Manufacturing plant consolidates all keys

Meeting the challenge of building access control, eCLIQ gives Pacific Door Systems transparency, security and ease of use.

Customer

Pacific Doors are part of the ASSA ABLOY Group and specialise in the bespoke manufacture of high-performance door and window systems for fire, acoustic, security, hospital, mental health, ballistic and commercial purposes. They have manufacturing facilities in Lower Hutt and Timaru, employing around 75 people.

Challenge

The issue was in controlling and monitoring access to sites which have a mix of office buildings, factories, gates and storage sheds, requiring multiple sets of keys. Managing these keys was time-consuming and did not provide the security or visibility the company needed across their offices and factories.

Solution

The new eCLIQ access control system from ASSA ABLOY has provided the solution in a single key type and an online management platform. Pacific Doors now have a master key for every type of lock and padlock on site.

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Controlling access in both single- and multi-tenant premises means allowing people to go where they need to, while at the same time ensuring these areas remain secure. The eCLIQ system combines the traditional elements of lock and key with powerful electronic access and monitoring technology. This allows total control over who can enter any specific area at any given time, up to the minute, even from remote locations.

‘You can control every element – who has access, where they have access to, and when they can access it,’ says Michael Pearson, director of the ASSA ABLOY Door Group. ‘For example, a manufacturing team might operate overtime or on weekends. eCLIQ lets us give them access to the spaces they need to be in while other areas stay secure.’

Familiar form, new technology

It may be surprising that one of the most sophisticated, up-to-date access and security devices looks, at first glance, like one of the oldest. Based on the traditional lock and key, eCLIQ retrofits seamlessly into existing locking systems; cylinders are made to the same dimensions, and all electronics are self-contained, powered by a battery within the key.

Says Pearson, ’We chose eCLIQ over others because we didn’t have to change much at all – you just replace the cylinder within the existing locks. Because the key provides the battery power, you get electronic locks without having to bring power to every door.’

Delivering a cost-effective solution that provides access control without the need for wiring is a great advantage of the eCLIQ system, based as it is on electronics that are embedded directly inside the key and the core of a cylinder. Within each key and cylinder is a unique electronic code, which is designated for one individual element only and cannot be altered or corrupted.

Making installation simple

The unique code for each key-set means access can be centrally controlled and monitored using either CLIQ Go, a secure website, or the more sophisticated CLIQ Web Manager, an enterprise full-feature software suitable for all types of systems.

For Pacific Doors, ease of use and installation were primary factors in choosing eCLIQ. ‘It took a few hours to swap out all our locks – undo one screw to remove the old cylinder, place the new cylinder and screw it up again in 10 minutes per door – compared with other products, where you would need multiple people for multiple days.’

A smart system

Once installed, the system offers great flexibility in operation. Any eCLIQ key can be programmed to be always active, active between certain dates and times, or inactive. It is also possible to set a weekly operation schedule. Cylinder-specific time periods can be programmed for a key; for example, a key can be programmed to open all cylinders Monday to Friday except for one or more cylinders that can be opened only on Saturdays.

Again, the simplicity of the system makes it so smart. ‘The ASSA ABLOY rep showed us how to programme the keys,’ says Pearson. ‘Half an hour training and then our team did the rest. And it’s easy to manage. Now we have better visibility for external contractors and security guards. When we had critical machinery serviced after hours recently, we gave the contractor key access for a specific time period. So it helps us control security and access to remove security risks we faced previously, and means less after-hours on-site attendance by our team.’