The Complete Guide to Smart Locker Technology | Velocity-Smart

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Smart locker and smart vending technology are redefining how modern enterprises manage physical assets, IT equipment and consumables.

Traditional processes for issuing laptops, peripherals and spares rely on manual hand‑offs and paper‑based procedures. The result is ticket backlogs, lost assets and frustrated users. Velocity Smart Technology’s Built On Now smart locker and vending platform offers a fully automated “click‑and‑collect” experience that integrates deeply with ServiceNow to automate every step of the asset life‑cycle.

This guide gives you everything you need to understand, evaluate and implement smart locker and smart vending solutions—including how they work, their benefits, deployment considerations, industry use cases and ways to maximise your ROI. Throughout this guide you will find links to relevant Velocity pages and resources so you can explore each topic in more detail.

Who is this guide for

This guide is written for technology leaders, digital workplace managers, IT service management teams, facilities teams, operations managers and managed service providers (MSPs). If you are responsible for delivering IT equipment, peripherals or other assets, or you support hybrid or shift‑based workforces, you will learn how smart lockers and smart vending can reduce operational overhead and improve user satisfaction. The guide also highlights how solution integrators and MSPs can differentiate their digital workplace offerings through Velocity’s partner program

A smart locker is an electronically controlled locker that uses software to automate the storage, distribution and tracking of physical items. Velocity Smart Lockers integrate natively into ServiceNow so that every step—from stocking and request approval to pickup and return—is executed within your existing ITSM platform. Users order laptops, phones, peripherals or spares from a self‑service ServiceNow portal and then collect them from a locker using a one‑time code. The locker solution provides a full audit trail and ties directly into hardware asset management (HAM) and CMDB tables. Benefits include 24/7 availability, mobile access, real‑time inventory visibility and reduced IT ticket volumes.

Key Features of Velocity Smart Lockers

Click and Collect – The application introduces consumer‑grade "click and collect" functionality within your ServiceNow user portal. Users can choose to collect an item immediately or select standard delivery, enabling flexible workflows.
Secure Barcode Collection – Each transaction generates a one‑time barcode delivered to the user’s registered email. The user simply scans the code or enters it at the locker to open the correct compartment.
Geolocation Awareness – Built‑in geolocation shows users the lockers nearest to them with the required item in stock, ensuring employees never travel to an empty locker.
Automated Provisioning – Smart Collect enables pre‑stocking and automatically provisions items based on your existing approval rules. For example, if a user requests a charger at 2 a.m., the system can immediately send them a pickup code.
Lending & Return Workflows – The platform supports temporary equipment lending with configurable loan periods and reminder emails. Users can borrow a device for travel and return it later, and the system handles tracking and re‑allocation.
Break‑Fix Support – Smart Collect integrates with ServiceNow Incident Management to streamline equipment break‑fix scenarios. Users can deposit a faulty asset in the locker and pick up a replacement using the same ticket.

Support team features

Support teams benefit from built‑in capabilities such as easy deployment from the ServiceNow Store, no external data storage, a powerful Smart Select fulfilment engine and Agent Workspace enhancements. Because Smart Collect is a Built On Now application, all user data and transaction records remain in your ServiceNow instance.

The Smart Select engine simplifies catalogue mapping by allowing multiple asset models to fulfil a single catalogue item and vice versa. Agent Workspace add‑ons enable service desk agents to check locker stock, assign tickets for locker fulfilment and send collection codes. Automated restocking, reporting and full asset management ensure your locker inventory stays healthy.

Smart vending machines dispense consumables such as keyboards, headsets and cables through an automated system that integrates with ServiceNow. The machines are controlled via the Velocity Smart Collect application, meaning all requests, approvals and inventory tracking occur within your existing workflows. Velocity’s Idea series vending machines feature spiral‑free dispensing, break‑proof glass, modular shelves and HD touch screens. Idea6 models offer six customizable lanes and a 10 in. touch screen, while Idea9 machines have nine lanes and a larger 22 in. display. The vending process is simple: users authenticate, select an item, collect it and the machine automatically records the transaction and updates ServiceNow.

