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Smarthub

Reviews of Smarthub

4.2 (50)
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Pros

  • The granularity of the system helps us to be confident that the assets are going out and coming back into the store in the right condition.

  • I love using Smarthub, everything is so logical and easy to find and set up. If I do have an issue or a query support is really fast and helpful.

  • It was recommended to me by other people already using it and I see the potential, if set up correctly. I like the good customer care and prompt replies I got so far for any little question.

  • Suits the use within our environment as well as having a suitable App. The scope of the system and it's ability to be customised is also appealing.

Cons

  • As counter facing staff we are also frequently questioned by students with complaints over their user experience, which is not fair considering our own daily tasks.

  • Additionally, the mobile website could be more user-friendly as students often use their phones to book equipment and complete risk assessments.

  • Not all of this is the fault of the software, but it's specific suitability for how we work isn't quite right. Occasionally communications have dropped after an initial response.

  • It is more of user-interaction design issue rather than a lack of services available on the platform.

Showing Most Helpful

Showing 25 of 50 reviews

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Richard M. avatar
Richard M.
Technical Services Manager Media and Comms
Higher Education, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
9/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"The Brain Behind a Highly Complex Resourcing Operation!"

Overall: Our experience of Smarthub has been great, across an extensive period of time. We're now into our sixteenth year as end users and have found the team at Siso be to extremely proactive (in the rare instances should system failure occur) and receptive to our emerging needs as end users. Without Smarthub, we couldn't work with the level of effectiveness we currently enjoy. It's paramount to the continued success of our complex resourcing operations.

Pros: We've been using Smarthub since 2008 across our combined specialist media operations at Staffordshire University, encompassing several campuses. In that time, it's become ubiquitous across media resourcing within HE. Our initial fact finding operation rated Smarthub comfortably the best tool for our end user requirements, and it's subsequently developed and grown to meet our emerging needs. Smarthub represents the brain of a highly complex resourcing dynamic at our university and without it (and the capabilities of the team who administer it), we would be well and truly floored! The fact that we've never once questioned moving away from Smarthub during the 16 years in which we've used it should speak volumes - it was our 'go-to' tool yesterday, is today, and all but certainly will be for years to come!

Cons: There's very little not to like about Smarthub, and even if gripes are identified, the team at Siso work extremely proactively to remedy them with the end user in mind.

Reasons for Switching to Smarthub: We needed a tool we could rely on to function holistically and reliably.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Richard, Our team will be over the moon to hear about your positive experience with Smarthub! Thank you so much for those kind words and for being a such a long standing user of our system! Kind Regards, The Siso Team
Rob P.
Technical Manager
Education Management, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
4.0
Value for Money
3.0
Likelihood to Recommend
8/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
April 11, 2024

"SmartHub and Middlesex University"

Overall: Overall, the product has served us well over the last five or six years. There are features that have really helped us improve our operations but there are also areas that need improvement which [sensitive content hidden] have always been receptive to hearing.

Pros: The granularity of the system helps us to be confident that the assets are going out and coming back into the store in the right condition. The induction video feature with training that automatically applies following a questionnaire has been very valuable and I believe is quite unique to Smarthub.

Cons: Although improvements have been made, the UI is not as simple as we would like. Also, the check out functionality is not easy to navigate when you have more than one item to check out within the same family. Ideally, as someone at the front desk, you would want to be presented with Canon 5d x 10 (for example), rather than seeing Canon 5d ten times on the screen.

Reasons for Choosing Smarthub: The price point was good at the time. We were also told that the system could be adapted to our needs and that it could be made bespoke. Although this has changed a little since first joining, I still do find [sensitive content hidden] receptive to hearing suggestions for improvements.
Reasons for Switching to Smarthub: Connect 2's price point was very high. The UI was good but there were also elements of functionality that we wanted that they were unwilling to provide.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on April 15, 2024
Hi Rob, Thank you for the helpful feedback! We're always looking to improve Smarthub where we can so your response is highly valuable to us. All the best, The Siso Team
Matthew F.
Stores Technician
Education Management, 501-1,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
3.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
3.0
Features
3.0
Value for Money
3.0
Likelihood to Recommend
3/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 11, 2024

"Slow & Confusing"

Overall: Not positive. Though there are many functions that work, compared to what we used to use (Connect2), I feel that the speed alone cripples the entire system. Students dislike the booking process and find it very confusing, and Smarthub demands this broad learning curve. For students with learning difficulties, they are requiring extra help or just not using the system altogether.

