Project experience
How we work on self-storage lock projects
We describe the work rather than naming clients. Project references are available under NDA, with the customer's consent.
Three project patterns
Almost every self-storage lock project we support follows one of these. Each one is described the same way: who the buyer is, what they needed, what we configured, the minimum order, the timing and the result.
Pattern 1 · Multi-site standardisation
- Buyer type
- A facility group running several locations, usually on hardware inherited from more than one supplier.
- What they needed
- One unit-lock specification that fits every site, a key hierarchy that works group-wide, and a re-order path that does not depend on who is on shift.
- What we configured
- A written specification — model, cylinder size, finish, packaging — with per-site key plans and a group-level manager-key rule, stored against the account.
- Minimum order
- From 500 pcs per model. A multi-site programme is normally phased per site rather than ordered in one block.
- Timing
- Fit sample from 5 days; batch production around 30 days after the specification and keying are confirmed; deliveries scheduled against the site rollout.
- Result
- New sites and replacements land on the same part, and a cylinder ordered later still matches the keys already in circulation.
Pattern 2 · Replacement and retrofit supply
- Buyer type
- An operator whose doors are already installed and who is replacing cylinders, latches or hasps without touching the doors.
- What they needed
- A part that fits the existing door, and where possible one that matches the keys already in tenants' hands.
- What we configured
- A fit sample measured against the actual door first, then production to the approved drawing, with the keying recorded against the order reference.
- Minimum order
- From 500 pcs for a standard model; smaller replacement quantities are quoted case by case rather than refused.
- Timing
- Sample from 5 days, production around 30 days, and a mixed replacement list consolidated into one shipment.
- Result
- The drift where each replacement is slightly different from the last stops, and the site keeps one specification instead of a history of parts.
Pattern 3 · OEM / private-label programme
- Buyer type
- A distributor, door manufacturer or online seller trading under its own brand.
- What they needed
- Their mark on the lock, the key and the packaging, with unit-level serials or codes, arriving ready for their own channel.
- What we configured
- Artwork proof, a serial-number file checked before production, a pre-production sample, tooling quoted separately, and retail card or blister packaging.
- Minimum order
- From 500 pcs for private label and marking; higher where a structural change or new tooling is involved, confirmed at feasibility.
- Timing
- Marking adds 1–3 days and packaging 3–7 days on top of the standard batch lead time; tooling is quoted on its own schedule.
- Result
- A branded range that ships without a serial or artwork error being discovered after production.
Projects are described by pattern rather than by customer name. Most supply agreements include confidentiality, and we do not publish a client, a volume or an outcome without written authorisation.
What a project engagement includes
The same four deliverables each time, whatever the project size.
| Deliverable | What it is | Why it matters later |
|---|---|---|
| Written specification | Model, dimensions, material, finish and packaging recorded against your account | The second order matches the first, without re-measuring |
| Key plan | Keyed-alike groups, keyed-different units and manager-key scope | Keying cannot be corrected after production |
| Fit confirmation | Physical sample checked against your actual door | Catches a hole or bore offset before the batch, not after |
| Re-order path | Stored specification, artwork and keying | A cylinder bought in three years still matches the keys in circulation |
| Named contact | One person, from enquiry through shipment | Questions go to someone who knows the order |
Project scale we can support
- Capacity
- 300,000 lock units a month on the lock and key-box lines
- Phased delivery
- Deliveries scheduled per site against your rollout plan
- Consolidation
- Mixed families combined into one shipment from Ningbo or Shanghai
- On-time record
- 99.3% on-time delivery across the lock and key-box lines
- Escalation
- Management involvement when a project condition changes
On references: we will not publish a client name, logo, volume or outcome without written authorisation from that client. If you need references before placing an order, tell us — we will ask the relevant customer and come back to you.
What we will not claim
- We do not publish customer names or logos without authorisation.
- We do not quote a project volume we cannot evidence to the customer's satisfaction.
- We do not present a project in one market as experience in another.
- We do not describe a pilot order as a completed programme.
Project questions
Can you share customer references?
Project references are available under NDA, with the customer's consent and with the product scope and timing confirmed. We do not publish client names, logos or volumes without written authorisation — including for projects we have completed.
Have you supplied large multi-unit projects?
Yes — we have supported door-factory and multi-unit facility projects, including a programme in the 100,000-unit range. We will describe the scope and our role once the customer authorises it, rather than quoting a headline number on a public page.
What does a project actually involve?
Four things: a written specification so the second order matches the first, a key plan, a re-order path, and a named contact. Without those, a large first order becomes a maintenance problem two years later.
Why are the examples described by pattern rather than by customer name?
Most supply agreements include confidentiality, so projects are described by what was involved rather than by who the customer is. On request we can talk through the relevant pattern in more detail, subject to the customer's consent.
Can you supply against a phased construction programme?
Yes. Deliveries are scheduled against the build so hardware arrives as the doors become ready, which is the usual arrangement on conversions and multi-phase fit-outs. Send the phase dates and we will confirm how the lead time fits them.
How long does a full facility fit-out take?
It follows the construction programme rather than a fixed period, with each batch typically around 30 days from confirmation. Send the phase dates and we will map the batch lead time onto them before you commit.