Problem:

Before getting in contact with Savance, Anresco employees would handwrite their in and out times in a binder, and use physical keys to access the doors. As the company grew, this method was no longer feasible. “We needed a system that would use a key card to time employees in and out,” explains Tai Ly, Operations Manager at Anresco. “After all, it is much easier to deactivate a lost key card than it is to replace the locks and issue 50 new keys when someone loses theirs.” An even more important reason for accurate staff records was accountability.

Anresco needed a reliable way to keep track of who was in the building for emergency management purposes. “With our previous, manual process, we were not sure who was in the building in case of an emergency,” says Tai Ly. “An electronic method would also keep employees more accountable of their actual in and out time. We would be able to tell who was in the building depending on their in or out status.”

Search:

To move forward with the plans to convert to an electronic method for access control and staff tracking, Anresco found Savance after an Internet search. “Steve was a great help with providing information and kept us in the loop with features,” says Tai Ly. “We looked at a few other companies as well; however, price was a deciding factor, and the start rate of the other products included a lot of features we did not need at the given moment. With Savance, the price was right, and the system was straightforward and to the point.”

Other deciding factors in Anresco’s decision had to do with access control integration and overall features. “Essentially, the Savance system had time tracking and PTO tracking, and it also integrated with infinias door readers,” explains Tai Ly. “We can let employees in and out of the building and also track their time.” Ease-of-use was another factor. “We appreciated the overall simplicity of using the system”, says Tai Ly. “The interface was easy-to-use, and users can login to EIOBoard via the web.”

Solution & Implementation:

Anresco selected 3xLogic’s Infinias access control system and chose to use their PoE door controllers (eIDCs) at each exterior door. They also decided to implement a 100-user on-premise EIOBoard license to meet staff tracking and time and attendance needs. For user synchronization and single sign-on, the system was connected to Anresco’s active directory. Furthermore, Anresco opted to include two touch screen kiosks, and supplied their own all-in-one hardware. Their kiosks provide staff a means to sign in and sign out, and more importantly, offer a method for visitors to sign in electronically rather than signing in on a paper-based guest log book.

Since Anresco was on a budget and a do-it-yourselfer, they decided they would attempt to install their access control system internally rather than relying on an integrator. This is not the norm; however, Tai and his team were up for the challenge. “The door modules were rather difficult to install and a lot of additional hardware was needed,” says Tai Ly. “However, once the door modules – 3xLogic’s infinias eIDC32 key card readers – were up and running, the integration with Savance was easy. Steve called me and helped me with the setup.”

Results & Benefits:

Since the implementation of the Savance system – complete with Electronic In/Out Board, Visitor Management, and Time & Attendance tracking for payroll – along with Anresco’s new 3xLogic infinias access control system, the organization has seen improvements in several areas, including money-savings, efficiency, and accountability. “Our new solution has automated the time in/out process,” says Tai Ly. “Instead of people looking at the clock and writing the time, it is just a matter of scanning the key card, and we’re able to tell who is in the building, and who has left. We can hold people accountable for the time they actually worked, versus relying on word-of-mouth, something that has made payroll more accurate.”

Another area of improvement is guest management. Anresco now relies on the Savance system to sign in visitors. “Signing in guests is very convenient,” says Tai Ly. “You can have your non-disclosure as part of the sign in process, and even print name tags for guests, which has impressed our clients and makes us look very professional.”

After 5 years of using the system, Tai and his team still love Savance EIOBoard and whole-heartedly recommend it to anyone. They remain a strong reference for Savance to this day, and we look forward to our continued relationship.