RFID: Electronic Key Administration for the Protec Service Fleet

You might see the employees of Protec Service on the mass transit system or at large events: almost 100 employees work in the Security Division, a further 137 in Facility Management. Add to that some 660 employees from the sports event security staff, such as at the AWD Arena of the premiere league soccer team Hanover 96. The vehicle fleet is correspondingly large, and all the keys are managed by an electronic key administration system from Deister Electronic.

Protec Service in Hanover provides comprehensive security, cleaning and facility management services. Its customers are both private and commercial, public authorities as well as event organizers. For example, since 1997 it has been total security service provider for the entire public transport system in Hanover: the company organizes the cleaning of large open areas, platforms and trains at all times of the day and night, without impeding the passengers or affecting the schedule. The Expo 2000 and the AWD Arena Hanover are other large customers - valuable experience was and is gained here that formed the basis for the development and optimization of solutions that benefit a wider customer portfolio.

Protec Service can attribute part of its success to a strict personnel policy: only every 30th applicant fulfills the company‘s own qualification system. Not only completed training courses and numerous years of experience are required but also a high level of social competence because the confident and friendly behavior of the security staff forms the general outward impression of the company. It provides ‚discreet presence‘ and impressive performance. Regular employee training in modern security management is given as a matter of course.

Key Administration for Unimogs and Pickups
Efficient key management is a significant factor for unproblematic organization of the fleet - a significant improvement has been made here. In the past, employees had to register in a ‚Key Book‘ at the beginning of their shift before they took over one of the fleet vehicles. Considering the number of employees and vehicles, this manual entry in the key book and checking the return of the keys afterward was a really cumbersome and time-consuming process. "We therefore intended to centralize key administration", says Stefan Jagodzinski of Protec, "and to relieve the staff from time-consuming giving and taking of keys".

Since the beginning of June 2010, Protec has been using an electronic key administration system for this purpose from Deister Electronic, a provider of electronic solutions in industry and security technology worldwide. Their ‘Proxsafe‘ system allows employees access to key cabinets using their access control card, a PIN, biometric verification or a combination of all three processes. You can find this combination of key management, asset management and fleet management in many companies, but also in airports, universities, hospitals and prisons.

At Protec, the metal Proxsafe Flexx key cabinet - one version of the system that can be customer-specifically configured - in the Protec employees‘ lounge at the Hannover-Döhren location. The issuing of keys is now centrally managed here, where the Facility Management division vehicles are parked. Whether a van or a pickup, a Unimog or a road sweeper, it‘s now always easy to know exactly where the keys are.

RFID Technology Inside
The employees get the keys by holding their RFID card in front of the safe-like cabinet. The keys that they need for their job are listed on the card, depending on their authorization, their shift and the employee‘s job. When the employee holds the card in front of the door, the cabinet opens and the key slots that he can use light up. The other keys are securely anchored in the cabinet by a retaining mechanism and can therefore not be taken by unauthorized personnel.

When the shift ends, the system electronically records which keys have been returned. "The administration program informs me by email if a keyring has not been returned at the end of the day. I can then speak directly to the last employee who had the key", explains Stefan Jagodzinski.
Good Acceptance by the Employees

The system has meanwhile been so well accepted by both employees and the responsible security staff that the cabinet was extended to a capacity of 64 slots even during the three-month trail period. Proxsafe key management systems from Deister Electronic are ideal wherever security concepts have to be sensibly and cost-effectively extended. The operational design of the RFID technology ensures that the key rings in use do not come into contact with the electronics. In this way, contamination and wear of the slots is technically avoided.