Pros: Scheduling Chart is considerably useful, helpful with planning the day ahead as I can see all of the studio bookings on one screen. The integrated Risk Assessments are excellent, which makes my job that much easier through the day.

Cons: The speed; it's incredibly (and, embarrassingly) slow. It feels like every week we encounter a period of no service due to a server going down or some other problem that means students cant login. Checking risk assessments, manage users, asset management, and adding photos to assets takes an unacceptably long time to do, and can be very frustrating when against time constraints.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on June 3, 2024
Hi Matthew, Thanks for leaving us a review. I'm sorry to hear that you are experiencing speed issues with your system. The team here at siso work extremely hard to make sure Smarthub runs as fast as it can. May I ask what system you are experiencing this on? We can get our dev team to look into your issues and find a solution. Many thanks, The Siso Team
Andrew H.
Technician
Education Management, 10,001+ employees
Used the software for: 1-2 years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
10/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Essential for Effective Course Management"

Pros: It has drawn together so many of the separate systems that have been necessary for being able to deliver the courses and has increased turnover, accountability as well as portfolio management.

Cons: Some of the users were very resistant to change in old methods but this was overcome through perseverance and training.

Switched From: Almabase
Reasons for Switching to Smarthub: Clunky control, not secure enough and didn't do everything needed.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Andrew, Thank you for the kind words! We're happy that you've been able to consolidate a lot of your existing systems for a more cohesive workspace. All the best, The Siso Team
William B. avatar
William B.
Senior IT Technician
Education Management, 5,001-10,000 employees
Used the software for: 1-2 years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Customer Service
3.0
Features
4.0
Value for Money
2.0
Likelihood to Recommend
5/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Great to use but slightly slow"

Pros: very good at signing in and out equipment but it is slow and unresponsive most times when self hosting

Cons: not able to sign items out to rooms, just users lots of different tabs to find what an asset has been doing rather than one comprehensive page which should show past present and future bookings, all asset details and users which you can click on to see what they have booked in the past

Alternatives Considered: Snipe-IT
Reasons for Choosing Smarthub: to pay fines for late items which is not supported by snipe without extra development

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi William, Thank you for the helpful feedback! We're glad that Smarthub has helped with your equipment booking needs! Many thanks, The Siso Team
Charlie H.
Stores Assistant
Higher Education, 501-1,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
2.0
Ease of Use
2.0
Customer Service
3.0
Features
3.0
Likelihood to Recommend
2/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 11, 2024

"A solid framework with major room for improvement and user friendliness"

Overall: While the core framework of the system is there and shows promise with its integration across stores and courses, ongoing or worsening experiences with the above mentioned issues, particularly loading times, has made the staff experience working daily with Falmouth Stores frustrating and embarrassing as user-facing staff. There is much to be improved upon and the most confusing aspect of this is that the majority of these issues should by all accounts be fixable and resolvable with basic changes to the system, load speeds, user interface and search functions. I anticipate Siso will take on board this user feedback for a better, more fluid overall experience.

Pros: Multiple tabs of activity possible (Stores Desk, Asset Management etc) without crashing. Integration potential with necessary support materials such as Risk Assessments, although these need to be more fluid. Custom manage/edit booking criteria in the Manage Booking tab useful for upcoming/overdue counter activity. Streamlined fines system has been useful but frequent errors occur requiring additional work at the counter to remove and reset.

