Mohawk College Case Study:
Equipment Bookings with Connect2

Mohawk College is a public college of applied arts and technology located in Hamilton, Ontario. Steve Mikalauskas, Team Lead Operations Specialist, talked to Lorensbergs about the exciting changes that have come following introduction of the Connect2 system for equipment reservations and checkout.

Welcome changes with Connect2

“At the School of Creative Industries at Mohawk, we provide over 1600 bookable resources for student use. Equipment items range from cameras to musical instruments and serve 13 different programmes of study, from animation and advertising to graphic design and photography. We also provide over 50 labs and spaces for student use which are always in high demand.

“Integrating Connect2 into the School’s equipment lending operation has given students better access to the vast range of resources available for their use. It’s become quicker and easier to reserve and checkout all they need.

“When the school decided to change system, we found the decision to move to Connect2 easy to make. It was by far the cleanest and most user-friendly system out there.

“We found the Connect2 team at Lorensbergs very easy to work with. The sales manager provided a Connect2 demo with an in-depth tour of how the functionality all worked. We could fully understand what a move to Connect2 involved for students and staff and we were confident to make an informed, quick decision to come on board.

“We have a lot of systems to manage here, and it was good to be able to act so decisively. In fact, moving to Connect2 has enabled us to rationalise the systems in use. Now our reservations, checkout and repairs management is all in one place.

“From installation, to going live to students, we organised everything in only 2 weeks. We had some training, but really, I was already finding my way around the Connect2 system and could work out how to set it up with our resources and booking rules. It was all straightforward and easily achieved. Everyone – both staff and students – are comfortable using the new system now.”

 

Saving time and reducing errors

“Changing system has been of massive benefit to staff. With Connect2, staff have got their time back. It saves the team over 40 hours per week on equipment booking arrangements and checkout alone. Further hours are saved on managing labs and spaces.

“Previously, equipment reservations involved an editable PDF that students would complete to make their bookings. They would email us a copy and then we would continue emailing until a suitable time was agreed for each reservation.

“A further drain on our time was that it was easy for mistakes to be made when students chose items to reserve. Staff wasted time preparing the wrong items and of course it took time to sort out at the checkout desk, so this impacted students’ time too.

“Of course, if you only have the names of the equipment listed then mistakes are easily made. The old system had no visual aids or further detail to guide students in reserving the right items. Connect2 helps students avoid all that. They can see exactly what they are booking. Plus there’s extra info and manuals all available at the point of selecting items.”

Easy access and communications with Connect2

“Overall, we are seeing much greater use of resources with Connect2 due to the easier access it provides.

“It’s easy to organise borrowing privileges in the system. The process starts when students first log in, so it’s become part of our orientation programme for each new student intake. We have single sign-on, and students simply enter their usual login credentials.

“It’s useful that students can only see what they can book in Connect2, as we have such a wide range of equipment and programmes to support. The fact they can see real-time data on availability is a further big plus point. It helps students to prepare ahead for their projects.

“We can contact students via Connect2 with their email addresses present in the system. So we can automatically confirm their bookings to them, remind them to return items, and tell them about new resources that we’ve brought into store.

“The notifications ensure that students are aware of their booking end times, so they have every chance to meet each deadline. Connect2 enables them to renew for another 3 hours if they are stuck in traffic! Also, for those using labs, they have a 15 minute warning to vacate on time, which also allows them time to extend bookings if needed.

“If items are late back, we fine $10 per booking. This also helps keep users focused on the return time and leads to better resource availability for everyone.”

Support for faculty and staff

“We have set up Connect2 to support faculty with lesson preparations. If they have a technical lesson involving equipment use, they can book sufficient numbers of items for the class. Their role in the Connect2 system means they can book as far ahead as they wish, using recurring bookings so that all class equipment is secured for the semester ahead. The Connect2 calendar is a great feature!

“Meanwhile students have some restrictions on how far ahead they can book. It helps ensure that bookings are always as needed, and resources aren’t blocked from being used by others. We’ve set up the system so that for any booking ‘no shows’, these are automatically cancelled after half an hour. It helps to regulate item availability and relieves pressure on staff, with the system controlling access based on our policies.”

Central database supports team working

“Our team works in shifts, and the Connect2 system makes it easy for them to hand off each time one shift ends and another starts. In fact, both staff don’t even need to be present for this. When a new shift starts, Connect2 makes it clear what checkouts are next, what items are already returned, and what equipment repairs need to be processed. If some items are stuck in maintenance, they can also see this and can speed up their return.”

A great way of working

“Connect2 provides essential data for making decisions on future use of time and budget. It also supports us with stocktaking and we can run an inventory list of everything that’s present in the store.

“The Connect2 analytics on usage and stock tell us what we really need more of. This way we have the clear facts to make the best purchasing decisions. It’s proved to be a great planning tool.

“In the first academic year of using the system, we’ve already had over 6700 bookings across almost 600 registered users. It has given us great insight on how items are being used and what we need to purchase next.

Summing up, Steve adds: “If you’re thinking of taking a look at Connect2, definitely go ahead and have a demo. We really liked what we saw and are very satisfied using the system.”

 

With thanks to Steve Mikalauskas, Mohawk College, for sharing his experiences of using Connect2 with us.