Smarter Access Across Higher Education

Insights referenced throughout this spotlight are drawn from the LapSafe Smart Locker in Education Survey, which explores device management, asset availability and automation across education institutions.

While every institution's journey is different, survey data suggests many universities are experiencing similar operational challenges.

A sector-wide view of use cases, challenges and outcomes across modern campuses

Across Higher Education, smart lockers are becoming an increasingly visible part of the campus experience, supporting everything from device access and equipment loans to parcel collection and internal deliveries.

While initially introduced to manage shared laptops, many universities are now deploying locker solutions more broadly, using them to support a growing range of services across libraries, faculties and campus operations.

This shift is being accelerated by rising expectations around flexibility, increasing pressure on support services and the continued expansion of digital and hybrid learning models. As a result, lockers are increasingly viewed as part of a wider move toward self-service, scalable and connected campus environments.

How Smart Lockers Are Used Across Campus

The role of smart lockers can vary depending on where and how they are deployed.

Libraries and Learning Hubs

Libraries are often the starting point, where lockers are used to provide:

·        On-demand access to shared laptops

·        High-volume, short-term borrowing

·        24x7 self-service availability

Before implementation, access to devices in these environments was often dependent on staffed service points, creating queues during peak periods and limiting availability outside core hours.

With lockers in place, institutions can deliver consistent, on-demand access, reducing pressure on staff while improving student experience in one of the most visible campus touchpoints.

Institutions are increasingly recognising that availability alone is not enough. Ensuring devices are correctly returned, charged and ready for the next user has become an important part of delivering a reliable and consistent service experience.

Integration with the library management system has been important to save us from having to duplicate all the student records and avoid maintaining separate systems. It also lessens staff training as they already know how to use the library management software. A real key thing is for students to have access to a device whenever they need to use it. – Birmingham City University

The scale of adoption can often exceed expectations. At the University of Sussex, a single 24-bay Diplomat™ LMS processes approximately 400 Chromebook loans every week, equating to around 1,600 loans per month. Despite supporting just 24 devices, demand remains consistently high, demonstrating how self-service locker systems can maximise utilisation of existing assets.

With the library operating 24 hours a day, the system continues to support students outside staffed hours, ensuring devices remain accessible while freeing library staff to focus on higher-value activities.

In practice, at Aston University, lockers are used within library environments to provide self-service access to devices, allowing students to borrow and return laptops quickly without staff involvement, even during peak periods.

Study Spaces and Flexible Learning Areas

Beyond libraries, lockers are increasingly used across study spaces and flexible learning environments to support:

·        Independent, self-service device access

·        Short-term usage between sessions

·        Reduced reliance on fixed IT provision

This enables students to work more flexibly across campus, rather than being tied to specific locations or facilities.

In some universities, including Edinburgh Napier University, this approach has enabled students to access devices closer to where they are studying, reducing the need to return to central service points and supporting more flexible learning behaviours.

Faculties and Specialist Environments

Across faculties, lockers are deployed to manage:

·        Specialist equipment loans (e.g. media, engineering, healthcare)

·        Controlled access to high-value or limited resources

·        Faculty-specific device pools

In these environments, visibility and accountability are critical. Lockers provide a controlled, trackable way to manage equipment that would otherwise rely on fragmented or manual processes.

As specialist equipment estates grow, some institutions are introducing automated asset verification capabilities to help identify missing, misplaced or incorrectly returned items, reducing manual checking while improving confidence in asset availability.

“We want to add some more Lockers, increase the number of bays, and get some more flexibility. We are looking at things like gaming laptops, some computing software, some engineering, and maybe some more specialist equipment.” – Staffordshire University

At Birmingham City University, similar approaches are used to support access to shared equipment, helping reduce reliance on manual processes while maintaining control over high-demand resources.

Wider Campus Services

Increasingly, locker systems are being extended beyond teaching and learning to support:

·        Postal and parcel management

·        Campus-wide delivery services

·        Department-to-department transfers

This expansion reflects a broader shift toward integrated smart campus services, where a single infrastructure supports multiple operational workflows.

Centralised management platforms are enabling these services to be monitored and administered remotely, helping institutions maintain consistency across multiple locations while reducing operational overhead.

