Grantfen Fire and Security Limited - Experts & Thought Leaders

The Very Group is the UK’s largest integrated digital retailer and financial services provider. It offers 1,900 brands to its four million customers globally. Due to the company’s growth, they built a new state-of-the-art fulfilment centre, close to one million square feet in size, in order to centralise operations and drive efficiency. Purpose-built and automated facility The Very Group has historically operated from three fulfilment centres, located in the north of England. Due to their business’ growth, they needed a new, purpose-built and automated facility, in a central, well-connected location, which could accommodate all one-man fulfilment and returns operations on one site, and that provided room for continued expansion. The space offered by the new site in the East Midlands region meant that The Very Group can process more orders The space offered by the new site in the East Midlands region meant that The Very Group can process more orders and use new technology to make the business more responsive, reducing the time it takes to get products to customers. Security for business growth The site’s position in the East Midlands, adjacent to the M1 and East Midlands Airport, with its own rail freight terminal, will enable the business to increase its cut-off time for next day delivery to midnight from 7 pm, and explore the introduction of same day delivery in the future. A crucial aspect of the new hub was security – with the need to not only secure the site and the stock inside, but implement solutions which would benefit the wider business too. Genetec Security Center The Very Group required a platform that could unite operations and provide the business-wide value that the company was seeking. They approached Grantfen, initially on a consultancy basis, to guide the organisation on the route that it should be taking and the technologies that could support its ambition. Grantfen quickly recognised the scope of The Very Group’s ambitions for a platform that was easy-to-use and that could bring together information from hundreds of different sensors and technologies. It put forward a comprehensive solution, built on the Genetec Security Center unified platform. Video surveillance, access control, ANPR and security integration Incorporating video surveillance and analytics, access control, automatic number plate recognition and integration with other key business systems, this allowed The Very Group to deploy state-of-the-art technologies from a range of vendors, including HID Global, Axis Communications and Senstar. Perhaps the most important solution needed was tracking who was coming in and out of the building, with such a large workforce, combined with inbound and outbound deliveries, the facility has hundreds of people inside at any one time. Previously, security manually searched people selected at random. Enhanced data security The Very Group has been able to adapt the solution and write its own code However, thanks to the robust Genetec software development kit and Grantfen’s specialist development expertise, The Very Group has been able to adapt the solution and write its own code, in order to use the access control system to implement truly random searches. This has involved getting permission to hold employee data, but again, thanks to the new system brought together by Genetec Security Center, the data is housed safely. Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) Moving from three fulfilment centres into one, consolidated facility meant a change in operations for The Very Group, and security needed to mirror this evolution. Therefore, with the volume of traffic coming in and out of the site increasing, The Very Group implemented automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). Heavy goods vehicles could be monitored coming in and out of the site, enabling those in the diary to enter and exit the grounds in an efficient manner. Plus, with timestamps now able to show when vehicles entered or exited the grounds, it helped with yard management and traffic flow, with Security Center able to generate reports on how traffic is moving around the yard. Car park management and CCTV control room monitoring Employees are able to take advantage of this system as well, with the ANPR technology recognising them and seamlessly letting them into the car park. This enhanced integration has benefitted other areas of the business too. The CCTV control room is now able to monitor people and freight flow, looking at movements, such as trailers, in order to help maximise efficiencies and ensure high health and safety standards. The opening of Skygate, our new fulfilment centre, means a new era for the group" Dean Cooper, Head of Security at The Very Group, commented “The opening of Skygate, our new fulfilment centre, means a new era for the group. We are a digitally-led business, and the fact that we are now able to enhance operations and yield more value from security functions, is going to help us operationally. Genetec and Grantfen have played a huge part in accelerating our sophistication in this area and I look forward to how we can gain increasing insights from all that the technology has to offer.” Efficient inter-departmental collaboration While the roll-out has been relatively recent, the positive effects are already being felt across the business. This has led to future plans about what else could be introduced, all underpinned by Genetec Security Center. “Genetec Security Center is helping to improve inter-departmental collaboration, thanks to its reporting functions, alongside benefiting operations and ensuring the security of the facility. We are an ambitious business, and as we grow, we need a system that will continue to evolve with our requirements. Genetec enables this, and alongside its deep integration and leading analytics, we look forward to continuing the partnership over years to come”, concluded Dean Cooper.

