ASSA ABLOY Door Solutions - Experts & Thought Leaders

ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions announces that the SARGENT 8200 Series Electrified Mortise Lock with EcoFlex® Technology has achieved Living Product Challenge certification from the International Living Future Institute. Satisfying stringent compliance criteria to receive the Declare label, architects, designers and specifiers now have an additional electrified locking hardware solution with this higher level of certification, along with other products from ASSA ABLOY, to meet all their green building project specifications. The Living Product Challenge and corresponding Living Building Challenge™ is considered the world’s most advanced and transparent third-party verification program, encouraging manufacturers to create products that are healthy, inspirational and give back to the environment across their lifecycles. EcoFlex was selected for its superlative energy-saving attributes: EcoFlex is 96% more energy efficient than standard electrified mortise locks and electrified exit trim up to 95% as certified by GreenCircle. EcoFlex electrified mortise lock “This is an incredible, significant achievement in the building materials industry, reflecting the move to sustainability in commercial and institutional building products,” said Amy Musanti, Director of Sustainability, Door Security Solutions, ASSA ABLOY. “Certification and labeling are becoming more commonplace for the industry overall, even for doors and hardware, which tend to be complex.” The product also completed a Red List Compliant Declare label, for use in projects pursuing Living Building Challenge The EcoFlex electrified mortise lock met all seven core attributes to achieve Imperative certification: responsible place, water footprint, energy footprint, Red List Free, responsible industry, ethical supply chain, inspiration and education. As part of the certification, the product also completed a Red List Compliant Declare label, for use in projects pursuing Living Building Challenge, LEED or WELL. A comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) was also performed on the product to achieve this status. Sustainability as a key driver “There are currently 24 certified products in the world – and very few of those are as heavily configured as EcoFlex which has over 100 components,” said Musanti, adding that products vary - from skateboards, planters, carpet, office furniture and cabling, to name a few. “This product has the potential to be at the forefront of architectural specifications as project teams work toward a more efficient, healthier and equitable building footprint.” Sustainability is a key driver throughout ASSA ABLOY's value chain and an important element in innovation, sourcing, production and employee development.

ASSA ABLOY Door Group, a unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, offers a cradle-to-grave approach for its steel and timber doorsets while the UK prepares for a year of recovery. With the UK expecting a slow movement towards normality from spring onwards, experts suggest that now is the time for architects, specifiers, contractors, landlords, facilities managers, and housebuilders to ensure home, leisure, and working environments are up to date, safe and secure during the gradual return out of lockdown. Fire door inspectors ASSA ABLOY Door Group, on top of offering a complete doorset solution by manufacturing doors, hardware, and ironmongery, boasts the capability of managing the entire doorset process. From specification and scheduling to the design, manufacture, and installation of its high-performance steel and timber doorsets, security and safety experts at Door Group ensure each door and asset is fit for purpose at every stage of its lifecycle. In addition, the Group can then provide on-going service, maintenance, and fire door inspections of these doorsets with its team of BRE-certified fire door inspectors. A comprehensive inspection report will then be generated, offering advice and recommendations on any necessary improvements that need to be made, which can then be progressed by Door Group. Fully finished doors A door and its ironmongery must all be compliant to ensure the capability and durability of the complete doorset A door and its ironmongery must all be compliant to ensure the capability and durability of the complete doorset, and to ensure the safety of those behind it. But while many understand the importance of quality and compliant doorsets, that shouldn’t mean a compromise on aesthetics. The Group’s SMARTec range, for example, combines certified high performance with fully finished doors and frames, complete with stylish yet functional ironmongery, seals, and vision panels for a range of projects. Ongoing maintenance process Brian Sofley, Managing Director at ASSA ABLOY Door Group, comments: “At Door Group, we understand that during this time, anything that can be done to streamline processes and efficiencies – saving both time and money – should be encouraged.” “Dealing with just one organisation not only streamlines the specification and ongoing maintenance process, but customers can also be assured they will experience consistently high levels of quality and reliability from their doorsets, safe in the knowledge that we have the product expertise to optimise and maintain performance. Door Group is one of very few manufacturers to offer a complete solution of timber and steel doors, hardware, and ironmongery through this cradle-to-grave approach.”

ASSA ABLOY Door Group, a unit of ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions UK & Ireland, leads the way with its range of high-performance timber doors for the public, commercial & high-end residential market. Fire door quality Fire Door Safety Week reported 60% of local authorities experienced delays in their fire door programmes, leaving safety to chance and impacting over 16,500 fire doors recently. With local authorities still playing catch-up from these delays, it is vitally important for building managers to ensure their fire doors are safe, compliant and up to standard. High-quality doorset solution ASSA ABLOY Door Group offers complete doorset solutions from one trusted single point of contact managing the whole process from specification to maintenance. The SMARTec range of high-performance timber doors has been developed to offer a complete doorset solution of high quality, high performing doors and frames, complete with all ironmongery solutions. With Q-mark and FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certifications across all commercial timber fire doors, architects, specifiers and contractors can rest assured that doorsets from ASSA ABLOY Door Group are both fire resistant and responsibly sourced as well as containing outstanding security and sound reduction properties. Security values are a top priority Brian Sofley, Managing Director at ASSA ABLOY Door Group, comments “Here at Door Group, we pride ourselves on delivering responsible and compliant doorsets to ensure maximum safety and performance in any suitable setting.” “We want to assure building managers that their security values are our top priority. With the capability to deliver an entire doorset solution from start to finish – we offer a full service from initial specification and manufacture, to onsite installation, after sales inspections and maintenance of our doors.” “The high performance SMARTec range aims to help set the industry standard for timber doors, encouraging stakeholders to prioritise safety and sustainability.”