In several universities, lockers originally deployed for IT have since been adopted by other teams, enabling facilities and administrative departments to streamline internal deliveries and reduce manual handling.

Emerging Use Cases

In some universities, locker systems are now being used in less traditional ways, including:

·        Distribution of equipment for placements

·        Secure handling of assessment materials

·        Coordinating handovers between teams

These emerging applications highlight the flexibility of locker infrastructure as a shared operational resource, extending well beyond its original use case and creating new opportunities to support learning, research and operational services.

What Challenges Are Driving Adoption?

While use cases vary, the challenges driving adoption are highly consistent.

Universities typically begin exploring locker solutions in response to practical, visible issues:

·        Students unable to access devices when needed

·        Equipment not being returned on time

·        Staff time consumed by manual issuing and tracking

·        Inconsistent processes between departments

·        Limited visibility of assets across campus

Many institutions also struggle to understand how resources are actually being used. Without access to detailed reporting and audit data, it can be difficult to identify utilisation trends, demonstrate value, or make informed decisions about future investment.

Survey data reinforces this:

·        55.6% of organisations report devices are not returned on time

·        77.7% spend multiple hours each week managing shared devices

In practice, these issues rarely exist in isolation. Delays in returning equipment reduce availability during peak periods, while manual processes struggle to scale, particularly in high-demand environments such as libraries.

For universities such as Aston University, these challenges were most visible during peak study times, where demand exceeded availability and manual processes created friction for both staff and students.

Why Universities Turn to Smart Lockers

The move to smart lockers is typically driven by a need to shift from manual, staff-led processes to self-service, scalable systems.

This is often framed around three key priorities:

Improving Access and Availability

Ensuring students can access devices and resources quickly, consistently and independently.

Reducing Operational Pressure

Freeing up IT and support teams from repetitive tasks that do not scale effectively.

Strengthening Control and Accountability

Providing reliable usage pattern tracking, auditability and visibility across shared assets.

Detailed audit trails provide institutions with a complete record of every locker interaction and asset transaction. This helps improve accountability, supports governance requirements and provides greater visibility into how resources are being accessed and used.

“We can see when and where devices are being accessed, and what the peaks and patterns of activity are; thus, telling us when to expand the service.” - Birmingham City University.

Improving Visibility and Decision-Making

As deployments grow, institutions increasingly need more than secure storage and self-service access.

Access to real-time reporting, usage analytics and audit data helps organisations understand how resources are being used, identify trends and make more informed decisions about future investment.

For many providers, visibility into asset utilisation, user behaviour and service demand has become just as valuable as the automation itself.

“Since the implementation of the software, I have been able to have more control over device issues within the Smart Lockers and units, using it to troubleshoot issues. With ONARKEN®, I have also been able to customise reports and amend notices in-house.” – Aston University

How Universities Typically Begin

Most universities start with a focused deployment, typically within a library or learning hub, where demand is highest, and the impact is immediately visible.

From there, implementations often expand:

·        Into study spaces and additional campus locations

·        Across faculties and departments

·        Into wider operational services such as deliveries and logistics

This phased approach allows institutions to demonstrate value early, while building toward a more integrated, campus-wide solution.

At Edinburgh Napier University, initial deployments have expanded across campus, supporting broader access while improving visibility and control over shared assets.

Different Approaches Across Institutions

While common patterns are emerging, universities do not all take the same approach.

·        Some prioritise centralised, high-volume access within libraries

·        Others focus on distributed deployments across faculties

·        Increasingly, institutions adopt a hybrid model, combining both

This flexibility allows deployments to reflect organisational structure, demand patterns and operational priorities.

A Solution That Grows with Demand

One of the recurring themes across Higher Education is that smart locker deployments rarely remain limited to their original purpose.

Many universities initially introduce lockers to solve a specific operational challenge, such as providing self-service access to devices in a library environment. Once the benefits become clear, institutions often identify further opportunities to streamline services, improve accessibility and reduce manual administration.

As a result, lockers are increasingly being adopted across multiple departments and locations, supporting a wider range of campus services and helping create more connected, self-service experiences for students and staff.

