01
Queues at Shift Change
Crews stand idle at the crib window while one attendant works through them.
Lockera Industries · Industrial
A Tool Crib That Never Closes.
Every shift that waits on an attendant, every tool that leaves without a name against it, and every contractor who needs access at two in the morning is an operating cost. Lockera turns controlled storage into self-service infrastructure that runs unmanned, around the clock.
One system for tool issue and return, PPE and consumables, contractor access and shift handover.
Built for
- Manufacturing Plants
- Warehouses & DCs
- Maintenance Depots
- Project Sites
Controlled Storage Shouldn't Need Someone Standing Behind It.
Most industrial sites still gate their tools, spares and PPE behind a manned counter. That counter keeps office hours while the plant runs three shifts, and much of what it hands out leaves on trust.
02
Crib Hours vs Plant Hours
A counter that closes at six, inside a facility that runs through the night.
03
Unaccounted Tools
Items leave without a reliable record of who took them, or when.
04
Shrinkage & Replacement
Calibrated instruments and power tools quietly leaving circulation.
05
Contractor Access
Temporary crews needing tools and PPE without permanent credentials.
06
Audit Gaps
No defensible chain of custody when a safety or calibration audit arrives.
The knock-on effect
How one staffed counter turns into a cost across every shift on site.
- 01A manned issue counter
- Queues and idle crew time
- 02Counter hours, not plant hours
- Night shift left without tools
- 03Paper or verbal sign-out
- Tools with no owner of record
- 04No return enforcement
- Shrinkage and repurchase
- 05No custody trail
- Failed safety and calibration audits
5 challenges · 5 operational costs · 1 bottleneck behind all of them
One System. Every Controlled Handover on Site.
Lockera is more than a tool locker. It is a controlled-access layer covering everything a site issues, returns, tracks and has to account for — without a person standing behind a counter.
Use case 01
Tool & Equipment Issue
Crews draw what they need against their own badge, on any shift.
Use case 02
Enforced Returns
Items are checked back in against the same identity that took them.
Use case 03
PPE & Consumables
Helmets, gloves, cartridges and spares dispensed with consumption recorded.
Use case 04
Contractor Access
Time-boxed permissions that lapse when the work order closes.
Use case 05
Calibration Quarantine
Instruments past their due date are held back from circulation automatically.
Use case 06
Shift Handover
Tools and keys pass between shifts without the two crews ever meeting.
A Manned Tool Crib vs. Lockera Controlled Access
| Measure | Manned tool crib | Lockera controlled access |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | Crib hours only | Every shift, around the clock |
| Staffing | A dedicated attendant | Unmanned |
| Issue record | Paper log or verbal | Identity-linked digital record |
| Returns | Chased manually | Enforced with overdue alerts |
| Contractor access | Escorted or improvised | Time-boxed permissions |
| Calibration control | Tracked on a separate sheet | Held back automatically |
| Shrinkage visibility | Discovered at stocktake | Visible per item, per user |
| Audit evidence | Reconstructed after the fact | Exportable chain of custody |
Hardware, Cloud Software and Site Access.
Lockera is a complete hardware, cloud software and access-control stack, engineered for sites that issue and reclaim equipment at volume.
Layer 01
Heavy-Duty Site Hardware
Modular steel lockbanks with electronic solenoids, HD touchscreens, badge and RFID readers, surveillance cameras and battery backup, specified for plant floors, warehouses and outdoor yards.
Layer 02
Cloud Control Centre
Custody per item, issue and return logs, overdue and calibration alerts, contractor permissions, consumption reporting by cost centre and a complete audit trail.
Layer 03
Access & Integrations
Badge, RFID, PIN and mobile access for employees and contractors, plus APIs into ERP, CMMS and EAM so every transaction posts against your existing work orders and asset records.
What the site gains
- Available on every shift — the crib no longer closes when the attendant goes home.
- Attendant time released — staff move from handing out tools to doing the work.
- Accountability per item — every issue and return carries a name and a timestamp.
- Lower shrinkage — enforced returns and overdue alerts, not an annual surprise.
- Audit-ready by default — chain of custody exported rather than reconstructed.
- Uninterrupted operation — battery backup and offline pin codes work through outages.
Infrastructure That Pays Back Every Shift.
