Nakumatt has approximately 50 stores spread across the Great Lakes countries of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, and with an expanding branch and distribution network, managing the security of both stores and company inventory had become increasingly complex. The mechanical key system was cumbersome and piecemeal. Managers had little insight into who was accessing which secure areas, and when. Lost keys had become more than an inconvenience; they posed a regular and very real security risk. The cost and time required to replace locks was a further drain on the business.

To bring company security into the 21st century, Assa Abloy implemented a tailor-made master-key system across the multiple Nakumatt sites, based on the mechatronic Cliq technology and Mul-T-Lock padlocks and cylinders.

The new locking solution combines the dependable physical security with the remote control and access management functions provided by Cliq technology. Each authorised employee now carries a single, programmable Cliq key, which opens only the locks for which the individual has valid access rights. Rights can be changed or scheduled exactly as needed, using the Cliq Web Manager software communicating with the system via SSL encryption. The battery powered keys are easy to manage as the batteries are in the keys and not in the door. The battery life time is two-years.

Lost or stolen keys no longer pose a risk to security at a Nakumatt location. Administrators simply de-authorise and replace any missing key using the Cliq Web Manager.

And security throughout the widely dispersed has been made completely transparent. Security administrators can generate audit trails on demand for any lock or key in any Nakumatt branch—again, with just a few clicks of the Cliq Web Manager. The Cliq system provides valuable insights into who went where, and when— deterring any threat of internal theft and further promoting accountability and transparency within Nakumatt’s growing business.