Benefits of Smart Vending Machines

Plug & Go – Vending machines are cloud connected with Wi‑Fi or 3G/4G connectivity for easy installation.
Vends Every Time – Sensors confirm that each item is dispensed first time and padded delivery bays protect sensitive items.
Extremely Configurable – Adjustable shelves and tray configurations enable dispensing of a wide range of shapes and sizes.
Reporting & Tolerances – The system provides stock reporting, item restrictions and tolerance alerts to maintain inventory.
Versatile & Secure – Vending machines work for any low‑value items and use encrypted cloud integration with barcode, proximity card or keypad authentication to ensure security.

NEW HOW IT WORKS

Velocity’s solution is built around Velocity Smart Collect®, a ServiceNow‑native application that orchestrates the entire hardware fulfilment process. A typical workflow includes:

1. Request – Employees order equipment or consumables via ServiceNow or directly from their phone.

2. Approve & Track – Smart Collect checks stock, triggers approval rules and automatically logs the transaction for full visibility.

3. Collect & Restock – Users pick up their item using a one‑time code; Smart Collect updates inventory levels and generates restocking alerts.

For vending machines, users authenticate via card or QR code, select the item they want, the machine dispenses it and the transaction is recorded in the ServiceNow system. The Velocity Smart Cloud then creates or updates the corresponding request ticket, providing an end‑to‑end audit trail.

Improve Asset Visibility & Security

With Smart Collect, all assets and consumables are tracked in real time within ServiceNow. Each transaction is logged, and the system integrates with Hardware Asset Management (HAM) and CMDB tables. The “secure barcode collection” feature ensures that only authorised users can open a locker, and vending machines require card or barcode authentication. Lockers support the quarantining of returned items and other COVID safety measures.

Smart lockers are more than just “storage spaces” — thanks to their robust array of features and connectivity, they are essentially central “points” for inventory management, maintenance, fulfillment and redistribution.

From checking where assets are to requesting new devices in real time, smart lockers make it easier for IT teams and inventory managers to provide employees with the equipment they need, when they need it. Below are just a few applications and use cases for smart lockers.

Real-time device management

Many businesses rely on employees using expensive portable electronic devices in the office, field or home — whether they’re using laptops, mobile phones or otherwise. The challenge, however, is ensuring end-to-end visibility of those devices — and ensuring they are replaced and managed effectively.

With a central device management hub or ITSM platform, such as ServiceNow, businesses can automatically monitor and manage devices. They can also compile transaction logs — i.e. where devices have been and who has used them, record device status, issue collections or maintenance, set up alerts and device reports (i.e. performance), and much more.

Device fulfilment and collection

With smart locker technology, IT teams can easily manage device fulfillment and collection.

Think of smart lockers as connected inventories — as businesses can see what assets are available and who is using them, they can make informed decisions about what equipment they need more of. For example, IT may find that employees are taking out more headphones and keyboards, highlighting a need to replenish or scale up that inventory.

Similarly, IT can also forecast asset requirements for new starters and employees; they can retire old equipment and put in a request with their IT equipment provider so that the new equipment is ready as soon as possible. That equipment is then delivered directly to the locker and employees are given specific instructions and authentication codes to access their smart lockers and/or equipment.

Repair and redistribution (Reverse logistics)

Smart lockers make asset collection and repair incredibly easy. Devices can be left in an authorised locker (that’s perhaps dedicated to asset repair, maintenance and replacement) to be picked up by a third-party IT service.

Also, as IT can monitor the asset and the locker, they’ll know when it’s been picked up and can better plan their IT estate moving forward.

Once devices are repaired or replaced, they can be left in a collection locker (or a locker dedicated to replacements or repairs) for employees to retrieve. It’s that simple.

The result? IT teams spend less time delivering and collecting assets themselves and can redefine desk-side IT support. The moment a problem arises, they can implement a plan to correct it.

Asset tracking and logging

As mentioned, smart lockers enable rapid tracking of devices on-site. This is because the lockers are connected, via the internet, to the business’ network, meaning they can be monitored by IT at any point.

To improve asset tracking, the devices in the lockers can be fitted with RFID tags — a unique serial number that can be recorded against a piece of equipment and tracked using the appropriate asset tracking software. This technology can be combined with surveillance applications for machine-to-machine verification — in other words, a smart locker can verify the asset placed inside it.

With this kind of visibility, it becomes incredibly easy to collect and track the right equipment and improve the security of devices across the enterprise.

