Cloud-Based Security saves money and boosts Efficiency and Sales for giant Car Retailer

INTRODUCTION

The Williams Group, a leading UK car retailer, has opened Williams Manchester, its new £41million flagship retail centre at Manchester TraffordCity, adjacent to the Trafford Centre. The 14.5 acre site features a new retail centre incorporating a three-storeycontemporary BMW glass showroom, a MINI retail centre and animpressive Jaguar and Land Rover showroom. The new retailcentre offers parking for more than 1,000 vehicles and will benefi tfrom a Metrolink station to provide easy access to and from Manchester City Centre. The Williams Group has opted for a Honeywell security system, installed by Nu Fire and Security, to effectively safeguard its new retail centre.

REQUIREMENT

As TraffordCity is a highly prestigious site, offering luxurious, high-specifi cation vehicles, the Williams Group needed acomplete security solution that would cover the main showrooms and their expansive vehicle compound.

The Group required a fully-integrated security system that could meet different needs across the site as access to the compound is restricted to authorised personnel and deliveries whereas other areas (such as parking) are open to everyone. This needed to include video surveillance cameras both for internal and external spaces, access control and intruder alarm systems.

SOLUTION

Williams Group engaged Nu Fire, a specialist installer of automotive and electronicsecurity systems, for its new security solution. Nu Fire previously successfully installedHoneywell’s ADPRO® CCTV systems for Williams’ dealerships, and continues to manage the security for all of the group’s franchises across the Northwest of England.

Nu Fire recommended Honeywell access control, CCTV and intruder detection systems, all controlled by Honeywell’s MAXPRO® Cloud solution. This would enable the group to interrogate and control the system themselves, and to easily manage the addition orremoval of authorised personnel from the system – including temporary contractors,visitors and employees – all via the cloud.

ACCESS CONTROL

A key element of the security system is a single access control system that is used across the site. One of the Williams Group’sconcerns was the secure management of personnel and vehicles entering and leaving the vehicle compound. There are two security barriers with intercoms connected to the control centre, and a large, sliding gate which closes the compound at night.

Across the site, key fobs are used to gain access to restricted areas. The fobs can be used to open barriers, open and close the gates and open internal doors. For instance, the manager of an area can issue a fob to a member of the team, that is programmed to allow them to enter a restricted area in one of the retail centres or to provide access to the compound. This is all controlled via the MAXPRO Cloud interface.