Smart storage is a more advanced, tailored solution to meet your needs to store and organize your stuff. Whether it's for an office, a healthcare environment, a space for learning, or a residential building, we can leverage digital technology to customize your smart storage. Smart storage integrates with your building systems and services to create an efficient, attractive and people-centric environment. Address the very real human challenges of productivity, innovation and comfort with smart locker advances.

Our smart storage solutions include assigned, day-use or package delivery lockers with intelligent locking devices and touch-less technology. Click here to learn more about smart storage.

Employee experience is becoming more and more important. Smart offices can create an enhanced user experience that helps increase productivity, attract and retain talent, support the well-being of employees and promote brand value. The many applications in the workplace include smart lockers to store personal belongings, mail and package delivery lockers, or refrigerated lockers for storing groceries, food deliveries or medications.

Agility is key, especially in the new normal. Many businesses are bringing people back to work gradually, and with more space for social distancing. At the same time, they need to continue to handle visitors and give those guests somewhere to safely secure their stuff. Reopening for business means thinking strategically about use of the workspace, social distancing and stringent cleaning and sanitation approaches. Moving desks further apart, doing away with shared desks and implementing clean desk policies can all be supported with smart storage. Touch-less technologies can help (especially when the data from lockers is combined with other business systems).

Flexibility is also critical. Returning to work in 2021 will take flexibility and smart lockers provide the ability to change on the fly. Transitioning from package delivery to employee assigned lockers can be done in an instant. This type of flexibility is not an option with traditional lockers. It is important for storage solutions to be able to change as you do while adjusting to the new normal.

Click here to learn more about the workplace needs after COVID

Many universities are making changes to provide a safer campus for the new normal. Students, staff and faculty members all have different needs for storage throughout the day. Smart storage university applications include providing day-use lockers in classroom buildings for storage of coats, gym clothes or heavy textbooks. Labs can ensure safety of equipment and student or faculty research with smart storage. Athletic facilities can make a big impression on sports recruits and make storage available for intramural participants and other facility users.

Help to protect student security and safety with lockers for package, food and grocery delivery in residence halls or in student centers. The library and IT can also benefit from using lockers to exchange resources or technology that needs repair. At Wake Forest University, for example, smart lockers were critical to the library's reopening plan in Fall 2020. Smart lockers can even be equipped with charging stations to power the many devices your community members carry with them today.

Quite simply, a touch-less locker is one that you don't need to physically touch. With no locks on the front, these lockers are safely and securely opened via RFID scanning or Bluetooth mobile app. Lockers can be opened from a centralized touch-less reader or via touch-less readers on the door.

With integrated technology, sophisticated software and the use of smart materials, the variety of locking options for touch-less lockers are designed to limit user interactions as much as possible.

Touch-less lockers also offer full-audit capabilities of who used what locker and when, the ability to open all of the locker doors with a touch of a button and much more administrative functionality. These lockers can also be made with antimicrobial materials that are easy to clean.

Start with who might be using day-use lockers. Really, that could be anyone. That's part of the beauty of these lockers now. Day-use lockers are seen in all sorts of applications today:

• Assigned lockers add value for employees in open plan offices, those who are hot-desking or people doing a stint in a different office location
• A bank of day-use lockers can be set aside in a business or residential environment for package delivery/grocery or meal delivery
• Assigned or unassigned lockers add convenience for students, staff or faculty on educational campuses
• Offering day-use lockers to visitors to healthcare institutions, courthouses, local government agencies, libraries or museums can boost guest satisfaction
• Gyms can help people secure their stuff during workouts, without having to tote along locks
• Warehouses and industrial buildings can give workers a safe place to stow their belongings during shifts
• Day-use lockers can also be useful in asset tracking for IT services, libraries, manufacturing sites or labs

Locations, materials, security and access control, safety and cleanliness all contribute to the flexibility of day use lockers.

Parcel delivery lockers are an economical, secure method for managing and distributing packages to those who live, work and learn in buildings and offices. They're also a way to earn and maintain the trust of your employees and residents. To support productivity and efficiency. To utilize space. To provide a perk to the people who live and work in your space.

Smart delivery lockers have uses beyond package distribution as well. You can offer delivery lockers for employees or residents to collect groceries, meal deliveries, dry cleaning or those flowers on that special day. Retailers in the new normal are using touch-less lockers for curbside pick-up and to move stock between stores. Libraries and IT teams can also integrate delivery lockers to minimize person-to-person contact when checking out and collecting books or dropping off a computer for repair. Military and public safety officials can also do away with long lines of people collecting uniforms or equipment with smart delivery lockers.

Electronic lock technology can be customized based on your use case, available space and the culture of your organization or residents. There are many available smart lock technologies:

• Networked locks integrate your locker system with your other facility systems -- building and office entrances, gyms, cafeterias and lounges, and more. All access gets the same treatment and use the same RFID card or mobile app.
• The LAN-connected option can be self-assigned or assigned by an employee via a phone app, and can also be quick-assigned based on locker vacancy.
• An RFID scanner positioned on each locker door can be used either online or offline.
• Smart locks can use phone apps - smart locks that have barcode readers can be opened via barcodes and smart app
• Biometric readers can keep storage safely locked until the assigned person provides their fingerprint, retinal scan, or handprint.

Smart lockers read 99.99% of the RFID media in the global marketplace, while offering software with real-time reporting and audit capabilities. It's all configurable through software adapted to the needs of the customer.

