Connect2 at Quinnipiac University’s School of Communications

Quinnipiac University in Connecticut introduced using Connect2 software for equipment checkout in their School of Communications. Lorensbergs spoke with Mike Schleif, Assistant Director of Operations, and Jess Smith, Remote Equipment Manager, to hear how students and staff have welcomed using the new system.

“We were looking for a better system for checking out equipment to our journalism, media and film production students. Another part of our university was already using Connect2 for laptop checkout and spoke very highly of the software. They also had good experience of working with provider Lorensbergs on the install and the IT arrangements. It appealed to us as a more efficient way for managing our own checkout service.

“We got a Connect2 demo and had a good look at the system. Everyone in our team was very positive about it so we decided to go ahead and start using it too. It obviously provided a smarter way to proceed than sticking with the software we had previously been using.

“The IT platform was going to be much easier for our IT team to support and maintain. It also meant that we would be able to start using the advance booking facility in Connect2. With the previous system, we found it necessary to manage reservations using email. Connect2 would enable us to move away from what had been a very labour-intensive process.”

Introducing Connect2

“Starting to work with Lorensbergs was great. They have fantastic communication. We were quickly able to put a face to the company and began building a good relationship. It’s so important when working with a technology supplier that you can just throw an email out and have any questions quickly answered.

“Once we installed Connect2, the training was very useful. We were given a general overview of the software, then delved into exactly how we would be using it to meet our specific needs. It was very informative and got us quickly off the blocks.

“Generally, Connect2 is very intuitive to use. I found it easy to work things out from exploring the software and looking at how we would implement our policies e.g. our booking rules – who can book what and how long for. Any questions and the Connect2 support team were very helpful. You can easily raise tickets knowing that there’s a robust system for resolving issues or providing answers to how things work.

“During the training and preparation time, it was useful to anticipate the kinds of questions students might have when using the system to reserve kit. It includes cameras, lighting, microphones, dollies, rigs, harnesses, lenses etc. We have a wide range of equipment, with camera models stretching from consumer level to high end for example.

“We wanted to make sure that any FAQs would be known with answers available from the start, and this is what we were able to achieve before going live.”

A perfect way of working

“Our store is very well organized, we have our camera area with grips, tripods and dollies area, lighting section, our high-end resources (cameras and lenses) are in the back. The culture of Connect2 and how the system works perfectly complements our ordered, neat approach to running the store. Connect2 is our perfect partner.

“We operate a tiered system of access with equipment available to students based on their class and year. Connect2 makes it possible so that students only see what they are allowed to book. That’s one of the best things about it, that students aren’t confused about what cameras they are meant to use. If they are shown 50 models, then how are they supposed to know what they are meant to pick?

“So it was a key goal to look at it from the end user’s experience and make sure that the reservation and checkout process is as clear and seamless as possible. That it would be the best it could possibly be – and that’s what we’ve got with Connect2!

“Students give us great feedback on using the system. They like to book online at any time, often late at night, and usually using their phones. The fact they have instant confirmation no matter what time it is, and can book as far ahead as they like is really important. During Finals Week, gear is gone out of the store, but with Connect2 reservations, they can rest assured they will have all they need.

“And it gives us peace of mind too, as members of staff, that students are only reserving kit that will definitely be available when they need it. Connect2 is completely reliable in this way.”

Better use of time and role

“Organizing reservations used to take a lot of brain power and mental math, working out what was available to students for the dates they needed it. It created much more stress and sometimes led to errors. Connect2 takes care of all that now and students are very much self-sufficient in making their own reservations.

“There is no more back and forth either with emails, so students secure what they need right away. Meanwhile, we have so much more time available, freed up from repetitive admin. We’re able to help more students now, advising on equipment and showing how they should use it. For example, we have time to show how to attach cameras to the tripod plate rather than simply issuing the equipment and serving the next student in line.

“With more time for training, the students are better off, the role is more rewarding and there is likely going to be fewer breakages too!

“Plus Connect2 ensures we always know when the next checkout or check-in is due. The use of color on the Connect2 dashboard makes it instantly clear what is due to go out next, and if any orders are late in or out. This really helps to organize our time. It’s awesome how much Connect2 has improved the way we work.”

Improving stock availability

“With Connect2, we are getting much better usage and increasing availability of resources that are often in high demand. Previously, students would just need to return equipment before the end of the day within store hours. But with Connect2, you can specify the exact time of return. So an item can be turned around same day and back out again.

