Traka’s key management system secures London's Imperial War Museum

A 300-key Traka system was installed on the main site and a 100-key system was installed at a neighbouring site

Imperial War Museum (IWM) London has enlisted the help of Traka to implement an automated key management system.

IWM exhibits various collections, covering conflicts involving Britain and the Commonwealth from the First World War to the present day. The London site is home to the world’s largest collection of Victoria Crosses, as well as other historically important items.

As part of an ongoing refurbishment project, that is due to be completed in July, IWM decided to implement an automated key management system. Previously, the administration of 400 keys across two sites was managed manually, a time-intensive task that created inherent security risks. An automated process was needed to better protect the collections, and also to secure access to other parts of the museum.

A 300-key Traka system was installed on the main site and a 100-key system was installed at a neighbouring site. The solution ensures that only authorised staff are allowed access to the key cabinet, and within it they can only access designated keys. The system automatically records who has taken which key and when, meaning there is complete accountability of who is responsible for which key, 24 hours a day.

Thanks to the partnership between Traka distributor, Secure Technology Solutions Ltd and security integrator, Pointer Ltd the system can be used in conjunction with Lenel OnGuard access control, so that staff can access keys through their existing security badges. This creates seamless integration with the existing security management, and allows the reporting and subsequent audit trail of who has accessed which key to be fed through to the central database and reports whether the keys have been returned.