Borrow and return

Another key benefit of smart lockers is the ability to “borrow” and “return” equipment as and when it’s needed.

For employees working in a new city or remotely — or even those that have forgotten their laptop charger, mouse or headphones, for example — smart lockers can act as a repository or temporary store for equipment in demand.

Employees can simply use their smart locker application (provided by the business) to locate one of the business’ lockers that contains the equipment they need. From the app, they can see stock availability and business smart lockers in the vicinity.

On arrival, they submit a unique authentication code to access the locker and the equipment they need. The moment it’s retrieved, a record is updated to say that they took out the equipment on a certain date, with a set period in which it needs to be returned.

With borrow and return capabilities, smart lockers or rather smart vending machines can act as always available dispensing machines.

Want to find out more reasons why you should have a Smart Locker in your business?

However, while smart lockers can be used across a variety of business contexts, implementing them effectively (and choosing the right software to operate them) can be challenging.

Standard smart locker solutions, i.e. those without robust on-site or desk-side IT support, often require full integration and take IT support teams more time to deliver equipment, not less.

The issue is that some locker manufacturers claim to have application interfaces (APIs) that allow their lockers to connect to their customers’ ITSM platforms — but this can be costly and time-consuming. To make matters worse, the API alone often doesn’t provide the functionality the customer needs.

But we can help.

We live in a world that expects a rapid response to solving a problem. We live amongst an ‘on-demand generation’, and IT support is no different.

Remote and desk-side IT support is now the norm for many businesses, from start-ups to large multinational enterprises. If something isn’t working, employees can simply go to their IT support desk, log a ticket and get help within the hour.

This model has drastically reduced business downtime and improved operational efficiency, but — as mentioned before — the replacement, management and provision of IT equipment lags considerably behind.

How to overcome the fear of digital transformation

At Velocity, we take a smart, efficiency-driven approach to the replacement, management and provision of IT equipment by implementing smart locker technology and desk-side support, providing our customers with fast, frictionless access to vital equipment, 24/7.

The reason for this is simple: everything’s digital.

Across the world, more and more of us are working in a hybrid fashion — at home, remotely or in the office. As such, we need round-the-clock access to equipment. We don’t want to waste time waiting for it.

Through smart locker technology, it becomes possible to provide equipment and vital peripherals to employees at scale.

And businesses are quickly realising the potential of smart locker technology: by 2025, the global smart locker market is expected to be worth $1.2 billion USD.

As it stands, Velocity is the fastest-growing solution provider in the Global Smart Locker space and the only provider of the extensible ServiceNow application in conjunction with smart locker technology. Find out more about us here.

ServiceNow can be integrated into a variety of ITSM platforms and apps and its light footprint means you don’t have to worry about altering your IT infrastructure. This makes us the most affordable and effective solution for large corporations (and the best smart locker service provider).

The real hero of every project we work on is of course our customers; for having an infinite game mindset and for being passionate about really delivering exceptional customer service and IT performance with our world leading Velocity Smart Collect™ solution.

Find out more about how our clients are delivering benefits for their business with our Industry Case Studies.

We have developed the world’s only Smart Locker Solution that is built upon the market-leading ITSM, ServiceNow — the platform of choice for IT MSPs and Enterprise businesses.

With a fast, automated “Amazon-Smart Locker style” 24/7 delivery and collection solution for IT equipment and peripherals, we help corporate IT and IT MSPs to drastically reduce IT fulfilment, management and repair costs — all while increasing productivity. Talk about proactive IT desk-side support.

Our smart locker technology uses ServiceNow in our world-first ServiceNow certified app Velocity Smart Collect™, enabling our lockers to integrate directly with your ITSM infrastructure and unlock the true value of smart lockers.

Just check out the video below to find out more.

At the heart of our smart locker technologies and solutions is Velocity Smart Collect™, the world’s first (and only) ServiceNow certified app which brings click-and-collect functionality to your business.

Your employees (or your customers’ employees) can leverage this solution to request hardware and peripherals that can be collected (on approval by their IT team) from a Velocity Smart Locker.

After the request is approved, they will receive a secure email with a collection bar-code. This process is 95% faster than traditional IT equipment delivery.

