Nowadays, IT teams have automated almost all digital work around endpoint management, but handling physical devices still relies on staff availability. Software helps with provisioning, policy enforcement, ticket routing, and monitoring, but collecting a broken device still needs someone to be at the desk. Device handoff also depends on email, spreadsheets, and manual sign-out processes.
This causes an IT automation gap between handling a device digitally and moving it physically between IT and the person who needs it. The other issues are addressed by physical handoff automation, as it applies software rules and records to the point where a device changes hands.
IT automation has advanced furthest in processes that can be managed completely through software. Endpoint platforms can provision devices, apply configurations, enforce policies, and monitor device health without needing an administrator to handle each action manually.
Automated patching reveals how far software-side device management has progressed. Ivanti research published through PR Newswire in June 2026 stated that 46% of IT professionals already use AI to automate patch deployment, with another 45% planning to adopt it within the next 24 months.
The physical movement of equipment does not fit as clearly into those systems. Someone may still need to spot a laptop, hand it to the user, record the exchange, and make sure it is returned. That is where an automated digital workflow can still end in a manual process.
A manual device handoff creates work before, during, and after the exchange. IT must identify the precise device, confirm the user should receive it, document the transaction, and manage exceptions when things do not go as planned.
The user experiences the same dependency from the opposite end. Access to a working device may rely on service-desk hours or whether an IT employee is available to complete the exchange.
Manual handoffs can make lost and damaged devices difficult to track and resolve, particularly when records are split across spreadsheets, sign-out sheets, and service systems. At scale, those gaps can carry substantial financial costs. Akron Public Schools stated in 2024 that 9,835 computers had been lost or damaged beyond repair over six years, costing the district $2.3 million.
Weak tracking can make the problem difficult to measure accurately. For example, WBEZ stated in 2024 that Chicago Public Schools had marked as many as 77,000 devices worth more than $23 million as lost or stolen in one year. Some were later found inside schools because inventory records were not correct.
Manual handoffs can create both direct replacement costs and uncertainty about where devices actually are. When those exchanges still rely on staff, every incident adds another manual step to an IT process that may already be automated elsewhere.
LocknCharge’s ForwardPass launch applies automation to the point where devices physically move between IT and end users. LocknCharge introduced ForwardPass in July 2026 as a self-service smart locker system for repeating device handoffs.
ForwardPass supports deployments, charging, loaners, repairs, and replacements as physical workflows that are usually still handled manually. ForwardPass uses the locker as the access point while software works on the process around that exchange.
A controlled handoff connects user access, the physical device, and a transaction record without needing IT staff to perform each exchange directly. ForwardPass connects locker activity to existing IT systems through supported integrations, letting physical handoff data feed into already established service-management and asset processes. That makes the locker a physical extension of a broader IT process.
For IT teams, the outcome is less routine coordination around expected exchanges. Users can complete approved handoffs separately, while staff step in only when an exception or technical decision needs their involvement.
The automation gap is pushing device-management hardware toward a wider operational role. Buyers increasingly need to check whether physical systems can support the same workflows as the IT software they already use.
Key implications include:
The market direction is toward strict coordination between physical device access and the IT systems that already handle the rest of the device lifecycle.
Physical workflow automation should fit the organization’s existing operating model instead of creating another disconnected system. IT leaders can begin with four practical questions:
These questions separate manual IT workflow automation from just purchasing a locker. The objective is to eliminate unnecessary manual steps without losing the controls IT needs to handle access and device custody. The same evaluation also avoids automation from becoming an end in itself. A workflow adds value only when users can finish it reliably, and IT receives information it can actually use.
IT automation has moved far beyond simple scripting. Endpoint tools can manage devices remotely, service platforms can route and record work, and tracking systems can identify problems before a user contacts the help desk.
Physical device exchanges can remain a missing link because the device itself still has to shift between people. Physical workflow automation addresses that gap.
ForwardPass reflects a broader change toward treating that exchange as part of the IT process. The value for IT is less time spent coordinating expected handoffs. For users, it means quicker access to a working device without waiting for IT support.
Ans: The three levels of automation are manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic.
Ans: The four types of automation are fixed, programmable, flexible, and integrated automation.
Ans: Some of the skills needed for automation are programming, scripting, version control, and problem-solving.
