Open offices have revolutionized the workplace, prioritizing collaborative spaces and shared work areas over cubicles and personal offices. Hybrid office setups are also becoming increasingly popular.
Hybrid office environments combine the best of both worlds: the flexibility of remote work and the collaborative benefits of in-office work. But where are people supposed to put their stuff in this new, flexible workplace? Business lockers meet the storage needs of these new spaces without consuming premium real estate.
According to the International Facilities Management Association, as many as 70% of offices in the U.S. are “open plan.” This trend, beginning in the 2000s as a counter to the cubicles of old, supports collaboration and encourages effective teamwork. More recently, open-plan offices have evolved into hybrid environments where employees come to the office to work in more flexible spaces that provide varying degrees of openness.
Hoteling, hot desking, and coworking spaces are three popular approaches in these hybrid office environments:
These environments all share a similar problem: where do people store their belongings? Business lockers provide employees with a secure, reliable place to store personal belongings, laptops, and other supplies.
Locker walls are a common way to turn unused wall space into productive storage. Business lockers can also be incorporated into the office space as free-standing storage, creating partition walls or integrated as islands that double as a workspace for standing meetings.
You can also design business lockers to fit the office's overall aesthetic. They don't have to be silvery steel; there are plenty of finishes, locks, and configurations to pick from.
Security is a top priority for many organizations — whether open-plan or not. Government offices and information technology environments integrate business lockers where security clearance and intellectual property protections are crucial. The lockers provide staff with a safe place to put their devices before entering a conference room for top-secret or highly confidential briefings.
Day-use lockers also have various convenient locking options, including combination locks (with a master key for those who forget their combination), keypads, and RFID codes linked to an individual’s work badge. Businesses can even customize lockers with USB or power charging options.
A New York City firm found another advantage: employees who shop online could have their packages sent to the office. Office support staff would use the master key to access the lockers and deliver the packages for retrieval at the end of the day.
Smart lockers are an innovative solution that can further enhance the efficiency and convenience of hybrid office environments. These lockers offer advanced features such as:
Smart lockers also support contactless transactions, an essential feature in today's health-conscious work environments. They can be integrated with existing office systems, such as employee badges and building access controls, to streamline operations and enhance security.
Across industries and environments, business lockers provide space savings and peace of mind that employee belongings are secure — without sacrificing aesthetics.
Updating your office with smart lockers and adapting to today's dynamic work environments ensures your workspace is versatile, efficient, and ready for the future. Unlock new possibilities and make the most of your office space. Contact us for a free site survey today.