The Very Group is the UK’s largest integrated digital retailer and financial services provider. It offers 1,900 brands to its four million customers. Due to the company’s growth, it built a new state-of-the-art fulfilment centre - close to one million square feet - to centralise operations and drive efficiency. The Very Group has historically operated from three fulfilment centres in the north of England. Due to the business’ growth, it needed a new, purpose-built and automated facility in a central, well connected location; that could accommodate all one-man fulfilment and returns operations on one site, and that provided room for continued expansion. The space offered by the new site in the East Midlands means that The Very Group can process more orders and use new technology to make the business more responsive, reducing the time it takes to get products to customers. Support business growth The site’s position in the East Midlands, adjacent to the M1 and East Midlands Airport, with its own rail freight terminal, will enable the business to increase its cut-off time for next day delivery to midnight from 7pm, and explore the introduction of same day delivery in the future. A crucial aspect of the new hub was security - with the need to not only secure the site and the stock inside, but implement solutions which would benefit the wider business too. The Very Group required a platform which could provide the business-wide value it was seeking The Very Group required a platform which could unite operations and provide the business-wide value it was seeking. The company approached Grantfen, initially on a consultancy basis, to guide the organisation on the route it should be taking and the technologies that could support its ambition. Grantfen quickly recognised the scope of The Very Group’s ambitions for a platform that was easy-to-use and that could bring together information from hundreds of different sensors and technologies. Incorporating video surveillance It put forward a comprehensive solution built on the Genetec Security Center unified platform. Incorporating video surveillance and analytics, access control, automatic number plate recognition and integration with other key business systems, this allowed The Very Group to deploy best of breed technologies from a range of vendors including HID Global, Axis Communications and SenStar. Perhaps the most important solution needed was tracking who was coming in and out of the building - with such a large workforce, combined with inbound and outbound deliveries, the facility has hundreds of people inside at any one time. Previously, security manually searched people selected at random. However, thanks to the robust Genetec software development kit, and Grantfen’s specialist development expertise, The Very Group has been able to adapt the solution and write its own code in order to use the access control system to implement truly random searches. Number plate recognition This has involved getting permission to hold employee data, but again, thanks to the new system brought together by Security Center, the data is housed safely. Moving from three fulfilment centres into one, consolidated facility meant a change in operations for The Very Group, and security needed to mirror this evolution. Therefore, with the volume of traffic coming in and out of the site increasing, The Very Group implemented automatic number plate recognition (ANPR). Heavy goods vehicles could be monitored coming in and out of the site, enabling those in the diary to enter and exit the grounds in an efficient manner. Plus, with timestamps now able to show when vehicles entered or exited the grounds, it helped with yard management and traffic flow, with Security Center able to generate reports on how traffic is moving around the yard. Employees are able to take advantage too - with the ANPR recognising them and seamlessly letting them into the car park. Health and safety standards The opening of Skygate, our new fulfilment centre, means a new era for the group" This enhanced integration has benefitted other areas of the business too. The CCTV control room is now able to monitor fulfilment centre flow, looking at movements such as trailers, to help maximise efficiencies and ensure high health and safety standards. Dean Cooper, Head of Security at The Very Group, commented: “The opening of Skygate, our new fulfilment centre, means a new era for the group. We are a digitally-led business, and the fact we are now able to enhance operations and yield more value from security functions is going to help us operationally. Genetec and Grantfen have played a huge part in accelerating our sophistication in this area, and I look forward to how we can gain increasing insights from all the technology has to offer.” Deep integration and analytics While the roll-out has been relatively recent, the positive effects are already being felt across the business. This has led to future plans about what else could be introduced - all underpinned by Genetec Security Centre. “Genetec Security Centre is helping to improve inter-departmental collaboration thanks to its reporting functions, alongside benefiting operations and ensuring the security of the facility. We are an ambitious business, and as we grow we need a system that will continue to evolve with our requirements. Genetec enables this, and alongside its deep integration and leading analytics, we look forward to continuing the partnership over years to come”, concluded Cooper.

