Many organizations find it preferable or even desirable to work with only one party for security, even when they have locations abroad. For Mactwin, it is routine to manage the security of organizations both nationally and internationally, ensuring the desired level of protection, for example, for clients in the financial sector.
Initially, Mactwin provided security only for the Dutch offices of one of these clients. However, due to the positive experience and the trust that was established, this client asked Mactwin to implement the same high level of security at all their European offices. “We gladly took on that challenge, which aligns perfectly with our drive to fully relieve clients of their safety and security concerns,” says Twan Reuvers, account manager at Mactwin.
Blueprint prevents mistakes
The desired level of security for the buildings was already determined; it had to match the level of the Dutch offices. “For these locations, we created a zoning plan and a Security Octagon, “explains Twan Reuvers. “This means we first divided the (Dutch) building into security zones, such as public, semi-public, and secure areas. These zones can also be found in all other offices of this financial organization. Then, in consultation with the client, we established and documented a set of security measures for each type of transition from one zone to another in the Security Octagon.” This approach ensured consistency and balance between the various measures. Moreover, it served as a practical tool for all parties involved in this international project. “It functioned as a blueprint for both Mactwin’s project managers and the subcontractors in the different countries, providing clear guidelines and preventing errors.”
Cross-border project management
When you are responsible for the security of multiple buildings across Europe, experienced project managers are essential to lead the project professionally. Senior Project Manager John van de Weijenberg elaborates: “In this project, as is generally the case with international projects, we worked with local subcontractors who implemented the necessary infrastructure at the locations. We selected these subcontractors in close collaboration with our client, and then provided on-site instructions. In some countries, more coordination was required than in others, mainly due to different laws and regulations, for example, regarding emergency exits. As a result, we had to adjust the predefined set of security measures for some locations. After the subcontractors completed their work, we performed a quality check on-site. Then, we were able to remotely configure and commission the security systems from our Mactwin Operation Center (MOC) covering locations from Sweden to Spain and Italy.”
Remote management & maintenance
Now that all systems are operational, they need to be properly maintained and managed. The client’s financial institution partly manages the systems themselves. From their headquarters in the Netherlands, all systems for access control, video surveillance, and intrusion detection can be operated and managed. This means, for example, that access card rights can be managed from headquarters. The security department in Amsterdam can also retrieve video footage if an incident occurs and can monitor events remotely. All of this is made possible by the central security management platform, to which all (local) subsystems are connected. “Mactwin handles the further management and maintenance of the systems together with the subcontractors,” says Twan Reuvers. “When there’s a malfunction, our Service Desk first assesses whether the issue can be resolved remotely from our MOC. If not, we contact the contracted local party to resolve the issue on-site. The same applies to management and maintenance; we do as much as possible remotely, only involving the local partner when necessary.”
Clear agreements and smooth collaboration
Twan Reuvers continues: “In collaborations like this, clear agreements—regarding parameters and responsibilities—between the client and the main contractor (in this case, Mactwin) are essential. The clearer the agreements, the better. It also turned out that the Security Octagon provided a lot of direction and clarity. As a result, we were able to implement effective and user-friendly security measures and achieve the desired level of security for all locations.”