The desk runs itself when you're not at it.
Self-service in ItemTally means a borrower scans a label and takes the thing on their own name, from a kiosk tablet by the door, the A4 poster on the cupboard, or their own phone. Every take is a ledger line with a name, and the rules you set per folder still apply.
The jobLet people take and return things themselves, and still know exactly who has what.
| Item | Location | Qty | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPad 10th gen, cart 2 slot 14 IT-000214 | Library / iPad cart 2 | 1 | Aron P. · due 15:00 |
| DJI Mini 4 Pro drone IT-000088 | Media cage / Approval shelf | 1 | Requested · Selma |
| Bosch PSR 18 drill driver IT-000131 | Tool library / Bay 3 | 1 | Available |
How it works
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Choose who can serve themselves
Turn on self-service for a person, or make them a borrower member. Everyone else can still receive things from an editor, which stays free.
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Put the kiosk where the gear is
Open the kiosk link on a shared tablet in the cage, the crib or the prep room. Or print the kiosk poster, a big QR and three instructions, and tape it to the door.
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Pick your name, scan, go
The borrower picks their name (and types their PIN if you set one), scans what they're taking and taps Take all. Five things are one confirmation and one ledger batch.
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Return from anywhere
Scan it back at the kiosk, or tap Return on the My things link in the receipt. A link return is a claim until a scan or an editor confirms it.
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The kiosk forgets you
After a quiet minute the kiosk clears the name, so the next person starts fresh and nobody takes things on someone else's account.
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Exceptions come to you
Overdue items, problems flagged on return and approval requests land on Today. The rest needs nobody.
The details
- Kiosk PINs
- Give a name a short PIN and the kiosk asks for it before anyone acts on that name. It's a deterrent for a shared tablet, kept simple on purpose.
- Person cards
- Every person has a short code like P-0042. Print it on a card, and scanning the card starts a basket on their name.
- Approval per folder
- In a folder with approval on, a self-service take becomes a request an editor approves. Keep it for the drone shelf; leave it off for the cable drawer.
- Signatures per folder
- Require a thumb signature on every take from a folder. The signature is stored on the ledger line and printed on the custody sheet.
- Bookings are respected
- A self-service take that would clash with someone's reservation is refused, and the default due date stops before the next booking starts.
- Room keys for staff
- Scope a member to their folders, a teacher to their classroom or a crew lead to their van. Their register, counts and Today end there.
Why self-service usually fails
Most “honesty box” setups fail for one of three reasons. Taking is easy but returning isn’t recorded, so the list is soon fiction. The form asks for too much (name, email, item, asset number, date) and people skip it. Or the system needs everyone to have a login, and half the people who borrow will never make one.
ItemTally keeps the borrower’s part to a name and a scan. Returning is a scan or one tap on a link they already have. Logins are for the people who run the register.
Kiosk, poster or own phone
| Setup | Good for | What the borrower does |
|---|---|---|
| Tablet on the wall | Busy desks, cages and cribs | Picks a name, enters a PIN if set, scans, taps Take all |
| A4 kiosk poster | Cupboards and rooms without a device | Scans the poster with their phone, picks a name, scans |
| Their own phone, signed in as a borrower | Regulars who take things often | Scans the label and gets one verb: Take it or Return |
The honest limits
- Kiosk PINs are a deterrent, not strong authentication. If you need proof of identity, have an editor do the hand-over with a signature.
- There are no training records or certifications per person. Approval folders are the way to gate kit.
- The kiosk needs a connection. Offline scanning comes with the phone apps, which are in testing.
Who uses it
Tool libraries put the kiosk on the counter, makerspaces by the tool wall, IT help desks at the loaner shelf, and film and media departments at the cage hatch with approval on the pro shelf.
Questions people ask
What is kiosk mode?
A link you open on a shared tablet or computer. It shows your people's names, and anyone can pick theirs, scan and take or return. It needs no per-person login and no extra seats.
Do I need to buy a tablet?
No. The kiosk poster prints on A4 with a big QR. People scan it with their own phone, pick their name and carry on. A tablet by the door is nicer for busy desks.
How is self-service priced?
A borrower is anyone who takes things themselves. Shelf (free) includes 10, Stockroom (€19/mo) 50 and Warehouse (€49/mo) unlimited. Hand-overs done by an editor, viewers and every My things link stay free on every plan.
Can we stop people taking the expensive things themselves?
Yes. Put them in a folder with approval on. A self-service take there becomes a request that an editor approves or declines from Today.
What stops someone taking things on another person's name?
Kiosk PINs. Give a name a PIN and the kiosk asks for it before anyone acts as that person. The kiosk also forgets the name after a quiet minute.
Can the kiosk check training or qualifications?
No. ItemTally doesn't hold training records. Use an approval folder for kit that needs sign-off, and an editor decides each request.
Tape the poster to the door tonight.
Free forever for one editor and ten borrowers. No card.
Free for one editor and ten borrowers, with unlimited items. No card needed.