With smart storage design customization you can make your storage blend in or be the focal point of your space. There are many types of smart storage material available. We can build the right fit for your application with a solid, easy-to-clean antimicrobial surface. Or maybe you want perforations to promote proper air flow. Maybe durability is the key consideration. Or you want to look at bamboo or other of our innovative materials to emphasize sustainability.

Smart lockers can also be customized with many additions including:

• Garment hangers
• Peg board holes to hang duty belts or clothing
• Bench seating
• External access drawers
• Electrical charging
• Refrigeration

Just because it's smart storage it doesn't mean that it needs to be boring. Every piece of your building is an opportunity to express your brand and values. We can make smart storage stand out with graphic treatments, unique finishes, and colors.

One thing COVID-19 hasn't changed? Our need and want to buy things. But, we're doing it differently. Retailers have had to pivot to provide contactless service and delivery. Retail smart lockers offer an efficient solution customers appreciate.

Integrating smart lockers with other systems, such as POS and inventory, can streamline behind-the-scenes retail management too. Even item return or exchange of inventory between stores can be made easier with delivery locker technology.

Measuring return on investment (ROI) against cost is par for the course across any industry. Smart lockers offer great ROI by improving overall efficiency and enhancing workflow. You can also save by eliminating employee time dedicated to certain routine tasks.

Smart storage helps the physical environment adapt to user needs and not the other way around. You'll also see ROI from:

• Regaining square footage taken up by individually assigned lockers that go unused
• Facilitating emergency response with the ability to press one button and open all locker
• Streamlining cleaning processes as crews can come in at a set time to a bank of opened lockers rather than having to key open each one
• Enhancing user experience by making everyday tasks -- things as simple as retrieving packages -- efficient and effortless

Smart storage design incorporates touch-less technology allowing users to open personal lockers with a smartphone app or by scanning a student or employee ID badge. Providing smart lockers to visitors, residents, employees and other environment users can also limit spread of germs by reducing external items brought into a space. Further, with networked lockers, administrators can encourage social distancing by only opening certain lockers or prohibiting use of a locker after use until it is thoroughly cleaned.

The data from smart storage can also assist with contract tracing efforts. Know where infected employees went in the building, and what storage they used, to target deep cleanings and track who might have had contact.

Cleaning and disinfecting any storage units is also easier with smart technology. A maintenance crew no longer needs to lock and unlock individual keyed lockers. An entire bank of smart lockers can be opened at a scheduled time for swift yet thorough cleaning.

You can easily change locker allocation using the software to fit your needs. You might configure a bank of lockers for building employees most days. Then, if you know you are going to have a large group of visiting guests come in another day, you can reallocate those lockers without having to change hardware.

Everything is done with a couple clicks in the software admin portal. You can also make the changes whenever you need, in just a few moments, to free up lockers for wristband or passcode short-term use.

Yes. As an HID Advantage partner, we work with over 99% of the RFID/Prox technologies out of the box. This allows you to use your existing cards and technology with our lockers to assign lockers and open them.

You can make multiple options available to users -- even within the same bank of lockers. Some examples are HID/Prox Cards, PIN Code, Barcode, Phone App, and interacting with a touch screen.

No. We have cloud-based solutions for Smart Lockers as well as standalone solutions.

Yes. We want you to get the most out of your smart storage solution. We have API tools available to assist you with any integrations.

Yes. Whether it's for an emergency inspection or to perform deep cleaning, there are multiple ways to do this. Your options include using our Admin Portal, a master key or a hardware button if the power is out.

Yes, our products work with most access control systems. Plus, you don't have to worry about configuring any systems on your own. Our smart storage experts are available to assist with the integration.

The power and data requirements depend on the layout, size of the locker bank, but as a rule of thumb each bank of smart lockers requires access to a standard power outlet and the ability to receive a data drop.

One technological option with smart lockers is the ability to temperature control your storage. Insulation lockers keep an item at its current temperature for a short time. We most often see these used in food delivery (e.g. a restaurant meal that will be picked up shortly after drop-off in the locker). A refrigerated locker will keep food cold for a longer period of time. This is more often used with grocery delivery lockers. Or, you might need this in office settings for employees with medical needs. We've yet to have an application where someone wants to keep the locker at a particular heat temperature -- but we're open if you have the need!

Well, they aren't going to walk out there on their own, but you can certainly install smart lockers outside. We've manufactured smart lockers in all kinds of materials (metals, laminates, phenolics, and more) for indoor and outdoor use. Doors can be manufactured out of glass, steel, laminates, bamboo and more.

Yes. The goal of these lockers is to streamline workflow and minimize user contact. A mail center or building administrator can issue a key code or badge to their carrier companies.

Then, when there’s a delivery, the carrier goes to the central locker unit to drop off all of the packages. From that access point, the person distributing mail or packages to students or building residents or employees can collect and scan all incoming items for tracking purposes.

There are many ways to get your user database information into the smart storage software. An CSV file upload retains accuracy. The simplest way is to import a CSV file. You can also do direct integrations or call in our experts for API help. Any of the methods you select can be automated to keep user data current.

We provide a mobile application with our Smart Lockers that can be used as a standalone app. If you have an existing smart building app or reservation system app, we can integrate our smart locker functionality directly into your existing mobile app.

The smart technology available today can help reduce touch, increase data awareness, and improve cleanliness. You can integrate your smart storage solution with your existing security protocols and building administration technologies. Whether your users want to use mobile apps, RFID badge scanning or some other way to unlock their storage, there's an option for that. It's a lot to think about. And the technology is advancing rapidly. Tomorrow's smart storage offerings will go even further. Consult with our smart storage experts to determine what best suits your needs and budget.