Cons: The system is unforgivably slow during the most basic and essential daily tasks we need it for- changing between pages, scanning assets, searching and creating bookings. As counter staff we have had to endure countless hours watching and waiting for the loading circle to finish and it has become a very vocal point of protest among the students we deal with on a daily basis. It is quite embarrassing having to wait at the counter in a room full of people expecting their equipment loans or returns all watching a circle going round and round for minutes at a time. The search feature is atrocious - if you type one keyword in the wrong order (it clearly functions by reading exclusively left to right with all info necessary in between as opposed to picking out keywords) the desired asset cannot be found. Searching between categories is again tedious and slow, particularly on the student facing Dashboard. We also now have a situation where particular rules have been put in place to prevent Siso overwriting or deleting timetabled bookings implemented by the Uni's timetabling system. When Siso was originally advertised to us, it's main selling point was the fact that the Uni timetabling system integrated perfectly with it. Now we have timetabled bookings that are imported in stages throughout the year, overwrite existing bookings and rules meaning we can't give out facility items unless it is within a 15 minute period of the booking starting as this will cause errors and faults with the timetabling system. It is a horrendous set of rules necessitated by two systems that do not speak to each other and leaves the capacity for human error and mistake as a very real possibility in causing massive issues with the bookings these systems are meant to streamline. There are also multiple tabs and pages within the system that are completely irrelevant to our daily operation and just clutter the overall user experience. On a daily operation front - any booking clashes and availability issues are not listed beyond a warning that assets 'are not available' without showing when and where the clash occurs. This should be a basic feature that is part of the system for both staff and students. Scheduling chart does not allow the quick editing of premade bookings for last minute alterations that are required on a frequent basis. As mentioned the most important aspect is the loading times which quite simply are not up to scratch for a modern booking system causing wait times for simple asset check ins and check outs extending to extreme lengths. Despite having enquired multiple times over these loading speeds we are yet to see any improvement since the system was first implemented. Additional small user issues include aspects such as the cursor/selection box de-selecting when attempting to scan assets and return times/renew times defaulting to 00:00 on any given date as opposed to refreshing to the current time or pre-agreed booking permission length. Again these should all be fairly straightforward to implement and programme. As counter facing staff we are also frequently questioned by students with complaints over their user experience, which is not fair considering our own daily tasks. While our team remains professional and sympathetic, there is no clear and defined reporting or feedback portal to Siso for students and they feel cut off from the process and their willingness to engage opinions for a better day to day user experience. A customer portal should be better implemented to user opinions and feedback can be submitted and acted upon.

Reasons for Switching to Smarthub: We were informed Falmouth Stores syncs with the Academic Timetabling system at the time and that this would allow better comms between systems. Then the Academic Timetabling system changed. The decision was made by administrative teams at Falmouth University and we were not involved or asked about the process or change.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 12, 2024
Hi Charlie, Thank you for your extremely thorough feedback! We really appreciate the detail you've provided about your experience it helps us massively to continue to improve our product. I'm sorry to hear you've struggled with speed and the other issues you've touched on. Our team work extremely hard to make the Smarthub user experience as smooth as possible for our users. Due to the sheer size of some systems this can be a challenge as they generally transmit a vast amount of data. Nevertheless, we endeavour to make the system better and better with each version and have some exciting new updates on the horizon to improve the user experience based on helpful user feedback such as yours. Many Thanks, The Siso Team
Peter N.
Innovation space manager
Higher Education, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
10/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
November 2, 2023

"University of Leeds (Helix)"

Overall: Very effective and efficient. Suits the use within our environment as well as having a suitable App. The scope of the system and it's ability to be customised is also appealing.

Pros: Ease of use, ability to manage users, assets, rooms and locations. As well as issuing equipment.

Cons: Booking form customization and ability to embed booking forms for approval at the point of booking in a more effective manner.

Alternatives Considered: Matrix Booking
Reasons for Choosing Smarthub: Had been using it in my previous role and also had researched booking systems over 10 years ago and the approachability of Smarthub owners and staff was without fault

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on November 6, 2023
Thanks for your kind words Peter! We're glad you have found our product easy to use for your needs and our tools have helped you to manage your assets efficiently.
Anna H.
Senior Technician
Higher Education, 501-1,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
9/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Smarthub for Higher Education"

Overall: I had a great experienvce with Smarthub havinng setup 2 systems from stratch and being administator for 3 systems over teh last 4 years. It has made lab management so much easier.

