Smart Locker Advice from Successful Organisations
NHS trusts, colleges and universities share the lessons they learned, the challenges they overcame and the advice they'd give to others considering Smart Lockers and self-service device loan solutions.
Whether you're looking to improve device access for clinical teams, modernise library services, support hybrid working, manage shared devices or introduce self-service technology, it's natural to have questions before investing.
How do you build a business case? Which stakeholders should be involved? Where should Smart Lockers be located? How can you ensure the solution delivers long-term value?
At LapSafe®, we support organisations across a wide range of sectors, including healthcare, education, corporate workplaces, local government and more. While every organisation's requirements are different, the same questions often arise at the start of the decision-making process.
For this article, we've brought together advice from NHS trusts, colleges and universities that have successfully implemented Smart Locker and self-service device loan solutions. Through their experiences, several consistent themes emerged, offering valuable guidance for any organisation considering a similar investment.
Start With the Outcomes, Not the Technology
The most successful projects begin by focusing on the challenges you're trying to solve rather than the technology itself.
For healthcare organisations, improving device availability and giving valuable time back to frontline staff are often key drivers.
Focus on clinical time saved; it's the most compelling benefit. Build a strong business case and tie it back to your organisation's promises or strategic goals. And most importantly, find partners who work with you, not just for you.
Martin Wilson, IT Programme Manager, RDaSH NHS Foundation Trust
For educational institutions, moving away from manual lending processes can significantly improve both service delivery and efficiency.
If you are setting it up from scratch and you don't loan out laptops already, I would say go for it straight away, rather than the route we took of manual loaning, which is hard work.
Jaqueline Ponka, Head of Library, Holy Cross College
Key takeaway: Clearly define the problem you're trying to solve and build your business case around measurable outcomes.
Learn from Organisations Already Using the Technology
One of the strongest recommendations from existing customers is to visit organisations already using Smart Lockers.
Seeing a solution in action provides valuable insights into day-to-day use, implementation considerations and user behaviour.
Do your research and visit case study sites if you can.
Nick Stott, Manager of Technology Services, TAFE SA
Talk to librarians in other colleges and if you can, see it in action at a college. Talk to someone you trust in the same position as you; it helps.
Jaqueline Ponka, Head of Library, Holy Cross College
Many organisations found it particularly useful to speak directly to staff and students who use the service every day.
We looked at how they were being used. We were also able to talk to the students to see what their perception of it was. The students thought it was easy to use; they loved it and wanted more to be available.
Wayne Winterbottom, IT Support Manager, University of Huddersfield
Do your research and speak to other universities. We found it very beneficial.
Sally Jorjani, Head of Customer Services and Business Change, Edinburgh Napier University
Key takeaway: Learning from organisations that have already implemented a solution can help you make more informed decisions and avoid common challenges.
Involve the Right Stakeholders Early
Successful implementations are rarely delivered by one department alone.
Whether you're introducing Smart Lockers to support healthcare workers, students or employees, involving key stakeholders from the start can make a significant difference.
The best thing to do is to get your library team involved from the outset and take them with you to the site visits to see it in action. Talk to other sites about what impact it has had, what things have worked well, what things may need a bit more attention and really get the library input from the start.
Drew Keavey, Head of Information Learning Technology, Westminster Kingsway College
Healthcare organisations also highlight the importance of collaboration between teams and suppliers.
The smart locker solution from LapSafe® speaks for itself: easy to use, efficient and highly scalable. But it's the collaboration that really made this project successful.
Martin Wilson, IT Programme Manager, RDaSH NHS Foundation Trust
Key takeaway: Bringing stakeholders into the project early builds confidence, strengthens buy-in and helps ensure the solution meets operational needs.
Plan for Growth from Day One
A recurring lesson from customers is that demand often grows faster than expected.
When a service proves popular, organisations frequently want to expand capacity, add devices or install additional units.
Plan ahead! We were so pleased that we had arranged at the beginning of the journey to add a couple of extra plugs next to the installed units, so we were able to add another couple of units at a later date.
Ann Byrne, Liaison Services for the Library and Environment, University College Cork
Make sure you have space for expansion as it will be popular, and the students will always want more laptops.
Jaqueline Ponka, Head of Library, Holy Cross College
Key takeaway: Consider future demand, available space and infrastructure requirements during the planning stage, even if expansion feels a long way off.
Choose the Right Location
Where Smart Lockers are installed can have a significant impact on adoption and utilisation.
Customers consistently recommend choosing locations that are visible, accessible and integrated into existing workflows.
Look at the location too, it needs to be seen and in a busy area, not at the bottom of a dark stairwell. Its location is one of the reasons it works so well.
Ann Byrne, University College Cork
There are practical considerations too.
Think about where it is going to be placed in case it gets a little noisy as the students chat with each other while using it.
Jaqueline Ponka, Head of Library, Holy Cross College
Key takeaway: Visibility, accessibility and future scalability should all influence where you place your Smart Lockers.
Make the Most of Your Data
Many organisations discover that the reporting and management capabilities of a Smart Locker solution can be just as valuable as the physical devices themselves.
Access to accurate borrowing data can help organisations understand demand, justify future investment and support funding applications.
The automation system allows me to see how many laptops are being borrowed, who by and when. This helps when we are trying to attract funding and being able to automatically check the statistics helps our case for getting more funding to extend the size of the system.
Wayne Winterbottom, IT Support Manager, University of Huddersfield
Key takeaway: Usage data can provide valuable evidence when measuring impact and planning future investment.
Don't Overlook Integration
When introducing any new technology, it's important to consider how it will fit into existing systems and processes.
For many colleges and universities, integration is a key requirement.
Integration with the existing student database is essential, preferably a Library Management System database with borrowing functionality.
Nick Stott, Manager of Technology Services, TAFE SA
Key takeaway: A well-integrated solution can reduce administration, streamline processes and improve the overall user experience.
Common Advice at a Glance
Across all the organisations we spoke to, several themes emerged again and again:
Focus on the outcomes you want to achieve
Build a strong business case
Visit existing installations wherever possible
Speak to organisations already using the technology
Involve stakeholders early
Choose a visible and accessible location
Plan for future growth and expansion
Consider integrations from the outset
Use reporting data to demonstrate value
Work with experienced, collaborative partners
A Final Word from Those Who've Done It
Every organisation's journey is different, but the experiences shared by NHS trusts, colleges and universities alike point to one simple conclusion: careful planning pays dividends.
Some customers summed it up even more simply:
"Do it!" - Jaqueline Ponka, Head of Library, Holy Cross College
"Go for it." - Wayne Winterbottom, IT Support Manager, University of Huddersfield
By learning from organisations that have already implemented Smart Locker and self-service device loan solutions, you can approach your own project with greater confidence, clearer objectives and a stronger understanding of what success looks like.
Explore the Full Stories
The advice in this article comes from organisations that have successfully implemented Smart Locker and device loan solutions in real-world environments.
Explore their full case studies to learn more about their challenges, implementation journeys and results.