Outcomes: What Universities Expect vs What They Discover

Predictable Benefits

Common expected outcomes include:

·        Reduced staff workload

·        Improved device availability

·        More efficient use of space

·        Greater consistency across campuses

These directly address the operational issues that typically trigger adoption.

Across institutions such as Birmingham City University, reductions in manual handling and improved availability have been among the most immediate and visible benefits.

Less Expected Benefits

Many institutions also report less predictable, but equally valuable, outcomes:

·        Increased student independence

·        Improved accountability and behaviour

·        Reduced friction between teams

·        Peer-to-peer support among students

Several institutions reported that once self-service access became embedded, students began treating device borrowing as a normal part of campus life rather than a service requiring staff involvement.

“Learners now head straight to a terminal, scan out a laptop, and comfortably study wherever they want. Students will sit on the benches we have built along the sides, while others will sit with a cushion at the window with a device on their laps. Rather than sitting at a fixed computer, this setup allows flexibility with space and creates familiarity with how they would work if they were studying at home” – Hopwood Hall College & University Hub

In environments like Aston University, staff have observed that students quickly adapt to self-service access and often support one another, reducing reliance on staff intervention.

These outcomes highlight the wider behavioural and cultural impact of moving to self-service systems.

Efficiency and ROI Across the Estate

As deployments scale, universities see measurable improvements in efficiency and resource utilisation.

By improving visibility and control, institutions can:

·        Increase utilisation of existing device fleets

·        Reduce the need for excess equipment

·        Extend asset lifespan

·        Make more informed investment decisions

At institutions such as Edinburgh Napier University, improved visibility has supported better decision-making around asset use and future investment.

University of Huddersfield saw an improvement in their device lifecycle: “In two years, we have only had four damaged laptops, and they were incidental and accidents in the home” - Wayne Winterbottom, IT Support Manager

At scale, this supports not only operational efficiency, but also longer-term sustainability and planning.

Supporting Sustainability Objectives

As universities continue to focus on sustainability and operational efficiency, many are looking more closely at how shared resources consume power and how energy use can be reduced.

Smart charging, power scheduling and energy reporting can provide valuable insight into usage patterns, helping institutions identify opportunities to improve efficiency while supporting wider environmental objectives.

Better Data, Better Decisions

One benefit often overlooked at the start of a deployment is the value of operational data.

Many institutions report that access to detailed reporting and analytics helps them understand:

·        Which resources are most heavily used

·        Peak borrowing periods

·        Asset utilisation rates

·        Demand across departments and locations

These insights can support budgeting, resource planning and future service improvements while helping organisations maximise the value of existing assets.

Supporting Insight: The Impact of Automation

·        61.2% describe automation as moderate to transformational

·        38.9% report improved visibility and audit capability

·        38.9% report higher user satisfaction

Meanwhile:

·        Only 22.2% can provide immediate replacement devices

·        50% report losing six or more devices annually

These figures reinforce the tangible impact of moving to more controlled, automated systems.

What This Means for Higher Education

The experiences highlighted throughout this spotlight demonstrate that smart lockers are no longer viewed solely as a solution for device lending. Across Higher Education, they are increasingly being used to support access to a wide range of assets, resources and services, from shared laptops and specialist equipment to parcel management and departmental transfers.

What often begins as a response to a specific challenge, such as improving access to devices or reducing administrative burden, frequently evolves into a broader operational service. As institutions expand their use of smart lockers, they are creating more consistent, accessible and self-service experiences for both students and staff.

The common thread across these deployments is not the technology itself, but the need to provide secure, efficient and flexible access to shared resources. Whether supporting learning, research, campus operations or student services, smart lockers are helping universities make better use of assets while improving visibility, accountability and user experience.

As universities continue to invest in digital transformation and Smart Campus initiatives, smart lockers are increasingly becoming part of the infrastructure that connects people, resources and services across the institution.

About the Research

The data referenced throughout this spotlight is drawn from the LapSafe Smart Locker in Education Survey. The survey explored how educational institutions manage shared devices, assets and self-service access, and has been combined with customer case studies to identify common themes, challenges and outcomes across the Higher Education sector.