13 Mar 2015
The college has installed three Traka lockers holding 80 devices in its library allowing students to access laptops at any time

Traka asset management lockers are helping staff at Lincoln College save hundreds of hours in extra time each year.

The college has installed three lockers holding 80 devices in its library allowing students to access laptops at any time of the day.

The new system means staff do not need to carry out any admin work retrieving the laptops from a safe and issuing them by scanning the barcode for each device, thus freeing up their time.

Previously, the college was operating under a manual system scanning each device before issuing them to students. Although there was a record of who had been given laptops, it was not easy to view or manage.

With 9,000 students, of whom 3,000 are full time, the facility decided to implement a more thorough process and install Traka lockers following a refurbishment of its library.

The lockers charge the laptops so that students do not have to waste time trying to find a power source, they increase accountability, but most importantly, they help the college protect its investment and manage the use and misuse of the equipment.

If devices are broken, damaged, lost or stolen, the Traka system notifies staff through its database, showing who has taken what and whether it has been returned.

The move has led to an increase in occupancy with more students going into the library and staying for longer periods of time.

Rachael Adair, Head of Learning Resources said: “One of the things we wanted when we had the refurbishment was a safe place to store the laptops and a simpler way of issuing them, which is why we chose Traka.

“Administration time and man handling has now been cut dramatically freeing up time for staff to do other work. The feedback from the students is that the lockers are really easy to use and the staff are pleased as they have more time to do other things."