Medibank's security system more than just safety

Walls of greenery, circadian lighting and specially designed workspaces to encourage flexibility, creativity and staff wellbeing are standout features that showcase Medibank’s focus on health, safety and efficiency at its Docklands headquarters in Melbourne.

Occupied since October 2014, the 16-floor building is also on track to become one of Australia’s most energy- and waste-efficient buildings, targeting a six-star Green Star rating and five-star NABERS rating.

Another feature, although less visible, is the highly adaptable integrated security system which the head of workplace operations at Medibank, Craig Maroney, said was also implemented with the staff experience in mind.

“With many Medibank personnel travelling frequently between offices, we wanted a system that would enable predetermined access to other sites, rather than having to waste time in manually signing people in and guiding them through individual building and office processes,” Maroney said.

The HID CRESCENDO iCLASS MIFARE smart card is part of the building’s security infrastructure which allows up to 12 technology systems to be encrypted on to the one card, enabling the company’s printers, lockers, storage, technology, lift and building access systems to be accessible across multiple sites.

The access card provides more efficient staff on and off boarding processes that can be managed nationally from a central location.

It also has RFID technology that supports a third-party heat mapping tool, providing facilities management and security teams with quick access to data showing the number of people in each building and on each floor at any one time.

Though the system was initially more expensive than traditional systems, Maroney said Medibank had already started to see some immediate financial savings with other non-financial benefits also being realised.

“The increased level of security has resulted in a reduced risk profile, leading to reduced insurance costs, while having the printer system connected to the card has resulted in an 80% reduction in paper use through forgotten printing,” Maroney said.

Integrated security solutions expert Michael Brookes from Honeywell Security Group said that approaches to security systems, such as that adopted by Medibank, are becoming increasingly popular as businesses look to use one access tool across several business systems to improve business processes.

“Integration is expanding from being solely about security technology. Customers not only want business efficiency, but also want to be able to glean as much useful business information as possible, particularly for larger sites,” Brookes said.

“For example, cameras installed for security purposes can reveal a lot about crowd flow through a facility and effectively work as a sensor for the business to help decide things like where to place advertising, vending machines or ATMs and ultimately link to a potential revenue stream.”

Honeywell Security Group will return to the Security Exhibition and Conference next week from 15-17 July at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre with its Honeywell House exhibit, showcasing the latest in residential and commercial integrated security systems, including the launch of the MAXPRO Cloud video appliance and an updated version of its Tuxedo product.

You can register to attend this free event by visiting www.securityexpo.com.au.

Image courtesy of Medibank.