Pros: Going away from paper forms and spreadsheets Smarthub manages everything in one place

Cons: It does take some time and training for both staff and student users to set up and use the system

Switched From: Microsoft Access
Reasons for Switching to Smarthub: Was forced to change as old version of the software we were using was not upgradable, and other departmentrs were useing smarthub already. So happy we made the change!

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Anna, We're thrilled that Smarthub has helped you streamline your management processes! Many thanks for the positive feedback! Warm regards, The Siso Team
Daniel M.
Loan Store Technician
Education Management, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 6-12 months
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
4.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
9/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
April 18, 2024

"Smarthub works well. "

Overall: Overall smarthub is very useful to us in our loan store. We are able to help students in a number of different ways thanks to the product, as well as manage our inventory effectively. It allows us to deal with large film crew bookings in a way we couldn't do on our own without issue.

Pros: Centralised control of smarthub is a very useful feature, being able to arrange and organise all of our assets, inventory management and bookings all within one website makes it an almost essential tool for our loan store. The customer service is also very highly rated, and the team is always quick to respond and resolve or attempt to resolve any issues.

Cons: A little more customisation could be a useful feature, being able to set up our own custom columns would help us with data tracking and number crunching. Sometimes the performance seems to lag a bit, but this seems to have improved massively since reporting the issue to SISO

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on May 7, 2024
Hi Daniel, We're very happy to hear that Smarthub has been very beneficial to your organisation! I noticed you mentioned custom columns. We do offer a variety of customisation options including custom fields for our grids and forms. I'd recommend getting in touch with one of our support team and they would be happy to talk you through this to see if it will meet your needs. Many thanks, The Siso Team
Nick W.
Photography Technician Demonstrator
Higher Education, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
10/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 25, 2024

"Using Smarthub for inventory management and equipment loans"

Pros: The best part about Smarthub is that you can issue and return equipment in real-time, whilst making sure users have the adequate training and induction to make sure they are safe using the equipment. Users booking equipment must have had training and induction in order for the system to allow them to pre-book it. We can also setup risk assessments against equipment or facilities bookings to monitor it's correct usage.

Cons: Smarthub can sometimes be a little complicated, this is mostly because it has so many functions and can be customised thoroughly.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on April 10, 2024
Hi Nick, Thank you very much for the kind words. We're glad you've had such a positive experience with Smarthub! All the best, The Siso Team
Maya M.
Technician
Higher Education, 501-1,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
3.0
Value for Money
4.0
Likelihood to Recommend
7/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Useful system for equipment booking "

Overall: Siso has been a beneficial asset to our team, as it fulfils all our requirements such as equipment booking, room booking, recording training, risk assessments, and much more. The team at Siso are always accessible and ready to help with any problems or queries. They are proactive, prompt, and efficient in resolving any issues that arise.

Pros: One of the best features of Siso is that it allows us to manage our equipment and link it to the required training. This ensures that only those students who have completed the necessary training can book the equipment, which is a very useful tool for managing our resources. Tracking and maintaining records for health and safety purposes has been made easier with Siso.

Cons: Navigating Siso's dropdown menu can be challenging due to the similarity of many categories, which makes it difficult to locate the required item while doing site administration. Additionally, the mobile website could be more user-friendly as students often use their phones to book equipment and complete risk assessments.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on May 7, 2024
Hi Maya, Thank you very much for leaving us a review! We're thrilled that Smarthub has improved your equipment and room booking processes! Many Thanks, The Siso Team
Nicki S.
Technical Services Manager
Education Management, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
4.0
Features
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
Likelihood to Recommend
8/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 4, 2024

"Smarthub in a HE Kit Room Environment"

Overall: Overall, it is a good product that ticks many boxes and suits our needs better than other similar products currently on the market.

Pros: The customer facing interface is good. Most students are able to navigate the booking process with little intervention from Administrators. Students appreciate being able to browse/ book equipment, anytime 24/7. Various tools enable Administrators to automate many tasks which were previously managed manually.

Cons: The single instance version is a lot slower than our separate instances were. Some areas within the single instance are not separated so that data relevant to a store is only seen by that store. You have to sort through all UAL data to get to the info you require. The sheer volume of data seems to slow things down. The image section loads very slowly. It would be great if each store were able to categorise images to make searching a particular store's images faster. At the moment, all images share a folder.