The app is always up to date with its ServiceNow version, is 100% secure and can be installed in just a matter of hours. It’s also the first-ever app to support domain separation, making it ideal for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) with multiple areas of operation.

However, one of the most important benefits of Velocity’s smart locker technology is a lack of technical debt.

Head Quarters/Large Buildings

The obvious choice, with Exec/Management visibility
Lots of people, likely a high number of transactions
Likely to host onsite support and Tech Bar services

Smart Lockers and Vending Solution Provide

Provide a high value 24/7 service that extends beyond normal working hours
Can improve the efficiency of onsite IT teams and automatically divert tickets away from the Tech Bar to Smart Device Self-Service so they can focus on solving real IT problems
Improvements in CSAT scores

Satellite/Small Remote Offices

The forgotten force
Few people, with likely a low number of transactions, but with a HIGH cost to serve
Likely no onsite support, no Tech Bar services, with remote smart hands periodic visits
Low CSAT Scores

Smart Lockers and Vending Solution Provide

Standard high value 24/7 service that extends beyond normal working hours that the “ivory tower” receives
Greater productivity increase of employees because less wait time for fixes/new/replacement equipment
AND Cost effective solution due to the high cost to serve via remote visits – fewer Smart transactions justify the cost while providing huge improvements in valuable CSAT scores

When we talk about technical debt, we refer to the different solutions that organisations need to consolidate and integrate to get simple functions working “seamlessly”. The problem is that if one of these solutions is updated or fails, the entire network is often at risk. This can be costly to maintain, secure and manage as each individual solution is different.

Overall, a lot of organisations, particularly large enterprises, spend a lot of money on their existing IT stack because they have to update, replace and troubleshoot software and apps frequently. If an app or software sits outside the main user platform, additional time and resource is needed to maintain these apps/software because it isn’t native or seamlessly integrated.

Over time, the amount of technical debt grows as organisations attempt to add more functionality to solve specific problems. The best case scenario is to have fully integrated apps that are native to an IT estate and service management system.

This is why every Velocity Smart Locker and Vending solution is designed to work within the ServiceNow portal. The moment ServiceNow is updated, so too is the smart locker or vending machine. This means that you don’t have to troubleshoot or call in experts to “fix” something once an update breaks it. It’s far more cost-effective, flexible and robust.

The result? You can deliver resilient services that increase productivity and create amazing experiences wherever your employees work.

You can find out more about ServiceNow’s ITSM platform here.

With ServiceNow installed, you can:

Order assets
Manage returns
Restock equipment
Set up borrow and return processes
Raise requests on behalf of end-users
Manage incidents, i.e. malfunctioning equipment
Check asset registration and information, allowing you to track Velocity Smart Vending devices and transactions

Plug and go

Featuring cloud-based, WiFi & 3G connectivity, Velocity Smart Locker and Vending solutions can be connected to your business’ network (or customer’s network) in no time at all.

Branded for your business (or customer)

Make the technology your own and wow your employees and/or customers with branded smart locker and vending solutions.

Encrypted using API-based HTTPS cloud integration

Worried about security? No need to be. Our solutions are 100% secure and capture no personal data whatsoever.

Remotely monitored

Check the status of assets in your smart lockers, who has accessed them, stock levels, requests, collections and much more.

Configurable

Easily manage and configure your smart lockers from a central portal — ServiceNow. Determine who can access them, including what information is captured.

Versatile

Suitable for any requirement, Velocity Smart Lockers and Vending solutions can be scaled up and down depending on what you need. We have a variety of sizes available.

Multi-input

Ensure your assets are secure by requesting multiple authentication methods, including RFID, barcode scanning and pin pad access.

Capable of being daisy-chained

Link multiple lockers together to get a clear and unified view of specific assets being requested, used and returned.

Multi-usage

Fix, borrow and return devices with ease. Employees can also use lockers for personal deliveries, while HR teams can use them for new starter equipment and/or device rollouts.

Combined with the Smart Collect app

Provide seamless ordering and collection for both employees and IT teams — orders are managed and approved by authorised personnel, this includes stock tolerance and restocking.

Business use-case optimisation

If you’re planning to implement smart locker technology and/or associated solutions for your customer, we can work together with you to build a compelling use case. This is based on our experience and your customer’s specific use cases and data.

