and tear.
More than likely the card will outlive you. As for the smart lock itself, it has few mechanical parts and will have a much longer lifespan than its hard-wired rival. Even better, if a contactless card is damaged it costs almost nothing to replace.
Actionable Analytics
As we’ve already said, warehouses are busy places. There are often seasonal staffing changes, with personnel leaving or joining all the time. Most workplaces use spreadsheets to track comings and goings, and physical hooks to manage all the different keys. In addition to being slow and inefficient, there are inevitably mistakes and miscommunications which lead to delays and, ultimately, costs for the company.
Smart lockers are completely different. The entire suite of lockers is managed digitally and you can see exactly which lockers are in use, how often, and by whom at all times. Allocation is a simple matter of striking a few keys and the whole system automatically updates. You can even see which lockers are most popular and analyse trends in employee behaviour!
Impressive Image
For both young and established businesses alike, image and brand positioning are incredibly important. By implementing a suite of contactless smart lockers, you’re sending out a message to your employees that you’re serious about embracing technology and improving their working conditions. Nothing shouts ‘progressive employer’ like proactively solving a company-wide issue!
Employee Empowerment
Working on the warehouse floor, it can be hard to avoid feeling like a tiny cog in the larger machine. Having their own personal space gives employees a chance to feel at home – like having a desk in an office environment. This generally leads to improved morale in the workplace and consequently improved productivity and job satisfaction.
Because of the enhanced security with contactless lockers, staff can also be reassured that their valuable possessions are safe at work. Without this security, staff might be unwilling to watch their Pad on the train, or to use their expensive headphones on the walk to work. It’s a small thing in isolation, but it can have a far-reaching impact in your workplace.