AAA National Headquarters

Jun 1, 1997 12:00 PM, By Staff

We needed to be more careful. When you need to replace your antiquated, manual security procedures with a more technologically sophisticated system, how do you know what to choose? Can you find one system that will suit your needs or do you need to purchase individual components from different vendors?

John McCary, security coordinator at the American Automobile Association National Headquarters in Heathrow, Fla., wanted answers to those questions - and more.

McCary was the first to recognize that AAA's old system was inadequate. I felt we had no real control over our building, he says.

The company's access control method consisted of visual verification of an instant photograph, laminated to paper or cardboard. The manual system permitted no means of auditing activities. Employees would simply flash their cards and walk by. What is worse, the nondescript cards made it difficult to be certain the individual showing the card was the card's owner.

A reason to look for something better came on the heels of local business growth and real estate development. The rapidly developing area caused an unexpected, sizable influx of people to the AAA locale. We started thinking we should do something about our exterior doors, says McCary. With an increasing number of people in the area, we needed to be more careful. A further complication was the physical layout of the complex, with three floors, two wings, an atrium, seven entrances and a parking garage. For AAA to truly control access would be a large task.

The primary concern for the headquarters building was the high volume of daily traffic. The national headquarters and the adjacent AAA club member service center presented the main security challenge: How was AAA to provide tight security for 1,300 associates and contractors without alienating visitors? Moreover, distinguishing among wanderers, visitors and club members was becoming time-consuming.

The combined inadequacies of the security procedures led McCary to recommend that AAA management exchange the antiquated manual system for a computerized system offering better control, more features and thorough tracking abilities.

Choosing a system The security upgrade suggestion was turned over to the buyers and information system personnel, who started investigating the options. AAA chose the BadgePro Video Badge Production System from Allison Systems Inc., Waukesha, Wis. The system offers badging capabilities such as color coding and customized layouts for a professional-looking badge. Also, because the picture is a video image, the clarity provides unmistakable recognition. And the video image and information are printed directly on a PVC card with the Fargo Persona ID Card Printer, making unauthorized duplication difficult.

The efficiency of the badging system caught AAA's eye. Security needs from access control to simple identification could be handled with one card, a combination magnetic stripe and bar code card from Cardkey Systems Inc., Simi Valley, Calif. AAA soon adjusted to this newfound convenience. We did not need separate cards - one card to get us into the garage and another to act as our badge IDs, says McCary. This way people won't be as likely to misplace a card. They have only one card and that card is usually clipped to their shirt.

And as the identification part of the system, adds McCary, it has everything right on there: picture, signature, name, title, department and employee number.

Keeping up with growth When changes do occur, the system flexibility allows the security department to redesign the card, taking off or adding elements or just shuffling the layout. Cards with the new design can be reissued without having to call employees away from work for a new photo. Each photo is stored in the database and can be re-used when necessary.

What really interested us in BadgePro was that as our company grows and its needs change, our security system can easily change with it. If needed, we can add more information to an employee's file because we have more than 600 available data fields. If we need to add more card readers or more terminals, we can. It is a relatively simple process.

The database's capabilities have proven beneficial to AAA. Because each terminal operates out of one database, everyone has the same information, reducing the margin for error. The system, which can print text and photography on a laser printer, can generate various reports and dossiers for use in many ways.

AAA's favorite feature of the new system is the ability to design the card. Distinguishing between part- and full-time, payrolled and temporary employees, and the frequent flow of contractors and consultants could have been costly. But using an array of colors and the print when needed aspect, AAA established a color coding scheme in which a black AAA logo represents temporary employees, contractors and consultants, and a red logo indicates a AAA payroll employee.

Customizing the system After purchasing the system, AAA realized that BadgePro's flexibility allowed for customized security attributes. The security department, as primary controllers of the system, can rely on one database for the entire building. In the case of an emergency, AAA's personnel department can call on the database and the system's tracking capabilities to verify who is logged into the building and who is not. And Cardkey magnetic stripe access control readers at various check points throughout the building can determine where an individual is located, speeding efforts to find, and even rescue, that person.

The access readers have also solved the parking garage crunch: Only those with access privileges can park in the garage.

System support Allison Systems personnel installed the software and provided on-site instructional guidance to the client. Even though the system is easy to understand and use, it was nice to have someone to take the time to walk us through the system and make sure we understood what we were doing, says McCary.

While the security department agreed the manual system was inadequate, many feared the new system would be too sophisticated, causing confusion and headaches. But the security department is satisfied with the new system - it provides access control and badge identification capabilities, yet works as one fully integrated system. The security station issues badges, defines access control, monitors tracking and generates reports as needed. And for a high profile, professional organization like AAA, the corporate image of the employees is enhanced by the quality and sharp appearance of the badge. Our main goal was to gain control over our facility and its daily functions and I feel that is exactly what we have accomplished, says McCary.

The system also includes 16 CCTV cameras from Philips Communication and Security Systems Inc. (BURLE), Lancaster, Pa., and monitors from Panasonic, Secaucus, N.J. Security personnel communicate with walkie-talkies from Motorola, Schaumburg, Ill.

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