Energy and water company Alva-yhtiöt Oy renewed its extensive locking and access control environment in phases to meet the increased security requirements for critical infrastructure. The modern solution implemented with Loihde also brought clarity to key management and improved the traceability of keys.
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Alva-yhtiöt renewed its locking and access control solutions together with Loihde to strengthen security. Electromechanical locking and Loihde’s Key Management Service make everyday operations clearer and smoother for an organisation critical to security of supply. In addition, the number of keys decreased and their traceability improved. Access control was also renewed as part of the same modern security solution.
Loihde’s collaboration with Alva, owned by the City of Jyväskylä, began when Alva wanted to move from mechanical locking to electromechanical locking. Over the years, the mechanical locking system had grown into a difficult-to-manage whole: there were many keys, the keying was partly fragmented, and part of the system had reached the end of its lifecycle. Electromechanical locking was a natural solution, and through a competitive tendering process, Loihde was selected as the implementation partner.
“Moving to an electromechanical locking system in an environment with thousands of locks was a major process that was carried out in phases. The solution offered by Loihde was suitable for our operating environment and cost-effective. We were also convinced by the fact that Loihde can operate locally close to us here in Central Finland and has the capability to carry out a project of this scale,” says Samuli Mäkinen, Security Manager at Alva-yhtiöt Oy.
According to Mäkinen, the collaboration has been smooth. Communication has been direct, and Loihde’s strong expertise in security technology inspired confidence.
“Their expertise became clear quickly. And when we moved on to developing the access control system, Loihde’s contact person immediately had options to offer. We were never left alone with our questions; solutions were always provided. Loihde’s contact person took on a major role in the project. With Loihde, it was not a case of ‘I order, you deliver’ — it was very direct and genuine collaboration,” Mäkinen says.
The renewal enables smoother and safer access
In practice, the new electromechanical solution meant moving from a model with several separate keys to a more controlled whole. As a result, one key can now be used to access all necessary locations, and access rights can be adjusted flexibly as needed. The previous bundles of multiple keys are, fortunately, now a thing of the past, making access smoother for users.
As a result of the project, the number of keys decreased, access rights management became clearer, and changing situations can now be addressed more quickly than before.
“We reached a stable and controlled situation. If, for example, a key is lost and therefore not updated, the access rights end. Access rights can also be terminated immediately once the loss of a key is noticed,” Mäkinen says.
In addition to manageability and ease of use, traceability is also an important added value of the new electromechanical locking system. The result is a solution that supports both daily operational work and the stricter security and regulatory requirements particularly associated with critical infrastructure.
“We get the information we need about where each key has been used — in other words, who has accessed which location and when.”
The implementation was carried out in phases over several years, one site and function at a time. This allowed the extensive renewal to be completed in a controlled manner without disrupting everyday operations at critical sites. Loihde’s role extends from delivery and project implementation to continuous key management.
“The change was not made all at once. First, we went through the basic locks at the power plant, and pipe locks, for example, were then handled as their own separate entity. Loihde’s Key Management Service also started running right away — we did not want to issue or program keys ourselves, so Loihde handles this directly.”
Renewing the access control system turned out to be easier than expected
In addition to renewing the locking system and key management, there was also a need to update the access control system, as Alva’s previous solution was approaching the end of its lifecycle. As an operator critical to security of supply, Alva wanted to react quickly. Several alternatives were examined, and eventually the solution was found within the same product family as the other key management and locking solutions.
“Somehow, this access control system renewal initially felt like a bit of a monster in my mind. But once we got started, it went really well. This project also progressed naturally throughout, and regular meetings helped speed things along,” Mäkinen recalls.
Smooth integrations between the systems make the whole easier, safer and more efficient to manage.
“From our perspective, the collaboration has also been very smooth, and that makes the customer relationship easy to manage. Mutual trust has also played an important role,” says Toni Mäkelä, Unit Manager at Loihde.
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