Reasons for Choosing Smarthub: The product appeared to address more of our needs than the competitor's products did. The vendor demonstrated a willingness to develop their product with us to address needs and issues as they arose.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 6, 2024
Hi Nicki, Many thanks for leaving us a review! We're glad your students are enjoying easier access to equipment! All the best, The Siso Team
jamie C.
technician
Education Management, 201-500 employees
Used the software for: 1-2 years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Features
4.0
Likelihood to Recommend
4/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 6, 2024

"Clunky but not too bad"

Overall: it's not terrible but not the most enjoyable to use. it has some good functionality but also so frustrations. System outages seem to have happened more frequently than I remember with our old system.

Pros: The visuals for the schedualing chart to see bookings currently and into the future. The integration of risk assessment, associating them with bookings and putting digital training in place to force users to interact with it before they book kit.

Cons: clunky, booking times can be strange, timings aren't always clear, issues can be caused by not booking at key times, scanning kit in and out is slow if you have lots of kit, it will randomly assign assets if you double scan one by accident.

Reasons for Choosing Smarthub: company wide adoption due to the risk assessment integration

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 7, 2024
Hi Jamie, Thank you for the honest feedback! We're glad you have found the Risk Assessment and Scheduling Chart sections useful! Warm Regards, The Siso Team
Alan P.
Technical Theatre Manager
Performing Arts, 1-10 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
10/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Our Most Vital Tool for Asset Management"

Overall: Our experience has been really positive and one of the main reasons for that is how quick and thorough the support has been throughout. Any issues we face are dealt with super fast and we're never stuck with a problem for very long.

Pros: Smarthub gives us incredible oversight of our stock and room assets and allows us to manage them in a way that would be impossible without it. We take 100s of room bookings a week and Smarthub makes the process seamless. It allows us to track our stock and keep tabs on what conditions its in as well us giving us a place to promote and organise workshops and classes. It's invaluable to how we run our facilities.

Cons: There is very little I dislike about Smarthub. It can take some time to learn the ins and outs of it but once you're up and running, it becomes second nature. Maybe it would be nice to have a system for scheduling that allowed copy and pasting of bookings using a Month Calendar view, but that's being really nitpicky.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Alan, Thank you for the kind words! Our support team are always on hand to deal with issues no matter how small. We're glad you've had such a positive experience! All the best, The Siso Team
Daniel L.
Stores Technician
Education Management, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 1-2 years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Customer Service
4.0
Features
3.0
Value for Money
4.0
Likelihood to Recommend
7/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"An all encompassing and positive slow burner"

Pros: The overall management of equipment and space bookings has made a dramatic and positive effect on workflow and resource management. The learning curve was steady and we've since found all the necessary techniques and processes to make the job easier and time-effective.

Cons: Early versions of the software took some time to tailor to our needs and certain features needed some adjustment to fit into our current workflow and stlye.

Reasons for Switching to Smarthub: The organisation moved to smarthub in order to cover all departments.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Daniel, We're so glad Smarthub has had such a positive effect on your organisations management! We have some exciting updates on the horizon which we hope will benefit our clients further! All the best, The Siso Team
Jon P.
AV Engineering Technician
Higher Education, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
9/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Smarthub is THE one-stop shop"

Overall: It is a superb package. We have been using extensively for the last 6 or so years and it has never let us down. In fact the constant improvements are a bonus and the company are very open to suggestions on how to improve things or make things more user friendly. There are many parts to SmartHub that make it incredibly useful to whatever you need it for, be it bookings, maintenance schedules, COSHH provision, training schedules etc. One final bonus is the compatibility it has with Deister key cabinets. The two systems work together fantastically well and have solved crucial problems for us when it came to room access.

Pros: Smarthub is a fantastic all-in-one package that lets covers bookings (of both rooms and equipment), maintenance scheduling, COSHH provision, training schedules and much more. The ease of use is very good too and it really isn't hard to learn and understand the bits that, on first look, don't seem to make sense. The support from the team is also marvellous.

