smart lockers

The Smart Ripple Effect of RFID Credentials

A key aspect of RFID technology is its ability to grow with you. Organizations are familiar with employee credentials being housed on a smart card, key fob or mobile phone, and use them to conveniently grant access to buildings and computing systems throughout the day. And now we’re at an exciting turning point in innovation as businesses extend their usage of simple, single sign-on credentials and enjoy the ripple effects of efficiency, convenience and cost-savings.

Keep reading to learn how one HID customer is modernizing their workspace while reveling in the rewards of RFID intelligence.

Building on Current Credentials

Recently, an international electric vehicle (EV) company wanted to deploy a large-scale smart locker project. The company sought out Meridian, a valued HID partner who utilizes many of HID’s proven RFID technologies, for assistance in expanding their existing employee RFID credentials to extend their tech investment into other areas of the premises.

The Meridian team is a valued HID partner, and many of their solutions feature HID’s proven RFID technologies. For more than 20 years, Meridian has been a self-service industry pioneer and leader in innovation and precision. One category they excel in as a total solution provider is smart lockers: designing safe and secure spaces for employees to store personal items without having to fret about keys or combinations.

These lockers successfully:

  • Modernize the office
  • Increase efficiency
  • Secure employees’ personal belongings
  • Automate the locker assignment and booking processes

Unlocking New Potential: RFID in Smart Lockers

This impressive undertaking was completed by pairing HID’s best-in-class OMNIKEY® 5427 readers and contactless credentials, already in place at the American EV manufacturer, with Meridian’s lockers and their custom-built hardware accompanied by stellar self-serve software.  Together, HID and Meridian funneled their innovation and access expertise to provide a striking onsite storage system that can be accessed with ease while being managed and maintained from near or far.

Employees now enter the building and secure their personal belongings by using the same employee credentials. The process is as simple as selecting a unit and unlocking it with their RFID credentials.  Once they place their belongings inside they can rest easy knowing that when they close the door their items are protected during their entire shift. When it’s time to leave, the user just flashes their credentials to access the smart locker, remove their things, and the container is automatically made available to be digitally reassigned to the next employee.

Meridian’s smart lockers are unlike anything else on the market today. The unique ability to manage and track usage, on such a large scale, allows companies to streamline their workflow and increase accountability, which allows employees to focus on the important aspects of their job rather than wasting time tracking down missing or lost items. Meridian specializes in creating solutions that fit the specific needs of the companies we design for, and focuses on producing real-life solutions at the cutting edge of technology and innovation. — Chris Guilder, CEO of Meridian

Seamlessly Extending New Avenues of Access

The beauty of the solution is the efficiency and easy integration of the flexible designs inherent in HID credentials and readers. New use cases are seamlessly added to broaden an already well-oiled ecosystem of access at the manufacturer’s locations.

The EV manufacturer was pleased to expand their current investment with the user-friendly RFID credential framework to bring more convenience and ease for employees and provide managers with the ability to remotely manage the smart lockers and their operations. In addition, the modern look of the locker designs aligns with the organization’s image, so that not only do the smart lockers provide secure functionality, but they also serve to visually modernize the facility.

Meridian’s smart lockers are a great example of the ways businesses can leverage existing RFID credentials. HID’s OMNIKEY readers, in combination with Meridian's expertise in custom design, provide a seamless experience without the need to rip and replace existing systems or create a steep learning curve for employees and users. It's exciting to be working with innovative partners like Meridian. — Chris Neely, Regional Sales Manager at HID

Interested in unpacking more about smart locker access and authentication? Read more about controlled access to lockers >>

Thierry is the Managing Director of the RFID Business Unit within the Extended Access Technologies Business Area at HID Global. Based in Switzerland, Thierry joined HID in 2012 and has held multiple roles, including EMEA Sales Director and Vice President of Business Development. He also served as Senior Director of Integration for Impro Technologies in Durban/South Africa. Prior to joining HID Global, Thierry worked for 18 years at EM Microelectronic, a Swiss based semiconductor company and subsidiary of the Swatch Group. His last position there was as RFID Business Unit Leader. Thierry received his MS degree in microelectronics in 1994 from École Polytechnique in France and holds many patents in RFID access control and microchip design. In his free time, Thierry enjoys flying and has had his private pilot’s license since 1994. He became a flight instructor in 2010.

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