“If a student only really needs to use an item for a few hours, we can arrange for it to be back in store and ready for the next student without waiting for the next morning to ensure it’s definitely available to them.

“This flexibility together with the ease of booking items means that lots more equipment goes out. There are items that previously never or rarely went out seeing good use now with Connect2.”

Greater student support

“The store has seen an increase in both the number and size of orders. Students are encouraged to book more and make sure they have all they need in each order. Much of this is to do with how Connect2 sets out all that is available to them. It’s a very visual experience – the item images, descriptions, the ‘frequently booked with’ feature – they all ensure students book exactly what they need. And students are more likely to book all the essential accessories and cables etc.

“For example, students would often forget to book the correct cable to go with microphones. We’ve actually added this into the booking process for these items now, so that students are prompted to add them to the booking before they finalize and submit it. Once they are familiar with doing this, we might remove this step, but at present it’s been a great way to educate them and avoid them having incomplete kit lists.

“The way Connect2 helps us build a step-by-step booking process means students are made fully aware of what they are signing up to, e.g. expensive items in high demand have a higher daily penalty if returned late. So we can tailor what is essentially an online form to make sure students are aware when booking these items. Connect2 allows for all these details. As it’s all online, it also saves a lot of trees as there’s no paper trail involved.

“With the better access and support provided by Connect2, students are really motivated and are showing greater ambition beyond their assignments. They are now engaging in more extra-curricular activities which gives them greater opportunity to master the resources available to them.

“What’s more, Connect2 supports our culture of students being considerate towards each other and returning items on time for the next booking. Students are automatically suspended if they are late returning items, and it means that they have to get in touch with us to sort out any lost or late items.

“Late items are much less likely to be an issue as we have instant and clear visibility when this occurs and it’s easy to track down students to address any problems. Plus the communications in Connect2 means students are more aware and able to avoid being late in the first place.

“The automatic reminders go out 6 hours, then 2, then 1 hour before the reservation end time. Students tolerate the many communications as it saves them incurring penalties. They are definitely more punctual returning to the desk. It is very rare now for items not to be returned on the correct day – this only happened less than a handful of times last semester. So late fines are at an all-time low. The notifications are truly great!”

How else Connect2 helps

• We like to prepare equipment ahead of the pick-up time. Students must book using Connect2 at least 30 minutes in advance, so we always have this time to prepare. In fact, the Connect2 dashboard has recently been extended to provide a 5-day ahead view. It means we are always ready each morning before students start arriving, and now we can easily see ahead to Monday before the weekend too. It means we are much more organized and ready for the week to come.
• If anything comes back with missing components, Connect2 makes it easy to keep track. You can add a note on the system and change the item’s or kit’s status so it won’t go out again until ready. It means the big ‘quarantine’ pile beside the desk has got much smaller! It also helps to assess which items are prone to breaking so we can choose alternatives or find better bags or storage arrangements to reduce these issues.
• Renewals are so flexible too. If you are renewing a multi-item booking, and not all items are available for the full extra 24 hours, you can still renew them but at the same time ensure necessary items are back at the earlier time.
• The homepage is really useful for keeping students informed about unscheduled changes, such as snow store closures where we will automatically renew all checked out items for students. We also use it to notify students or remind them about differences to usual store opening hours around public holidays.

Continuous improvement with Connect2

“The reporting in Connect2 is incredibly helpful. Our staff have a lot of demands on them – helping students and faculty, supporting special events etc. Connect2 gives us the data so we can better support each department with the right volume of equipment. We’ve become better and faster at responding to changes in their needs, ordering equipment, cables and chargers as soon as it’s clear in Connect2 that we need extra stock.

“The analytics also support gaining greater recognition for running such an important, busy service and shows if more help might be needed. With Connect2 we can measure how much is going out and coming back in, which cameras are the most used, how many checkouts we have and how many pieces of equipment are in use. We even know how many logins the system has seen, to understand how often students are using it.”

Summing up, Mike says: “Everything about Connect2 is amazing: the administration, reservations, tracking, inventory management, and reporting.

“We enjoy getting the communications on what each new Connect2 version will contain and see how the customer feedback is filtering into future releases.”

With thanks to Mike Schleif and Jess Smith at Quinnipiac University.