Cons: The 'tokens' aspect could possibly be better, but I only say that as we have quite a complicated usage system here, with different tariffs for different days of the week and for different resources.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Jon, Thank you so much for the kind words! The team here at Siso work extremely hard to solve any customers problems that arise so it's wonderful to see that you've had such a positive experience. Many thanks, The Siso Team
Rima O.
Media technician
Education Management, 11-50 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
10/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"It's a great platform that serves a lot of functions "

Overall: It's great on day to day basis. We are utilising every aspect of it, it helps with all department bookings and needs

Pros: Store desk equipment collections, manage bookings for checking upcoming reservations, scheduling chart for visual kit reservation viewing - (however it would be good if that would display quantities of kit, we know that we have 5 cameras, but students don't know the quantities)

Cons: Every time we put in a feature request, we don't get a reply about it. When we end up raising a ticket about normal issue, we get told that this should have been done in feature request form and the update is already out. We have created quite a few feature requests but never got a response, just closed ticket.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Rima, Thank you for the kind words! We're glad you're finding Smarthub helpful for day to day equipment bookings. We are always looking to improve our processes so we appreciate the feedback regarding feature requests! I will pass this on! Warm Regards, The Siso Team
Thomas G. avatar
Thomas G.
Head of Technical Resources Planning
Higher Education, 501-1,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
3.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
8/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Smarthub, a major step forward for asset and booking management within HE."

Overall: A steep learning curve, once hurdled unlocks a powerful and impressive assert management tool. Customer support fixes bugs and are always receptive of new ideas and feature requests.

Pros: Smarthub provides a comprehensive selection of tools and functionality to meet the needs of any asset manager. Recent updates to improve user UI have enhanced experience and allowed a greater level of customisation to the service.

Cons: With its wide breath of functionality, some sections are underdeveloped and require further fine tuning. Recent addition of Power Bi integration has improved reporting for asset management, but reporting functionality needs to be expanded to include system wide reports.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Tom! Many thanks for the kind words, our team always work hard to improve Smarthub using feedback from our client base so I will pass on your comments! All the best, The Siso Team
Sam H.
Media Services Team Leader
Higher Education, 5,001-10,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
4.0
Value for Money
4.0
Likelihood to Recommend
10/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
February 29, 2024

"Feature Packed and easy to use"

Overall: Smarthub is a fantastic piece of software which easily meets the demands of a fast and busy media store. The support offered is exceptional and the team are always quick to respond and find solutions to issues given to them.

Pros: Smarthub contains all the tools we need to successfully manage and track our large media equipment and facilities catalogue. The team at Siso are always keen to listen to feedback and implement suggestions for improvement where possible.

Cons: Some of the reporting tools are a little bit difficult to fine tune and get the information required out of them.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 1, 2024
Thank you so much for leaving a review Sam! We're over the moon that Smarthub has helped improve your media equipment management! Kind Regards, The Siso Team
Lou M.
Technician
Photography, 51-200 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
4.0
Likelihood to Recommend
7/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Edinburgh Napier - Photography"

Overall: Since the support services I haven't had an issue with SISO, anything I have faced has been resolved quickly and easily. The recent update has brought any suggestions I would have had to reality.

Pros: The organisation it has given my job. Everything is tracked and seamless with my work flow now. I have immediate access to the assets, their current software and where they have been. My annual reports have gotten far easier as it is simply an export now than weeks of paperwork.

Cons: The initial start up was a massive take on, at that point I was not made aware of the support services though. It can be a learning curve for staff and students to get to grips with due to the amount on offer

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Lou, We're over the moon that Smarthub has brought some order to your day-to-day workflow! This is what we always work towards with each update. Warm Regards, The Siso Team
Stephen E.
AV Technical Specialist
Education Management, 10,001+ employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
10/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"UCL's experiance"

Overall: It does what it says on the tin but UCL doesn't really use it to its full potential

Pros: UCL uses the Smarthub admin tool not student facing. We use it to track our staff members so that we can respond to callouts quickly and efficiently. The tracking tool allows us to do this

Cons: Smarthub can be a little clunky. you are not always sure that the action you have just made has working or not (mobile tracking is the key feature). Some asspects like asset set-up requires to many different steps to achieve, such as time availablility fixed location.

