This is a question we’re often asked: is my equipment checkout service big enough to need its own software solution? It’s a good question so we’re addressing it here to explore when a loaner pool really benefits from using its own dedicated equipment checkout system.

Smaller or fledgling services may be using a spreadsheet to record checkouts and check-ins. They may be using a basic web form for reservations or expecting students to turn up and arrange equipment use on spec. There might be an incumbent system in use despite not being specifically designed for equipment management. Or the equipment store may even be relying on good old pen and paper.

The problems begin when the functionality of the used method falls short and staff struggle to run an efficient service. A sure sign is an abundance of sticky notes on the desk, around the computer screen and even on the equipment itself. A long line of students may be waiting at the desk, and there’s a constant need for staff to quiz co-workers on exactly what’s been checked out and when.

These are all telltale signs that there’s room for improvement in how a store is being run. So here are some areas to weigh up in deciding if the time is right to trade up and start using a specialist solution.

When is it time to trade up to a better system?

Firstly, here are some areas to consider. Even if you’re starting off small, say with under 100 or even 50 items to lend out, a checkout system enforces some good practices and gets your service off to a great start.

Even a low number of items adds up in value and so deserves to be managed professionally. When you add in the cost of your staff’s time, specialized equipment management software quickly becomes a sound investment. It will soon save hundreds of hours each semester it’s in use.

Perhaps the most important point to consider though is the standard of service your students are experiencing. Peace of mind in getting access to essential resources is massively important. Media equipment and other technical instruments are often unaffordable for students to buy, yet vital to their studies. So whether your serving 20 or 200 students, it’s key you have a reliable and easy way to manage that access and the resources involved.

Here’s some best practice points:

• It’s easier to start small with a checkout system and configure it as your service grows rather than once you’re a sizeable service. In the case of Connect2, it’s highly flexible and designed to meet university requirements as they change – new kit with new rules, supporting new courses with new student cohorts etc
• Time is saved in a multitude of ways by checkout software so make sure you set it up to gain full benefit and value for money: enable self-service bookings, automatic chasing up of late items, use its inventory management shortcuts, rely on it for repairs management efficiencies etc
• If you have ambitions to grow, the system should be able to give you the analytics to support funding for that growth, either in demonstrating efficiency for taking on support of new departments, or in ROI for expanding your equipment portfolio under management
• Make it easy to scale up with more student users by using a system that automatically authenticates to the student record system

Is it ever worth persisting with an incumbent system?

If you’re still not sure if you’re ready to make the move, here’s some key points regarding the systems that university departments are making do with.

Are spreadsheets or paper-based systems sufficient for managing checkouts and inventory?

It’s easy and tempting to start using spreadsheets and then stick with them. They require no upfront cost and staff are often already familiar with how to use them. However, what appears to be a convenient solution is actually high on administration and repetitive tasks.

It’s time to switch when:

• It’s taking too long to pinpoint each asset’s location
• Too often you need to manually figure out which items are late back or lost
• You are experiencing reservation clashes
• It’s not clear which items you need to prepare next for checkout

Both spreadsheets and paper require a lot of manual intervention to keep a store running and so are prone to a lot of human error. Also, as these systems don’t offer users a view of the range of equipment available, many items risk being under-utilized.

Is an ILS a suitable system for equipment management?

Equipment circulation is often the remit of library staff, so it may seem a natural choice to use the software already in use for loans of books and other materials. However the ILS (Integrated Library System) lacks some key functionalities. Here are some of the signs that it’s falling short:

• Inventory is proving difficult to manage and is not presented well: ILS systems are not designed to handle the metadata relating to equipment assets or manage equipment portfolios e.g. using kits or collections
• Students often make errors requesting the wrong items for their assignments or classes due to insufficient capacity to display adequate images of hi-tech assets or include links to manuals, videos etc
• Staff may be checking out fragile items to students that have not completed prerequisite training or classes, due to the system lacking granularity of student access controls
• It’s difficult to allocate responsibility for items returned broken

In research libraries, the ILS tends to adhere to privacy laws for academic research, and loan records may be quickly purged. If items are returned broken or with parts missing but these problems are not noted immediately, there would be no way to trace it back to the student for accountability.

Is a support desk system suited to managing equipment access?

Most technical teams will be used to working with a help desk system, and it might be tempting to make do with using such a system for lending of hardware. But it may well fall short of providing a quality service to students. It’s also likely such a system will fail to relieve administrative processes that tie up staff when supporting the circulation of equipment.

When using this kind of system, do you notice any of these issues:

• Staff are spending hours responding to requests for equipment access and logging these in the system
• It’s taking up a lot of time explaining rules around equipment use as part of organizing each equipment order
• Issues with equipment (e.g. relating to repairs or having insufficient quantities available) repeatedly inconvenience users without being addressed

As help desk systems don’t support user-initiated online reservations or browsing of available inventory, requests for equipment loans require taking calls or replying to emails which then need to be logged in the system.

This all involves a lot of staff time, dealing with enquiries and organizing loans with each student. Help desk systems aren’t designed for equipment management, so also tend to fall short of providing actionable intelligence to guard against recurring equipment issues or to support stock level planning.

In summary

Smaller sized equipment loaner programs may be making do with a system that simply isn’t up to scratch. Here we’ve listed a number of the shortcomings and frustrations that can regularly arise, simply because you are struggling on with an inadequate system or process.  

A specialized checkout system such as Connect2 quickly pays for itself in saved time, and fewer lost items and breakages. It’s effective in helping students to make the most of the resources available to them. The system manages and automates borrowing rules based on each user’s individual profile – such as their course or module and year of study, or if relevant training or an induction has been completed. This provides a clear and reliable service to students while supporting staff with efficient running of services.

A dedicated equipment reservation system offers a centralized, complete and enduring record on the cost and effort of maintaining the inventory involved. It’s a central source of intelligence for future analysis or decision making. It leads to faster decisions on whether to continue lending out breakage-prone items, or where more training might be needed. It will also tell you when you need to expand to include a bigger inventory to meet needs.

It keeps a comprehensive record of who borrowed what and when, and alerts staff when items are late back. Best of all, there’s no messy paperwork! It all adds up to a better service and one that can easily grow when the time and need is right.

For further advice and ideas on how to run an efficient equipment checkout store, contact the Connect2 team at enquiries@connect2software.com. We’ll be happy to help.