G4S has been working with Lithuanian alcoholic beverage maker, Italiana, based in the Kaunas region, since 2008. What G4S provides now bears no resemblance to then, when two security professionals manned the gates and patrolled the inner sanctum of the production facilities.
Italiana is one of the largest alcoholic beverage firms in the Baltics and it exports to EU countries as well as Russia, Belarus and the USA. Technological advancement in Italiana’s modern production processes and high levels of expertise are important; the customer wanted the security arrangements to match.
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“What we provide Italiana has completely changed. We know the customer well and we understand the evolving threats and risks they face,” said Rimantas Grašys, Head of the Kaunas region for G4S in Lithuania. “We designed a solution incorporating access control and highly advanced perimeter security, including the latest video system analytics software. We no longer need security professionals on-site as a matter of course.”
The facility is a large industrial complex where drinks are manufactured, including sparkling wine, vermouth, brandy, cider and cocktails. These products are valuable and desirable to an intruder intent on theft. To access the compound, there is a central main gate, which is also used by their business tenants - other companies that rent space.
A feature that the site has in common with other production facilities in the region is that a railway runs through the complex, bringing in ingredients and then transporting the finished products from the premises for onward sale. Train access is managed through the remote system, which can raise and close the barriers without any intervention by Italiana employees.
“Our aim was to design a technical solution that would automate security management mechanisms,” said Rimantas. “This solution significantly reduces project installation costs and it includes two functions; video surveillance and perimeter protection. This system is ideal for this project as it can be controlled entirely remotely.”
The team chose Advanced Dahua AI technology for perimeter protection, which allows the G4S team to monitor and protect a defined line or area from unauthorised intrusion. This technology can distinguish people from vehicles and it allows advanced monitoring criteria to be set.
Generating very few false alarms by natural events such as weather or the movement of animals, the system can be enabled or disabled remotely by the factory foreman or other authorised Italiana personnel, in the evening when the factory closes and the morning when it opens.
A G4S security professional at the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC) can switch on a camera and look at the site to see what has triggered an alarm, if one is sounded. If necessary, a G4S patrol and response vehicle can be dispatched to the site to investigate. There are seven cameras with an analytics function across the premises and any alarms triggered can be monitored around the clock by G4S.
If the customer requires it, the perimeter security can also be switched on or off remotely by personnel in the ARC and if a visitor needs to gain access to the factory, this can be authorised remotely. G4S has installed a car number plates recognition system with an automatic barrier so vehicles known to the software can enter the premises quickly and easily.
For employees arriving on foot, a turnstile with an access card scanning system is operational. There are between 60 and 100 employees - depending on the season - who work at the facility and everyone has an access card.
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“Not only does the access control system allow entry through the main turnstile, it can be configured to segregate access permissions for specific locations,” said Rimantas. “This ensures that only those with the right permissions can enter particular areas of the building.”
As an additional function, the access control system collects employee working time data so there is no need for employees to log their shift hours through a manual system, as they did in the past.
"Through the replacement of physical guarding with this technical solution, we have felt the economic benefits and the quality of protection has not been affected," said Sigitas Zaikauskas, General Manager at Italiana. "There has even been more order because the system responds and controls without physical, human intervention, which eliminates the subjectivity factor."
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