Service design

Through site surveys, use case design and localisation, we can develop and deliver ITSM solutions and locker designs that meet your every need.

Implementation

From finding the optimum device location and managing the plan to secure installation and operational guidance, we’ll be with you every step of the way.

Technology integration

One of the major challenges with implementing smart lockers is getting them to work alongside your ITSM. We can integrate your ITSM and ITAM tools so that you can extract real value from your smart locker solutions.

Enablement services

Engagement and training are the difference between success and failure. Through targeted campaigns and training, we’ll communicate the benefits of smart locker technologies and solutions to your stakeholders, driving adoption across your organisation (or your client’s organisation).

Bespoke Training

When we carry out our training, we implement our application with the customer’s version of ServiceNow. What this means is that the customer gets to see how the locker and/or vending machine would operate in their current environment. Everything’s branded to their business and processes are designed to work based on how they (the business) operates.

Change Management & Adoption

For any technology implementation to be successful, businesses have to think about how users work, how they can drive adoption throughout and the best way to integrate the technology.

Smart locker technology cannot be used as standalone solutions. For businesses to truly benefit from them and transform the way they operate, they have to be integrated into every aspect of activity.

To achieve this, we work closely with our customers to help them develop change management approaches that ensure the smart locker and vending technology is onboarded seamlessly and successfully.

How much do Smart Lockers cost?

To answer this question, it’s important to think about the total cost of ownership

At Velocity, our smart lockers and vending machines are integrated directly with the customer’s ServiceNow. This means that when one is updated, so is the other. We also encourage our customers to think of the lockers as integral parts of their overall operation, not standalone solutions designed to solve one or two problems. The result is that they change how they think and utilise the lockers, ensuring that they are incorporated into everything they do and employees are on board.

Unfortunately, many organisations have a lot of technical debt (as mentioned earlier) which essentially means that their solutions and tools are managed in a disconnected fashion. What happens is that they purchase smart lockers with the aim of solving one or two problems, but treat them as standalone solutions and don’t integrate them correctly.

They then have to configure each individual solution to work with the rest of their infrastructure, as changes to one means changes need to be made to the others. This takes time, expertise, and a great deal of money to manage — especially when you think about the security tests and updates that need to be installed.

Overall, this approach ends up costing businesses far more than it needs to. We provide a simple, cost-effective and fully integrated solution that is always up-to-date.

How long/complex is the installation process?

The key thing to consider when planning a smart locker implementation project is whether or not you have an end-to-end approach. A smart locker isn’t just a point solution — it should be part of your entire ITSM infrastructure. What we mean by this is that it’s baked into your processes and your employees are bought into its use.

Also, you want to consolidate your installation. This means using one partner to manage the planning, strategy, deployment, configuration, and ongoing maintenance, security, and training. Few are able to do that.

With Velocity, you have one partner that can do all the above. Fewer touchpoints mean more security, less risk, and greater consistency. Our process is simple and straightforward; you’ll be up and running in no time.

Typically our projects take 3 or 4 months from kick-off to full deployment, but depending on the customer needs we have achieved this in as little as 6 or 7 weeks.

What are the challenges with Smart Lockers?

Smart Locker and Smart Vending technology is inherently sound. Issues occur when businesses fail to appreciate the change management and digital transformation that needs to follow the implementation of the lockers.

You can’t just add a new solution and expect employees to use it. For it to work, it needs to be integrated into core processes and employees need to be taught how to use it effectively. That way you can drive adoption and streamline the provision of equipment to employees.

You have to change the way you work to benefit from the smart lockers. For example, it has to have stock at all times (otherwise employees won’t bother visiting them), you have to have a global support model to ensure they’re always on, and — perhaps most importantly — the technology needs to be championed

How are Smart Lockers maintained?

At Velocity, we provide a global support model that allows our customers to have their smart lockers serviced wherever, whenever. Each model comes with full warranty and different levels of support can be purchased.

With over 50 year’s experience working for both IT companies and businesses, we understand the challenges you face.

We all experience wasted time, money and effort when it comes to collecting, delivering and/or dropping off items — either at home or in business.

But with our smart locker and vending technology solutions we empower you, your employees and your entire business operation to streamline customer service, asset delivery and management, and collections through intelligent automation.

See how it all works here.

If you’re interested in finding out more, you can book a demo using the button below.