Edward Trueman
Business Development Manager
September 17, 2026
It goes without saying that Universities have a lot of technology to keep track of. Laptops are being loaned to students, devices are moving between campuses and replacement equipment needs to be available when something goes wrong.
Managing all of that through a traditional IT service desk takes time. It could also limit students and staff when collecting the equipment they need if it’s only available during limited opening hours.
Because of this, it’s no surprise to us here at DTP that smart lockers have become such a common sight on university campuses. According to figures published by LapSafe, its smart lockers are now installed in 93% of Scottish universities and 70% of Scottish colleges.
But their popularity is not only about providing somewhere secure to store a laptop. Smart lockers can help universities manage devices throughout their working life, from the day they are issued to the point they are returned, replaced or retired.
Giving people access when it’s needed
A student whose laptop stops working the evening before a deadline cannot always wait until the service desk opens the following morning. Equally, IT teams should not need to arrange every collection and return by hand.
Smart lockers give students and staff a secure, self-service way to collect and return equipment. Depending on how the service is set up, they can be used for student laptop loans, new starter devices, temporary replacements and planned refresh programmes.
Users get faster, more flexible access to technology, while IT retains a record of who collected each device and when.
Taking some of the pressure off IT
Smart lockers can also make everyday support much easier.
If a device develops a fault, the user can return it securely and collect a replacement without waiting for a face to face appointment. The IT team can see that the faulty device has been handed back, arrange its repair and keep track of the replacement.
It creates a smoother experience for the user and removes some of the repetitive administration from the service desk. That gives IT teams more time to focus on the issues that genuinely require their expertise.
-
Understanding how devices are actually being used
Most universities know how many devices they own. What can be harder to understand is whether those devices are in the right places and being used effectively.
Smart lockers can provide useful information about borrowing patterns, returns, availability and demand. This can help IT teams see when loan devices are busiest, which locations need more support and whether equipment elsewhere is sitting unused.
That insight makes future decisions easier. Rather than buying more devices based on assumptions, universities can make better use of what they already have and invest where there is a clear need.
-
Helping technology stay in use for longer
There is also a sustainability benefit to smart lockers.
Keeping devices secure, charged, visible and available for reuse can help universities get more from their existing estate. Equipment can be shared between more users, faults can be identified sooner and underused devices can be moved to where they are needed.
When a device reaches the end of its useful life, having an accurate record of where it is becomes even more important. Smart lockers can support a controlled return and replacement process, ensuring assets are accounted for before they move into secure data wiping, remarketing, reuse or responsible recycling.
It means the locker is not an isolated piece of campus furniture. It becomes part of a much wider approach to device lifecycle management.
Looking beyond the locker
The real value comes from joining the process together.
Connected with identity, asset-management and IT service-management systems, smart lockers can support everything from issuing a new laptop to arranging a replacement and collecting an old device for retirement.
For the student or member of staff, the experience is quick and straightforward. For the IT team, there is better visibility and less manual work. For the university, it can mean greater value from existing technology and clearer evidence to support future investment.
With smart lockers already installed across so much of Scotland’s university sector, self-service device management is quickly becoming an established part of the modern campus.
The question is not simply where universities store their devices. It is how they make those devices easier to access, simpler to manage and useful for as long as possible.
