Time and attendance - Imperial Tobacco

One BSIA member installed a combined  access control and time and attendance system to an Imperial Tobacco site. The system checks an employee's badge  against their security access patterns, only allowing authorised personnel access. It then automatically generates a time and attendance transaction which is fed through to the attendance monitoring system.

Imperial Tobacco was created in 1901 through the amalgamation of thirteen British tobacco and cigarette companies. Today, Imperial Tobacco Group plc is the world's fourth largest international tobacco company and the only tobacco manufacturer in the UK, where it is also market leader. It is the second largest UK-based tobacco company by global sales.

In September 2004, Imperial Tobacco's factory engineer,  Mike Gillard, was looking to install an integrated turnstile based access control, fire roll call and time and attendance system to separate the cigar factory from other non-cigar factory employees. “Imperial Tobacco had already installed a similar Smart Card system at its Nottingham factory, and they recommended the system to us” explained Mike.

The Smart Card based Integrated Security Management System was installed in May 2005. It comprised three turnstiles equipped with Smart Card readers and a computerised command system. The computer software checks an employee's badge against their security access patterns, only allowing through authorised personnel. It also automatically generates a time and attendance transaction, which is fed through to the attendance monitoring system. A fire roll call register is also maintained by the system so that a roll call list can be produced in the event of an emergency.

Human Resource and IT staff from Imperial Tobacco were trained in the use of the software at the vendor’s training centre.

Mike felt that Imperial Tobacco use the system to its full potential. Asked what he liked most about his security system, Mike replied: “Its ease of use”, and he described as “good” the ease of use of the Smart Cards by the workforce. Mike also said that they have had to use the fire roll call system on occasions.

Since the original installation, further access control points have been added to the system in June 2007. These were to control access to the outdoor smoking shelters.

- Mike Gillard, Factory Engineer, Imperial Tobacco Group plc, Bristol.

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