Your school ID card can be used to automate many common processes, secure your facilities, track events and people, and so much more. Here some of the most popular uses.
1. Securely Control and Track Access to Facilities and Technology
Your student ID card can be a key that grants access to a residence, dorm room, or after-hours entry to your campus. Staff can use their ID cards to securely access offices and other areas off-limits to students.
Cards can also be used to grant access to computer workstations, VPNs, networks, and more.
RFID cards can also be used at sporting events, or anywhere you want to control access and track who enters.
2. Offer Cashless Payments for Books, Meals, and Services
Your campus may already support financial payment cards, but are you aware that the student ID card can be used for cashless payments as well?
From meal plans to bookstore purchases, to services rendered, to vending, to laundry machines, one card can securely authenticate purchase transactions and minimize cash handling.
Card accounts can be managed remotely online, where funds can be transferred securely and instantly from mobile devices or computers. Parents and guardians can upload funds, manage expenditures, and track purchases easily.
3. Recover Copy/Print/Computer Use Costs
Most libraries offer copy/print services, and some charge for internet access or computer time. However, many find the investment of manpower and equipment to be a loss leader at best.
Your school can recoup costs and automatically charge accounts linked to student and staff IDs with no intervention by staff required.
Most modern multi-function printers can be controlled right from their main LCD screen to securely manage, charge for, and release prints or copies.
Computer workstations can have logins that allot usage costs and time tracking to the student or staff ID.
Faculty and staff can print securely as print jobs are not visible on or released to a print device until the account has authorized the release. Staff and faculty use can be tracked by individual and department, helping provide data for planning and budgets.
4. Improve Access to Public or Regional Transit
Many college students use public or regional transit on a regular basis, and while a photo ID can be used as a bus pass, it provides no data about the number of riders or the peak times they ride, and can dramatically increase the work the driver has to do. Using RFID technology, the school ID card can become a wireless bus pass that grants access, charges for trips (where required), and provides excellent data on student/staff use of the bus system.
5. Provide Powerful Reporting Insight and Feedback
Every transaction can be logged, tracked, and reported from one centralized system. Run reports on transaction data, cardholder data, cost centre data, device usage, and much more.
Your reports will be accurate to ensure no overlaps or gaps in accounting exist.
The more you know, the better decisions you can make. Let your student ID cards and staff access cards do more than just sit in a wallet. Put them to work for you.