Reasons for Choosing Smarthub: It did exactly what we need to do. The cost was competitive. The team were (still are) great to work with. Ideas put forward
Reasons for Switching to Smarthub: The original in house system was discontinued so it was no longer supported.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Stephen, We're glad UCL have had a positive experience with Smarthub! Thank you for the feedback! All the best, The Siso Team
Giovanni A.
Technician - Researcher
Education Management, 501-1,000 employees
Used the software for: Less than 6 months
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
Likelihood to Recommend
7/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
January 16, 2024

"Napier - SISO- ga"

Overall: overall positive, I i see the potential and the possible ways it will improve our workflows but it seems a long way until i get there

Pros: The amount of customization, modern options and the automatization. It was recommended to me by other people already using it and I see the potential, if set up correctly. I like the good customer care and prompt replies I got so far for any little question. I appreciate the direction toward more modern and streamlined interface. I wish the documentation was more consistent and up to date thought.

Cons: The convoluted and outdated looking interface (sometimes it feels like I'm using a win xp era website I'll be honest, and no, round buttons and fade animations are not all a modern design needs). It is more of user-interaction design issue rather than a lack of services available on the platform. Often I wished for a direct link to the knowledge base from the "alt text" description when hovering over a toggle or menu. Often I wished I had asked for more help for the initial set up / migration to get siso online with the bare minimum options. The amount of options often are often overwhelming and difficult to interpret.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on January 18, 2024
Hi Giovanni, many thanks for your review! We appreciate the constructive feedback and are glad you've had a positive experience! Our customer support managers are always on hand to assist you with any setup questions to get you on the right track so feel free to get in touch if you need more help in getting the system where you need it. We also have some exciting new updates on the horizon which should address some of your issues! Thank you for being part of the Smarthub ecosystem and a valued client! All the best, The Siso Team
David R.
Studio's Manager
Music, 201-500 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
5.0
Ease of Use
5.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Value for Money
4.0
Likelihood to Recommend
10/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Couldn't function without Smarthub"

Overall: I love using Smarthub, everything is so logical and easy to find and set up. If I do have an issue or a query support is really fast and helpful.

Pros: How easy it is to us, both as a user and from the admin side, Really easy to add new items and set rules for them. Being able to add user credits to spend on room bookins is invaluable for us.

Cons: In the Store Desk, after adding the users name, the field doesn't always jump down to asset, sometimes it goes to collected by, if you havn't noticed you can start scanning items which are then not added.

Reasons for Choosing Smarthub: had connect2 previosly, didn't have user credits, and the support was slow, the back end was clunky
Reasons for Switching to Smarthub: Lack of Credits, really clunky back end. support not great.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi David, We're so happy that you've found Smarthub to be such an essential tool to your day to day management! Thank you for your kind words! Many thanks, The Siso Team
Peter C.
Senior Technician
Higher Education, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
3.0
Customer Service
4.0
Features
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
2/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"A critical part of our operation"

Pros: Smarthub’s features regarding room and asset booking, approvals, and training is key for the technical operation at Birmingham City University.

Cons: Mobile support is lacking for students. The system is feature rich but often requires a lot of time to get up to speed.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Peter, Thank you for the helpful feedback! We're glad that Smarthub has been able to assist Birmingham City University in its room and asset booking, approvals and training. Warm Regards, Vince
Sam W.
Technical Demonstrator
Education Management, 1,001-5,000 employees
Used the software for: 2+ years
Overall Rating
4.0
Ease of Use
4.0
Customer Service
5.0
Features
5.0
Likelihood to Recommend
7/10
Reviewer Source
Source: Capterra
March 1, 2024

"Versatile and comprehensive asset management"

Pros: Smarthub is very flexible, with seemingly every field and option adjustable. It is easy to add reliable searchable tags/barcodes/assets quickly. Users quickly become familiar with it.

Cons: Possibly a simpler way to book multiple rooms.

Vendor Response

By Siso Software on March 5, 2024
Hi Sam, Thanks for the review! We're happy to hear that you've found Smarthub to be a powerful tool to manage assets. Our team are always looking at new ways to improve the system so I will forward your suggestion on. All the best, The Siso Team