Interview: A master key system in endurance testing

For around one and a half years, ORCA Industriemontagen GmbH & Co. KG has been securing its construction sites around the world with the eCLIQ electronic locking system from ASSA ABLOY Sicherheitstechnik GmbH. So it's high time to ask Managing Director Jochen Busch whether his expectations for the new locking solution have been met and how the technology has proven itself in the day-to-day operations of the company.

Mr Busch, has the switch to digital locking technology given you the boost you hoped for in terms of security and control? What has been your experience so far?

Jochen Busch: It wasn't just a boost, but a real leap forward. You know, our containers are the most important thing for us – practically the heart of ORCA. The extremely valuable and expensive special tool for assembly and disassembly must therefore be optimally secured during the entire transport and at the place of use. In the past, we could only ensure this if a responsible employee was personally available at all times to hand over the keys. Thanks to digital key management and easy key programming, this is now significantly more convenient and much more flexible for the entire team with eCLIQ.

As a mobile company, ORCA is active worldwide. How do you deal with time differences in regards to locking management?

Jochen Busch: Fortunately, time differences are no longer a problem with the new locking system and are virtually irrelevant. In theory, we always have enough lead time to take the time factor into account at any time and are able program the keys in good time. If at all, we create time corridors for our cleaning staff or other service providers that we have to grant access to at certain times at our main headquarters near Stuttgart. Nevertheless, we are currently also developing a master plan with the medium-term goal of ensuring that every employee receives their own electronic eCLIQ key, which always has a minimum authorisation. Depending on the qualifications of the respective colleagues, additional on-top authorisations are then granted, for example for cranes or certain special equipment. These different user profiles can be mapped really well with the CLIQ^® Connect app.

How big is your container fleet and how many are already secured with the new eCLIQ cylinder padlock?

Jochen Busch: We currently secure five ORCA containers with electronic cylinder padlocks. They passed our practical test with flying colours and we are now gradually integrating the remaining five containers into the new locking system. This means that we can secure ten construction sites simultaneously worldwide using state-of-the-art technology – a seal of quality for our customers as well. Since ORCA was founded around seven years ago, it has developed at an above-average rate, meaning that the range of applications is constantly expanding. We will be able to cover 20 to 30 locking scenarios with eCLIQ in the future – so we are already planning for the future and are delighted that we can rely on such a future-proof security technology.

What are the most adverse environmental conditions where eCLIQ has already had to prove itself?

Jochen Busch: Our containers are actually much more protected than you might think. If anything, it is mainly tropical influences, such as extreme humidity or heat, that eCLIQ must withstand. So far, this has worked really well and completely smoothly.

What is a typical project scenario with regard to the locking technology used?

Jochen Busch: We currently use 40 CLIQ^® Connect keys, which are assigned hierarchically and secure the containers, assembly boxes and other equipment as required. We also use the locking system to secure our sites in Backnang and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A bottleneck is still caused by the number of locks available. However, we are gradually expanding this to make us more flexible in the future. In the current situation, it is a good thing that a lock is not 'married' to a specific container and that we can use the locks as flexibly as we like. In other words, a container can be locked today and an assembly box tomorrow or vice versa.

How did your employees around the world react to the new locking solution?

Jochen Busch: The reactions were consistently positive. Our colleagues particularly appreciate the ease of use and the many possibilities offered by eCLIQ. In addition to the new level of convenience and flexibility, I also notice that the team feels more valued in a way and that independent key management is accompanied by a stronger sense of responsibility. My employees with their own Connect key are now also aware of their own responsibility for carrying out maintenance, such as replacing the batteries in the keys. The keys conveniently indicate when their battery level is low visually and acoustically. Nevertheless, we have established the rule of changing batteries every six months as a precaution to avoid unnecessary risks.

To what extent do you feel positive effects for your customers?

Jochen Busch: We have not published the modernisation of our master key system or had it actively evaluated by our customers. But some customers have already praised the smooth running of our projects. I am sure that this is also due to the new locking technology. After all, our construction sites can continue operating at any time if, for example, an employee is absent due to illness or has to support another project at short notice. Then a team mate is simply granted the necessary access authorisations on their key and that’s it. For this reason alone, the switch to eCLIQ has already been worth it, and I am very happy to have taken this step towards the secure future of ORCA.