Whether it be a smart television, car, phone, tablet, watch, vacuum, robot, appliance, security system, or any other electronic, smart products have changed our world. This new wave of products has helped simplify our lives, saves us time, money, and can even provide more peace of mind. No matter what our age, location, occupation, or another status, never before have our lives been busier, more connected, and more on-the-go lifestyles. It’s exciting to know that now even lockers are smart. But, why is this product not just a gimmick, but an actual game-changer for everyone? Let’s explore why.
Lockers Of The Future
A recent study by McKinsey & Company profoundly noted that the COVID-19 crisis has made online shopping more popular than ever and moved more businesses to provide consumers with products online like never before. Most of us grew up using lockers in school or at the gym. The simple concept was simple, it was somewhere to keep your items safe. Usually, they had a code or paddle lock and that worked fine. But the new wave of smart lockers takes things to a whole other level. Smart lockers can now safely provide their users with a solution to receive and send packages without signatures or other human interaction. April Franco, associate professor of economics and strategy at the University of Toronto Scarborough says, “This is one of those things that people say, ‘Of course, why didn’t we think of this before?’ The pandemic is acting as a coordinating device.”
Benefits Of Smart Lockers
Businesses, colleges, properties, and many other entities have started using smart locker systems like to simplify everyone’s lives. As consumers continue to place more value on solutions and services that help make their everyday tasks more efficient and convenient, automated smart lockers are finding their place across a variety of industries. Named by the 2019 Kiosk Marketplace Annual Census Report as the best opportunities for growth, restaurants, corporate workplaces, industrial suppliers, retailers, businesses, and organizations of all kinds have found ways to incorporate automated electronic smart lockers into their everyday operations.
A smart locker is a solution that has integrated technology built into it, allowing automate package delivery, notification, and distribution. Once a package is delivered, the recipient is automatically notified that their package is ready and provided access instructions. This might take the form of an access code, order number, or barcode that they can scan. Once they arrive at the locker location, the user enters their verification information at the kiosk touch screen or accesses their assigned locker using a mobile app. Once the verification information is entered correctly the door to the correct locker will open and the customer will be able to retrieve their package. In addition to making mail delivery faster and more convenient, smart lockers improve mailroom security. Packages are securely stored and accessible only to someone with the passcode, which greatly reduces the chances of lost or stolen mail.
Ingenious smart lockers offer the ability to scan items in and out using a mobile app that updates the operating platform in real-time, giving you full access to what’s going on in your supply chain. Infrared light sensors in the lockers detect when a package is inserted, at which point notification is sent by text message or e-mail to alert the recipient that there’s mail waiting for them. Users can also insert packages and let carriers know they’re ready for pickup. The recipient scans a QR code or enters a supplied PIN onto a touch screen, then opens their respective locker slot. It gives users peace of mind, less contact, no keys, no lines, no waiting times and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Many universities and campuses have started investing in smart lockers, to help keep students safe, pick up and return course materials, provide after-hours access, and keep valuables safer. This reliable method helps keep both faculty and students safe, especially during the current pandemic. All over the United States, smart lockers and being installed and are met with high praises for everyone involved.
Numerous businesses are utilizing this technology, in many industries, as employees are entrusted with expensive tools and devices that enable them to do their jobs more accurately and efficiently. Equipment including barcode scanners, tablets, calibrated instruments, automotive tools, and point of sale devices are distributed to employees daily in healthcare, manufacturing, fleet, and field service organizations, retail, and a variety of other settings. If distributing and managing devices has become a drain on your time and resources, smart lockers can alleviate that burden. Being so many businesses are encouraging employees to work from home, smart lockers also aid in making sure shipments are both successful and completed safely.
No matter how our economy keeps evolving, technology will continue to provide solutions that make our world safer, more efficient, and better equipped to handle change. Businesses, colleges, and property management companies also benefit from lower labor costs, saving time, space, and keeping their consumers happier. Each business must consider the best smart locker system, style, software, customer service, and other aspects of what is best for both the consumer and themselves. Smart lockers will continue to grow in popularity and with good reason, as it makes our world safer and a little bit easier to handle the world we live in.