‘eLocker Leverages Data Analysis for its Bespoke Solutions’ Says Jacob Hinson

Privacy and efficiency are two things that come to mind when you think about a safety system. A variety of locking systems, manual and digital ones, are available in the market with unique safety features but they cannot tell you about past transactions so as to take data-based decisions and not emotional ones. eLocker makes such smart lock systems enabled with data analytics that can suggest to their clients a strategy for implementing optimum workspace utilisation. Analytics Insight has engaged in an exclusive interview with Jacob Hinson, Founder of eLocker.

1. Kindly brief us about the company, its specialisation and the services that your company offers.

eLocker is a locker technology company that offers subscription-based locker systems for a wide range of customers. We are leading the way in locker technology by leveraging advanced data analysis as a driving factor in developing solutions.

We are the only major player in this arena that emphasises data to help customers make intelligent decisions about workspace and equipment. Our flexibility and expertise have enabled us to install our solutions in various locations, from warehouses, retail environments, and offices to sophisticated data centres.

Our unique selling point lies in the fact that they are data-led, so you can be sure you're getting a locker system that is not only inbuilt with security but also has maximum efficiency enabled by cutting-edge analytics.

Other systems on the market are primarily focused on access control. With eLocker, this is a given standard but with an additional focus on analytics and data. We do this because it helps customers make data-driven decisions to optimise the workspace rather than take emotional decisions, which are often incorrect.

We remove the emotion from decision-making and use data workspaces to help customers automate workflows and make more tech-focused workspaces. So why should asset and workspace management with lockers be different? Only people with eLocker have the data to do this effectively. So, we can better support digital implementation and growth for customers.

2. With what mission and objectives was the company set up? In short, tell us about your journey since the company's inception.

We're continually re-evaluating our mission and objectives to ensure we provide the best possible service. But our overarching aim is saving customers time, space and money by automating traditionally very resource-consuming processes. We focus on larger rollouts and deep partnerships with customers, one of our key differentiating features. For example, customers of the eLocker platinum scheme get weekly conversations. We also build custom workflows and do regular deep dives into their accounts to see what works for them and where the system could improve.

At eLocker, we offer more than just a metal box you buy and never hear from us again. We have created a very curated service unique to us. Customers generally use our smart locker systems as a proxy for data collection. Unfortunately, people aren't computers, so the hard data-led accountability that eLocker creates is one of the ways we ensure our customers are making the most out of our service.

We started as a start-up company that then started renting lockers to warehouses. We were asked by the people in these warehouses if there was an easier way to manage the lockers, so we implemented these changes, which started selling on Amazon in 2016, and that is how our journey towards the company that we are today truly began.

From there, I continued to add features and functionality to the system. For example, the original system didn't track when people used their lockers. It was just a management system. But now eLocker offers insights, so managers know when their team uses their lockers with detailed usage logs. Meanwhile, our analytics package creates occupancy and utilisation data which only helps make the lockers more and more featured and user-friendly.

Once a client relationship begins with eLocker, we continue tweaking according to customer feedback. By having partnerships with customers, we get insight into how they want the system to work. The bespoke solutions we can offer from this feedback makes possible a service that is customized to industry and personal rather than going for the generic solution.

3. Mention some of the awards, achievements, recognitions and clients' feedback that you feel are notable and valuable for the company.

In 2021 eLocker won the Tech Nation Rising Stars Award. Since then, we have collected case studies to add to our website's vault. They demonstrate why the company is award-winning and really show what our system can do – because it's very deep and varied.

Case studies are so crucial for us because there are a lot of different things we do for a lot of different clients. The fantastic thing is that it can be tailored and adapted to fit almost any need. Offering a bespoke solution widens the scope of possibilities and ensures that through customer feedback and building client relationships, as previously mentioned, we are producing the most effective and valuable solution possible.

4. Tell us how your company is contributing to the IoT/AI/Big Data Analytics/Robotics/Self-Driving Vehicles/Cloud Computing industry of the nation and how the company is benefiting the clients.

Our solution is the most technologically advanced IoT locker solution on the market today.

The wireless capabilities mean we can swap lockers and more easily update locks without reinstalling a new set of lockers every time. This is a meaningful way we help to contribute to creating more sustainable workplaces.

Apart from this, data analytics is a massive part of our offering. We gain usage data, which helps customers streamline their operations and make better decisions. We are planning to implement machine learning into eLocker to create the most detailed service for our customers. For example, imagine a customer has ten sites. As we implement smart locker systems into the first couple, we can gain more data and use this to help customers buy as few lockers as they need for the remaining sites.

Enabling customers to buy fewer lockers may sound counter-productive from a business perspective, but it allows our customers to save essential resources and stop them from manufacturing and producing lockers they ultimately don't need. So, the sustainability aspect is a massive part of why we do what we do.

How the eLocker system works on a subscription-based model. You sign up and pay per month per lock. All hardware arrives (there's no direct hardware cost), and customers pay per locker. The most straightforward comparison is a broadband subscription. You get the wifi router (lockers) as a necessary feature, but the actual service you are paying for monthly is the internet access (locker access and accompanying data-driven insight). This way, you are only receiving and paying for what you need.

5. What are your growth plans for the next 12 months?

In 2023, we are introducing machine learning and delivering sustainability-led business action by introducing deeper technology into our existing systems. eLocker is launching click & collect locker systems with several prominent European retailers. And we are set to double the number of current locks on the system.

We are also making significant moves into the public sector. For example, this year, we won the National Highways ESN Tender, and we really want to support governments with digital transformation going forward in equipment management and lockers for workspaces and this particular avenue excites me a lot.

Additionally, we are launching eLocker USA to support our customers on the other side of the pond; this continues our growth plans and hiring to grow our fantastic team, proactively laying foundations in the North American market. So, overall, the next 12 months will be a busy period for eLocker. The team and I are incredibly excited about what lies ahead.

6. What is your biggest USP that differentiates the company from competitors?

Our focus on sustainability is a softer USP but still a significant company value. Technology-wise, our wireless capability is also a similarly notable aspect. But what properly sets us apart is customer service. We listen to customers and create curated, bespoke solutions with custom workflows that perfectly match their requirements.

We offer staff lockers, device lockers, office lockers, warehouse lockers, asset distribution lockers, and click and collect – it's an all-rounded service that ultimately means the more systems the customer takes on, the more cost-effective eLocker becomes — a win-win situation.

We want to grow and evolve our solutions alongside our customers, so we are happy to do pilots and free trials to make the best possible decisions about our solutions. eLocker is not about one-off sales but about a long-term relationship, they demand by virtue of the technology. We are focused on our customer's lifetime value and are firm believers that investing in the right people makes all the difference. We are passionate about our offerings and need our amazing team and customers working together to help us do what we do best.