Why smart lockers belong in facility management and why process friction must become the new guiding metric of modern offices
Facility management has developed massively in recent years. Space management, new work concepts, desk sharing, sustainability and user satisfaction have long been part of an expanded FM self-image.
And yet there is a blind spot that causes enormous costs in the everyday life of modern offices – the friction of everyday handover processes.
I am convinced:
Smart Locker systems are not an IT gadget or an office gadget – they are an intrinsic tool of facility management.
From space to friction: why traditional FM key figures are no longer enough
Facility managers today measure precisely:
- Space efficiency
- Utilization levels
- Energy consumption
- Costs per workplace
- User satisfaction
What is almost completely missing are key figures for process friction – i.e. for all those small but high-frequency transactions that take place in the office every day:
- Handovers between employees (peer-to-peer)
- IT device issues and returns
- Parcels, letters, internal shipments
- Keys, tools, special equipment
Every single one of these handovers is banal – in total, they are a massive productivity factor.
Modern offices are not just rooms.
They are high-frequency transaction rooms.
An idea that is older than New Work – and more relevant than ever today
As early as 2014, two British researchers pointed out in a policy paper that workplace efficiency cannot be explained by space and costs alone, but by the friction of work processes.
Back then, this was a theoretical impulse.
Today – in hybrid, asynchronous working life – it is an operational reality.
If employees:
- have to wait for colleagues
- Write tickets to hand things over
- Improvise handovers (“is in my office”)
- Have to search for or track things
… then there is a hidden process cost burden that does not appear in any classic FM key figure.
Smart Locker as infrastructure for smooth handovers
This is where Smart Locker systems come into play – not as a piece of furniture, but as a procedural infrastructure.
A Smart Locker takes over:
- Asynchronous transfers (without timing)
- Documentation & traceability (track & trace)
- Access control & security
- Standardization of informal processes
The decisive factor from an FM perspective:
Smart Lockers reduce operational friction without creating new complexity.
They work in the background – exactly where good facility management should work.
Why smart lockers are not an IT issue (even if IT uses them)
A common misconception:
Smart Lockers are hastily assigned to IT because devices are issued there.
But the truth is:
- IT is a user, not an operator
- The processes are infrastructural, not applicative
- The effect is organizational, not technical
Smart Locker concern:
- Paths
- Waiting times
- Surfaces
- Services
- User experience
This is classic facility territory.
Facility management needs new metrics: process costs instead of square meters
I have been arguing for years in favor of adding a new dimension to FM key figures:
- Process costs per handover
- Waiting time per transaction
- Number of manual contact points
- Interruptions in the workflow
Because:
An efficiently planned space loses its value,
if the processes taking place in it are inefficient.
Smart Lockers are a rare tool with which FM can directly influence these key figures – measurably, scalably and across locations.
Personal classification: Why I place Smart Locker in FM
I am often perceived as a smart locker pioneer in the FM industry – not because I explain technology, but because I make process effects visible.
My white paper
“A Different View on New Work – The Role of Smart Locker Systems
”
has been added to the knowledge base of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA).
I’m pleased about that – especially because it shows:
The discussion has arrived in facility management.
Not as a trend.
But as a structural response to new working realities.
Conclusion: Smart Lockers are FM infrastructure – not office furniture
If we take New Work seriously, we have to look at more than just rooms and occupancy plans.
Then we have to ask:
- How do things flow?
- Where do waiting times occur?
- How much friction do we accept in everyday life?
- And what does it cost us – really?
Smart Locker systems are a logical, almost mandatory component of modern FM strategies.
Not loud.
Not visible.
But highly effective.
FAQs: Smart Locker & Facility Management
What are smart lockers in facility management?
Smart Lockers are digitally controlled locker systems that are used in facility management to organize, automate and document handover processes. They enable secure, asynchronous handovers of IT equipment, packages, tools or keys – without personal presence and without manual coordination.
Why do smart lockers belong in facility management in organizational terms?
Smart Lockers address key FM issues such as space utilization, route optimization, service quality and process costs. Although they are often used by IT, mailrooms or workshops, their added value lies in the reduction of operational friction – a classic area of responsibility for facility management.
What advantages do smart lockers offer facility managers?
Smart Lockers offer measurable benefits for facility managers:
- Reduction in waiting times for handovers
- Fewer manual reconciliations and tickets
- Relief for service and reception areas
- Greater transparency of handover processes
- Scalable services for hybrid working models
FAQs: IT dispenser & IT services
What is an IT dispenser?
An IT dispenser is a specialized application of a Smart Locker system. It is used for the automated issue and return of IT equipment such as laptops, monitors, smartphones or accessories – around the clock and documented.
How does a Smart Locker support IT output?
Enable Smart Locker:
- Device issue without personal handover
- Documented handover with time stamp
- Returns incl. status and condition check
- Integration into existing IT service processes
For facility managers, this means fewer special processes, fewer escalations, less space tied up.
Is an IT dispenser more of an IT or an FM issue?
Technically, it is close to IT, but organizationally it is clearly part of facility management.
Because the IT dispenser has an impact:
- Routes and transit times
- Service points
- Space requirement
- User experience
This makes it part of the physical service infrastructure of a location.
FAQs: Monitoring & tool dispensing
How does monitoring work for tool dispensing with Smart Lockers?
Smart Lockers enable seamless monitoring of tool dispensing:
- Who took which tool?
- When was it returned?
- How long was it in circulation?
- Were there any delays or losses?
This transparency is particularly relevant for workshops, maintenance and technical services.
For which areas is a monitored tool dispenser suitable?
Monitoring-based tool output is suitable for, among other things:
- Facility Services & Building Services
- Servicing & Maintenance
- Production-related services
- Safety and special tools
This gives facility managers control without additional effort.
FAQs: Connection to ticket and IT systems
Can Smart Lockers be connected to ticket systems?
Yes. Modern Smart Locker systems can be connected to ticket and IT service management systems.
Handovers can be automated:
- Triggered from tickets
- documented
- and reported back
In this way, physical handovers become part of digital workflows.
What are the advantages of connecting to ticket systems?
The connection to ticket systems enables:
- Processes without media discontinuity
- Automatic status updates
- Clear responsibilities
- Better evaluability of service processes
For facility management, this means less manual coordination and greater process clarity.
Is a ticket connection mandatory in order to use Smart Locker?
No. Smart Lockers can also be operated stand-alone.
Integration into ticket systems is optional and offers additional added value – especially in complex organizations or with a high handover frequency.