The metrics that matter on an industrial site — uptime, shrinkage, audit readiness — all trace back to how quickly and how accountably equipment changes hands.
01
Recover Lost Production Time
Remove the queue between a technician and the tool they need.
02
Cut Tool Shrinkage
Give every item an owner of record the moment it leaves the locker.
03
Run All Three Shifts
Night and weekend crews draw and return without a counter being open.
04
Control Contractor Access
Grant exactly what the work order needs, for exactly as long as it runs.
05
Stay Audit-Ready
Produce a chain of custody for any item on demand.
06
Redeploy Crib Staff
Release an attendant from a counter to higher-value work.
From Production Floors to Temporary Project Footprints.
01
Manufacturing Plants
Multi-shift production floors with high tool turnover.
02
Warehouses & Distribution
Scanners, radios, keys and PPE issued across a large footprint.
03
Maintenance & MRO Depots
Calibrated instruments and critical spares under strict control.
04
Construction & Project Sites
Rotating contractor crews on temporary footprints.
05
Utilities & Energy
Dispersed assets and field crews needing local, secure storage.
06
Cold Storage & Process
Controlled issue in environments crews should not linger in.
Assess. Configure. Install. Go Live.
Site & Inventory Assessment
We map shifts, crew size, the item catalogue, turnover rates and crib locations.
Configuration & Hardware Design
Compartment mix, reader type, permission model and placement built around how the site actually runs.
Installation & Integration
On-site installation, badge and RFID enrolment, and integration with ERP, CMMS or EAM.
Go Live
Crews, contractors and supervisors start issuing and returning immediately.
Why Sites Are Taking the Attendant Off the Critical Path.
- Put tools in hands faster — remove the queue at the issue counter.
- Extend controlled access to every shift — no dependency on when the crib is staffed.
- Reduce tool and PPE shrinkage — enforced returns with an owner on every item.
- Keep calibration under control — instruments held back before they reach the floor.
- Give contractors scoped access — permissions that expire with the work order.
- Run every site from one place — custody, alerts and consumption in a single dashboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does a technician draw a tool when there is no attendant on duty?
They authenticate at the unit with a badge, RFID card, PIN or the mobile app, select the item from the on-screen catalogue, and the compartment holding it opens. The issue is written against their identity the moment the door closes. Nobody needs to be behind a counter, on any shift.
How are returns enforced?
Every item carries an expected return window set per item class or per work order. Lockera reminds the holder as the window closes, escalates to their supervisor once it passes, and shows the whole overdue list on the dashboard. The item stays attributed to the person who took it until it is physically checked back in.
Can we give contractors temporary access?
Yes. Contractor permissions are time-boxed and scoped: a crew gets access to a defined set of items for the duration of a work order or site pass, and access lapses automatically when it closes. No permanent credential is issued and nothing needs to be revoked by hand.
How does Lockera handle calibrated instruments?
Each instrument carries its calibration due date. As the date approaches, Lockera flags it, and once it passes the instrument is held in quarantine so it cannot be issued back to the floor. That removes the most common route by which an out-of-calibration tool ends up on a job.
Can it dispense consumables and PPE as well as issue tools?
Yes. Compartments can be configured for one-way dispensing of consumables such as gloves, cartridges, blades and fasteners, with consumption recorded per user and per cost centre. Reorder thresholds raise an alert before a bin runs empty.
Does Lockera integrate with our ERP, CMMS or EAM?
Lockera exposes APIs for issue, return, consumption and custody events, so transactions post against your existing work orders, asset records and cost centres. Item catalogues and user directories can be synchronised rather than maintained twice.
What access methods work on a plant floor?
Badge and RFID are the usual choice because crews often work in gloves, with PIN and mobile app as alternatives. Access rights follow the person, so the same credential works across every bank on site and across multiple sites.
Is the hardware suitable for a warehouse or an outdoor yard?
Yes. Banks are built from heavy-gauge steel with electronic latching and are specified per location, including weather-proof configurations for outdoor yards and units rated for cold storage and dusty process environments.
What happens during a power cut or network outage?
Each unit carries battery backup and an offline cache. Crews continue issuing and returning with offline PIN codes through a full grid or connectivity failure, and the custody log reconciles once the unit is back online.