Technology and supply chain management company, ByBox, has rolled out a a battery-powered locker solution using radio frequency identification.

Designed to enhance product tracking accuracy and reduce stock loss by minimising the risk of human error, the new lockers use radio frequency identification to scan products in and out and internet of things networks to update the locker contents to the ByBox Cloud.

ByBox currently has more than 45,000 smart lockers across 1,500 sites across the UK.

Director of product management, George Wiltshire, who oversaw the introduction of the new lockers, said: “RFID lockers are an incredible innovation for ByBox, which prides itself on leading the development and implementation of new technology.

“When picking up or dropping off parts, users no longer need to manually scan items in or out of lockers or record them. The lockers will automatically scan all the products in the locker after the locker is closed, offering the ultimate combination of convenience and stock integrity.”

John Thirkettle, secure locker solutions manager, who led the product design process for the RFID lockers, added: “The lockers are a real gamechanger for product tracking. With traditional smart lockers, if a user makes an error when scanning parts, this can result in the loss of tracking information, but RFID lockers completely eliminate this risk by automating the process.

“Customers can monitor and control their inventory levels remotely, and by having the right part at the right place and time, customers can avoid inventory loss, reduce the costs of restocking and enhance their efficiency and service quality.”

ByBox is rolling out the RFID lockers on a customer-by-customer basis in response to demand. The first RFID lockers have been installed at a hospital site in Leeds and will be used by one of the company’s healthcare customers. Other ByBox customers have placed orders across Europe and the US.

Operating in 31 countries, ByBox delivers 30 million items per year, with 99.7% of deliveries made on time to support vital infrastructure including hospitals, telecoms, utilities and datacentres.

In 2023 the company acquired Pelipod from BT Group, which added 5,000 lockers to its nationwide estate of secure smart delivery storage and collection points.


Image courtesy ByBox

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