SitexOrbis wins BIFM innovation award

An access system developed by SitexOrbis, with an efficiency boosting key that opens up to 6,000 locks, has won the British Institute of Facilities Management’s (BIFM) innovation in products award.

The awards ceremony was hosted by musician and TV presenter Myleene Klass in London on 11 October.

The system known as eMAKS, which stands for Electronically Managed Access Key Systems, was selected from 30 entries.

At its centre is an electronic key that can be continually reprogrammed remotely to open different locks at different times. The innovation has instantly solved nightmares faced by many property and facilities managers.

As well as controlling access to a multitude of properties by a multitude of tradesmen, access reports are provided for health and safety and invoicing and the travel and administration associated with key collections are eliminated.

The key is about the same size as many car keys. It can’t be duplicated and comes with easy to fit locks that can’t be picked. Reprogramming to open different locks is routed through the SitexOrbis BS5979 category II alarm receiving centre.

One user at Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council reports saving three hours each morning because staff no longer have to sort out keys for tradesmen. Energy wise, a Ford Transit van travelling 100 miles a week just to pick up and return keys would save emitting 13.5kgs of CO2 into the atmosphere each week.

Nick Shaw, divisional director of Vinci Facilities and a BIFM awards’ category chair, said: “SitexOrbis has turned electronic key technology into a highly workable solution. In doing so facilities managers are able to meet two BIFM goals to do more for less and to reduce emissions.“

Mark Cosh, european director at SitexOrbis, said: “A major part of what we do is working with facilities managers helping them meet efficiencies in these tough times. We are extremely pleased that SitexOrbis has won the BIFM innovation in products award.”

eMAKs has also won SitexOrbis the LHC innovation of the year 2010 and the Housing Excellence product of the year 2010.