Door Industry Journal - Summer 2014

Also online at: www.dijonline.co.uk building hardware 87 THE door industry journal summer 2014 KITLOCK TICKS ALL THE BOXES FOR IBIN When Andrew Burton, owner of iBin Innovations Ltd, needed a durable battery-operated keypad lock to fit to his parcel delivery boxes, KitLock cabinet locks proved to be a perfect match. Three years ago, iBin Innovations Ltd recognised there was an opportunity to take advantage of the popularity of online shopping and designed a range of stylish parcel delivery boxes. iBins provide a convenient and safe place for couriers to leave home delivered goods when there’s nobody at home to sign for them. “While Internet shopping itself is convenient because you can browse and compare products from the comfort of your own home, waiting in for the delivery isn’t,” explains Andrew. “How many times have you missed a parcel and had to rearrange another delivery or travel to the courier’s depot to collect it? iBins overcome these issues and make the delivery process much more convenient for everyone.” How does an iBin work? The code to open the iBin is added to the ‘special delivery instructions’ or ‘other information’ box during the checkout process. When the delivery is made, the courier opens the iBin with the four-digit code and places the item inside. A label with a unique number is fixed to the underside of each iBin lid. The courier simply enters the number as proof of delivery. When the lid is closed and the lock handle returned to the original position, the iBin is once again secure. See the video at - www.theibin.com/How-it-works.aspx Why KitLock? Andrew needed to find a simple, yet effective method of keeping the iBins secure and started researching the market. “We needed a durable, easy-to-use keypad locking mechanism and we quickly realised that the KitLock 1000 from Codelocks provided everything we were looking for,” said Andrew. “We didn’t want our customers to have to connect their iBin up to an external power supply– we wanted it to be a self contained unit – so finding a battery-operated lock was essential. Also, because iBins are located outside it was crucial the keypad lock was weather resistant.” KitLock 1000 is a battery-operated keyless lock designed specifically for securing cabinets and lockers. It provides approximately 15,000 openings from just two AAA batteries. When fitted with a rubber gasket, a KitLock is IP54 rated making it suitable for outdoor applications. “We loved the simplicity of programming a KitLock. The lock can hold up to four different access codes so that customers can apply different codes to different websites or couriers. Using a master code, customers can easily change their access codes on a regular basis,” said Andrew. “Also, KitLock will flash a red LED light if the batteries get low. It has an override facility should a customer ignore the low battery warning and let it run down completely!” Positive feedback “The decision to use KitLock to secure iBins has been fundamental to the success of the product. Customers have been very complimentary about the locks, in fact I’ve not had any negative feedback at all,” said Andrew. “We’ve really enjoyed working with Codelocks. Our orders are satisfied within 24 hours and any service issues are resolved quickly and professionally.” The iBin is available in three sizes: Compact, Classic and Grande. The boxes are all dark grey with the option of three lid colour variants Green, Red and Black. Find out more at - www.theibin.com Learn more about Kitlocks at - www.codelocks.co.uk/kitlock Looking at other measurables for the website; with a Page Rank of 5 the MLA site is ranking particularly highly. With Page Rank being one measurement of the importance of web pages it goes to show how the numerous links from police and other authoritative sites which the MLA site enjoys has helped achieve this rating. More importantly for members the page rank has actually fed through to members’ own pages on the site, which all have a ranking of at least 1 (interestingly other directory type sites have no page ranking for their members/subscribers individual pages). Domain Authority is another tool to use to predict how a site will perform in search engine rankings and the MLA site ranks at an excellent 53%, well ahead of any other locksmith specific groups and associations. The most important thing of course however, is whether MLA membership generates any benefits for members. Well other than the significant savings MLA members can achieve, when it comes to work the feedback from approved companies indicates it’s very much a yes! Steve Underwood of Abbey Gate Locksmiths and Security Engineers in Caversham Heights, Reading has recently highlighted that he’s getting on average 6-7 jobs per week from his MLA membership! So the bottom line is; it pays to be an MLA approved company!