Hospitals present a complex security challenge, in that they should always be welcoming public spaces. Indeed, in Sweden, many are ‘open’ during daylight hours. However, every hospital also has many sensitive assets that need securing around the clock. Hospital security Key assets include patients, doctors, nurses and support staff. The protection of drugs and confidential patient data is critical. In labs, sensitive – even dangerous – research or testing materials demand constant monitoring. Valuable lab equipment is, unfortunately, a target for theft and vandalism. Then there are the extra logistical challenges; hospitals are often large and spread out and locks may need to integrate with fire detection, CCTV and other security systems. Not all site users are equal: medical staff, cleaners, patients and their visitors and countless temporary and contract workers all need access tailored to their specific and very different needs. Labs with a steady flow of visitors and contractors are safer if access is managed with time-limited ‘keys’ that can be revoked or revalidated when required. In case of any security breach, a thorough investigation is essential. In fact, it is often mandated for regulatory compliance. We expect too much of the traditional lock and key if we expect it to meet such a challenge. What is the alternative – especially at a time when European healthcare budgets are tight, even more so in taxpayer-funded institutions? Wireless access control solution An access control system with wired doors and programmable RFID smartcards can solve many of these problems. However, conventional wisdom says access control is expensive and cannot be installed everywhere, due to the need for extensive cabling. The result? It only covers doors with very high security requirements. That needn’t be the case – if we cut the wires. Wireless locks are the most affordable way to extend access control throughout a site, greatly enhancing security for a small outlay. What’s more, it does not require you to rip up the current security system and start again. Aperio® locks, for example, can easily ‘plug in’ to an existing access system, to bring monitored security to many more openings than would be possible with wired doors. They interoperate seamlessly with building management systems, linking wirelessly via a communications hub to the central system. Most importantly, they allow hospital managers to upgrade security and to give facility administrators more control over the premises – from monitoring pharmacy doors, to granting cleaners access only to their designated work areas, to revoking the access rights of any lost smartcard instantly. Exterior and interior doors Aperio® wireless locking technology meets the security and budget requirements of the modern hospital Critically from a compliance perspective, audit trails can be generated for any Aperio® lock, key or system user, at any time, making a proper investigation of any breach not just feasible, but straightforward. Aperio® components come in all shapes and sizes, for all kinds of hospital doors. The range includes locks, cylinders and escutcheons for wood, aluminium and glass doors. Aperio® can protect both exterior and interior doors, from certified fire and safety doors with mandatory security requirements to meeting and consulting rooms, labs, store rooms, offices and even server racks. The system can assign each a different level of security, if needed. Any installation can incorporate online or offline locks — or a mixture of both. Cost efficiency These locks can be installed quickly, without changing door hardware. There are YouTube videos under the search ‘Time challenge Aperio® cylinder’ which depict a technician complete an installation, from start to finish, in under 2 minutes. No wiring and no cabling means there is no electrician required and so no need to pay decorators to tidy up afterwards. Maintenance simply involves changing a standard lithium-ion battery once every 2 years – that’s it. Wireless locks are cheaper to run, too. Unlike wired locks, Aperio® wireless locks only ‘wake up’ when prompted by a credential. They are not connected to the mains and use no power when inactive. One wireless electronic lock uses approximately 0.001 kWh of energy per year. A standard wired lock and reader uses 55.2 kWh. Further, because any lost credential can simply have its access rights revoked, there is no longer any need for the expensive, time-consuming process of changing the locks when someone loses a physical key. Audit trails can be generated at the touch of a button, another saving on the substantial cost – in both staff time and money – of administering a mechanical master-key system. Aperio® locks can protect both exterior and interior doors and the system can assign each a different level of security Wireless access control in action Securing hospitals wirelessly has gone beyond the concept stage: Aperio® is already deployed in European hospitals. For example, in Belgium, Hospital Maria Middelares is a vital part of Ghent’s health infrastructure. In partnership with Nedap, around 700 doors in a new hospital building which opened in 2014 have been fitted with Aperio® Offline locks connected to a Nedap AEOS access control system. The deployment is 100 percent wireless, maintaining design aesthetics in the new build. Staff now open doors and access secure areas with a single smartcard using MIFARE RFID technology. As part of a £35 million refurbishment of A&E and other urgent care services, Aintree University Hospital in Liverpool, England, sought an upgrade to its access control system. The trust needed flexible access control to streamline day-to-day security operations, extending public access while also maintaining restrictions to sensitive areas. They wanted a cost-effective, wire-free system, so installation could be done quickly and efficiently, without disrupting the day-to-day work of the hospital. ASSA ABLOY partnered with Grantfen and Inner Range to deliver a unified platform, which extended the Integriti access control system with ASSA ABLOY’s Aperio® wireless escutcheons. Hospital security managers It took a minimal outlay on Aperio® wireless locks to transform security at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Grenoble. Approximately 20 Aperio® Online cylinders and escutcheons were installed in hospital buildings. Previously, the open nature of the site had posed a significant risk of intrusion and stealing hospital property had become widespread, until Aperio® wireless access control drastically reduced theft from the premises. Aperio® Online technology also ensures hospital security managers can access building information in real time, even removing a swipe card’s permission remotely, if required. In France, the UK, Belgium and elsewhere, Aperio® gives doctors and nurses controlled access tailored to their shift patterns or working hours. Facility managers have real-time status information about their premises, with online or offline integration protecting wards, clinics and management offices. Audit trails for sensitive areas, such as labs and rooms where drugs or medical records are kept, are available on demand and hospital managers can extend access control to new buildings or bring monitoring to more areas as and when required, without breaking the bank. The key to upgraded, cost-effective hospital security? Cut the wires. For further information, please go to: www.assaabloy.co.uk/aperioforhospitals