The company's relationship with its employees is based on trust and its stated principles relating to security are: (1) The company's aim is profitable growth and safe and secure processes are fundamental to that. (2) Its focus is on supporting processes and organizing them to be safe and secure. (3) Every worker and visitor, whether from Gerolsteiner or an outside company, should feel comfortable at Gerolsteiner and the rules which are applied should assist in shaping this togetherness.
Defining functions
When new buildings and operations needed to be secured and the company's old video system was no longer up to the job, Gerolsteiner set out to look for new systems to help staff do their jobs better and more efficiently. Under the guidance of Bonn-based consultants VzM Beratung GmbH a special project group including people from Gerolsteiner's electrical systems department, its IT department as well as its security staff, visited other users to see a variety of systems in operation, and together worked out a full functional specification. Their final choice, an all-in-one solution with hybrid video from Geutebruck, voice communication from Schneider Intercom and access control from Kaba now provides seamless support for many operational processes as well as security. Take the control room for instance...
Located adjacent to the site entrance and manned round the clock, the control room is the first point of contact for visitors and business callers. Any visitor pressing the intercom button at the entrance activates the video and audio communication systems. Lights indicate this to the visitor, while the guard in the control room sees the visitor clearly on the screen even if it is dark outside. Depending on the visitor's needs, he or she is greeted and given assistance or guidance which may include details of the house rules.
With carriers arriving unannounced to collect shipments all round the clock, order processing starts and ends here too, so the video system provides a clear image enabling the guard to record the vehicle registration number in his SAP order processing screen. After a 10-second registration process the driver is given a loading bay entry number. When he arrives there he is already expected and loading begins immediately.
No looking back!
Of course when parts of the plant are not operating, at night or during holidays, the system's video alarm features
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| Geutebruck video system enables the guard to record the vehicle registration number |
"Why have permanent recording of video? How would looking back help?" questions Heinz Lorse, the company security manager. "Here there is no long-term storage of data so recording capacity is not needed. If a standard process is carried out and completed in compliance with the rules then it is totally unnecessary to archive pictures of it."
Despite the strict regulatory framework applied in all foodstuff manufacturing, entering the Gerolsteiner premises is a very easy process for authorized people. The principle of shared values and trust is attractive to visitors and business partners and they respect it. Consequently not only does the company have no issues with data protection but criminal acts are the absolute exception.
Chosen over other pure IP designs, because of its architecture and open interfaces which allow easy integration with third party equipment, the Geutebruck hybrid video system can also link a site 4 kilometres away with two-core cable and switch 25 fps live video. Gerolsteiner management report that it works reliably and failure-free. It certainly seems that control room staff are very comfortable with the result. As Mr Krämer, a security guard commented, "We wouldn't now do our work any other way!"