When asked about what the market should be thinking about in 2018, I am left offering an answer that serves as an urgent call to action: prepare yourself for change! The security industry is soon likely to see a dramatic shift from the traditional segmentation of commercial and residential security. Smart phones, mobile technologies, cloud computing, and having everything provided ‘as a service’ in peoples’ lives means users of buildings have a new set of expectations. In many ways, the coming crosspollination of residential and commercial security offerings means we will have a better idea of best practices. The convenience of residential spaces will combine with the robust security of commercial facilities, for example. But this also means a higher level of demand will be placed on security integrators, facility managers and owners. Operations groups may need to change drastically to offer new technologies. Security as a service is likely to become more common. And new technologies are emerging that will facilitate this change and require new skillsets and expertise. So, what the market should be thinking about right now is: how do we all, collectively, keep up? More critical is finding ways to offer or utilise new technologies and total solutions that make operations easier Ensuring security preparedness As it stands now, in terms of physical security for doors and openings, we are currently in a world where we can secure almost anything. Be it hospital, school, file cabinet, server rack, grain silo or barn that is off the electrical grid, we have a solution for that. So being hyper-aware of your industry, its offerings, and how the products work together is important, as it means every location that needs security can have security. But perhaps more critical is finding ways to offer or utilise new technologies and total solutions that make operations easier, moving security components deeper into a building, facility or campus, and building and leveraging on partnerships where everyone is invested in the other’s success. Here are a few suggestions for addressing these issues. Training in new security solutions Perhaps the biggest change in the near term will be emerging technologies that will alter how we currently use security solutions. Be it cloud-based security, intelligent keys, new types of credentials, or simply a better software for management, the need to be well-versed on these offerings is key. To this end, it is important to not only know what offerings exist in the security world, but also be well-trained on them. Seek out a manufacturer that is willing to offer training and education on products, strategies and solutions. While it is important to secure server rooms at the point of entry, it might also make sense to provide a cabinet lock with audit capabilities on the rack or cabinet itself Identifying an end goal Further, approach the integration and implementation of these technologies with a collaborative mindset. For dealers and integrators this means utilising new technologies to better secure a facility for a client. As a building owner or manager, it means making tenant and occupant life better while streamlining your own operations. The ultimate goal of any new technology is to meet customer needs in the very best possible way. And that goal should trickle down from manufacturer to integrator to the facility manager and ultimately the end user. Don’t just implement technology for the sake of doing so. Do it with purpose by identifying an end goal and utilising these amazing solutions to achieve that. Identifying an end goal also means seeking out the core requirements a building has to provide users with the expected level of security and service. This is obviously dependent on the building, and it doesn’t always mean physically moving into a building, but rather looking at ways to move further into the operations of a business. Securing access to buildings Government facilities are undergoing a transition to security requirements dictated by the FICAM programme For some businesses, keeping server racks or file cabinets secure can be critical. And while it is important to secure these rooms at the point of entry, it might also make sense to provide a cabinet lock with audit capabilities on the rack or cabinet itself. New opportunities also fall into this category. Government facilities are currently undergoing a transition to security requirements dictated by the Federal Government’s Identity, Credential, and Access Management (FICAM) programme. FICAM sets standards for implementation of secure access to all government facilities and mandates the use of FIPS 201 Personal Identity Verification (PIV) for federal employees and contractors. This means that PIV enabled access points will be required on the perimeters, interiors and other openings. Finding ways to retrofit these affordably, efficiently and effectively means offering more secure openings on what is likely to be a tight budget. This can also apply to offsite facilities. Earlier I mentioned barns and grain silos – locations that are often left off electrical grids but can come with the need for auditing capabilities – and a solution exists for that. So, while a corporate headquarters might be under robust lock and key, it is always good to ask about other locations that could use a simple security upgrade. Personal Identity Verification-enabled access points will be required on the perimeters, interiors and other openings Establishing security partnerships Again, the best way to achieve readiness with this approach is to be aware of the market and its offerings, and to engage in collaborative partnerships. Collaborative partnerships are critical for everyone who is tasked with protecting the people and places that matter most. Manufacturers rely on the integrators and building supervisors to understand the new and developing needs in the industry. Integrators then must rely on manufacturers to provide these solutions, offer education and training, and be in constant contact about the newest technologies available. Collaborative partnerships are critical for everyone who is tasked with protecting the people and places that matter mostAnd building owners or managers must both be aware of their tenant and end user needs and demands – be it for new technologies or even seeking out sustainability solutions. In turn, they need to know they can rely on a collaborative approach from an integrator and manufacturer who is invested in their success. Industry collaboration for a secure future Again, the biggest thing we must all need to consider now is how to prepare for the future. Treading water is simply not enough in the security market anymore. New technologies and performance expectations are forcing us to consider ways to better serve our clients – whether we are a manufacturer, integrator or in charge of facilities. And the best way to do this is together. We are all invested in the success of one another, and in the people who use the places we strive to keep safe. By seeking out, developing, and cultivating these partnerships in collaboration and innovation, we are able to help one another prepare for the future that is becoming more complex, intriguing and exciting every day.