What’s the Real ROI of Smart Lockers in Higher Education Facilities?

What’s the Real ROI of Smart Lockers in Higher Education Facilities?

Mail and package delivery in higher education isn’t what it used to be. With package volumes climbing each academic year, many universities are re-evaluating the way they manage campus logistics, especially in their residential mail operations.

But beyond the student experience, smart locker systems show value in a less visible, often more impactful way: operational return on investment.

The Rising Cost of Campus Delivery

At many colleges, it’s not uncommon for mailroom staff-or student workers-to spend hours each day managing deliveries. Time is spent not just receiving and sorting packages, but also manually delivering package notifications and managing the long package pick-up lines. And when packages need to be delivered to staff in person, there may be additional time spent attempting and reattempting those. Multiply all this across multiple mailrooms and hundreds of deliveries per day, and the operational cost starts to climb quickly.

Where Smart Lockers Shift the Equation

A growing number of institutions are implementing smart lockers to streamline package delivery. Instead of relying on staffed pickup windows with limited hours, these lockers allow students to retrieve packages on their own schedule, often 24/7.

From an operational perspective, this single change shifts the entire workflow:

Staff spend less time attending students at pickup counters
Deliveries can be consolidated to fewer locations
Manual workflows are automated from logging in a package to notifying the recipient
Student labor becomes more efficient and focused
Mailroom footprint can be optimized

Real-World Example: Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University faced challenges managing over 19,000 packages a month, leading to crowded mailrooms and inefficiencies during peak times. To address this, the university implemented Pitney Bowes’ ParcelPoint™ Smart Lockers, integrated with inbound tracking software. This system streamlines package pick-up, allowing students and faculty to retrieve packages outside regular mail center hours. The result: reduced foot traffic, increased operational efficiency, and optimized space within the mailroom. "The Student Center where the lockers are located is open until midnight, so students find it convenient to pick up their packages when they come in for dinner," said Alex Crist, Director of Auxiliary Services. Read the full case study here.

Beyond Student Packages: Future Use Cases

Outside of shipping and mailing operations, smart lockers can be used for a variety of other campus storage needs. Our clients have used this for library book lending and return, secure food pantry or supplies to students in need, secure document storage, and faculty/staff mail delivery. Retailers or third-party services can use them for secure deliveries and pickups. Lockers can also function as self-service drop-off points for returns, transactions, storing athletic gear, musical instruments, IT assets, and personal items. Some schools may need a way to distribute caps and gowns, lost and found items, and commuter student and guest storage. These examples are just a starting point; smart lockers offer flexible solutions for any campus need, greatly contributing to the value they can provide.

This approach has the potential to lower fuel and labor costs, reduce time spent navigating multiple stops, provide secure access points for after-hours pickup, and support flexible staffing and hybrid work schedules.

Data Visibility Makes the Case

Another benefit that supports ROI: data. Smart Lockers that integrate with inbound package and asset tracking capabilities offer visibility into dwell times, pickup trends, delivery speed, and volume patterns. This kind of insight can inform staffing decisions, justify space planning, and support future investment in logistics improvements.

Final Thoughts

The return on investment for smart lockers isn’t just about the lockers themselves. It’s about what they enable: more efficient staffing, faster delivery, fewer mailrooms, better space use, and data that helps leaders make informed decisions.

As more higher education institutions look to modernize campus logistics, facilities teams will play a central role in identifying the opportunities. For many, smart lockers are proving to be one of them.

To learn more about this topic and see the full interview with Andy Kelly of UConn, watch our recently recorded webinar.