How San Bernardino Valley College Scaled Their Film Program with a Smart Equipment Checkout System
San Bernardino Valley College is a public community college in southern California that serves over 15,000 students.
The Challenge:
Managing High-End Assets & Accessibility During Crisis
The Film Program at San Bernardino Valley College (SBVC) is built on a philosophy of "maximum access," dedicated to keeping high-end equipment, from digital cinema rigs to rare 35mm cameras, in students' hands rather than on shelves. However, maintaining this open-access model required staff to track hundreds of complex assets and maintenance schedules, which caused bottlenecks for both staff and students. In 2020, those challenges were exacerbated when the pandemic hit. As campus closures threatened to halt hands-on learning, the department urgently needed a reliable, contactless infrastructure to keep gear circulating, maintain enrollment, and ensure student creativity didn't suffer more than it already was from the pandemic.
The Solution:
A Mobile-First, Visual Asset Management Platform
SBVC implemented Cheqroom to modernize their equipment cage and streamline operations. The software served as the central nervous system for the department's logistics.
3 Highlights from SBVC’s Improved Equipment Management Workflow with Cheqroom:
Meeting Students Where They Are
Cheqroom’s mobile app allows students to browse inventory and make reservations directly from their devices.
Room & Facility Booking
Beyond cameras, the team utilized Cheqroom to manage facility reservations, allowing students to book edit bays, podcast rooms, color correction suites, and audio production rooms.
Visual Learning & Support
For the technical staff, Cheqroom’s intuitive interface and robust library of video tutorials (rather than text-heavy manuals or chatbots) made adoption seamless and training effortless.
Cheqroom has revolutionized how we manage our inventory of 1,200 items.
The Impact:
Program Growth and Operational Resilience
The implementation of Cheqroom did more than just organize gear; it saved the program during a global crisis and set the stage for expansion.
20+ Hours Saved Weekly
Automated reservations and tracking eliminated manual data entry, saving approximately 20 hours every week. This allows faculty to focus on teaching rather than logistics
1,200+ Assets Secured
The system effortlessly tracks a massive inventory of 1,200+ assets, successfully managing ~800 equipment check-outs weekly without the need for additional administrative staff
Improved Facility Management
Expanded usage to effectively manage 5+ specialized production spaces (Podcast, Color Correction, Audio Mixing, etc.)
Institutional Expansion
Operational reliability and a tech-forward student experience directly correlated with increased enrollment
While peer institutions faced declining enrollment during the pandemic due to restricted hands-on opportunities, SBVC not only survived but thrived, leveraging Cheqroom to facilitate the safe, contactless check-outs that kept the program active. Additionally, the ability to track inventory with QR codes enabled precise accountability, allowing staff to quickly identify who last checked out an item and where it was used. This feature proved invaluable in managing instances of damage or loss, saving the college approximately 20 hours of manual tracking each week. Ultimately, the partnership between SBVC and Cheqroom proves that effective asset management is about more than just protecting gear, it’s about protecting the educational mission. By digitizing their workflow, the department successfully bridged the gap between complex inventory logistics and student creativity, turning a potential operational crisis into a period of record growth. SBVC now stands as a testament to the power of accessibility, demonstrating that when you remove the friction from equipment access, you empower the next generation of storytellers to thrive regardless of the obstacles.
It really saved us during the pandemic. We were able to check out equipment to our students and keep the program active. I think Cheqroom is a big reason why our program grew over the last couple of years when others had struggles with enrollment.
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