Stadtwerke Flensburg: Access control and time recording with SAP connection

More than 800 employees work at Flensburger Stadtwerke in electricity, water and heat generation as well as in sales and administration. The Group also regularly employs external companies such as gardeners and cleaning companies.

This means that there is a lot of foot traffic. For security reasons, but also to establish effective time management for employees, Stadtwerke installed an access control system including time recording almost ten years ago. Since then, the modular system has grown with the company and its increasing requirements.

Many large companies use modern payroll accounting systems, but they also need a reliable time recording system for their employees that can transfer working times directly to payroll accounting.

Stadtwerke Flensburg uses an electronic access solution with connected time recording from the Bremen-based security company Miditec Datensysteme.

Their solution - consisting of MTZ Business Solutions with an interface to SAP and the MTZ Access and Time module for up to 2,000 employees - impressed with its overall package.

The modular structure, the central database and the user-friendly web-based software, which can be accessed from any computer via a web browser, were particularly in favor of the solution.

Initially, the Flensburg-based company equipped the main entrance doors with access readers. In the meantime, all exterior and interior areas have been equipped with access control. Access is also used to record employees' working hours and unauthorized attempts to enter unauthorized areas.

Corresponding evaluations can also be made for failed attempts, as well as for regular working times, missed times and overtime. "We are very satisfied with our decision to use the Miditec solution. The software runs reliably and is easy to parameterize.

In addition, the entire system can be installed and maintained by our own electrician and we are not tied to a maintenance contract," says Erhard Jahn, Head of Facility Management at Stadtwerke Flensburg.

Interface to SAP

At Stadtwerke Flensburg, certified SAP partner Miditec implemented an interface to the SAP R/3 HR-PDC system. This is used to prepare personnel master data from SAP such as personnel and card number, surname and first name, start of validity, end of validity or key authorization as a file during operation and make it available to the MTZ Business Solution for further processing.

Data is transported by the so-called BAPI handler, which is set up during installation. The BAPI handler generates files whose names correspond to the table names of the interface.

The interface (MTZBS AUTO_SAP) can be used to transfer both new employees who have been created in the SAP system and changes to existing employees to the MTZ Business Solution. This eliminates the need for time-consuming data maintenance in two systems.

Stadtwerke Flensburg uses the Access and Time modules from MTZ Business Solution. The personnel master data, which is made available via the interface, is then stored in a database and is therefore available to all modules.

If required, the authorization "which employee may book at which time terminal" is also assigned. In addition, the customer can also automatically transfer the authorization "which employee may book when and at which access reader" for the access readers in the interface.

This allows Stadtwerke Flensburg to control when employees are allowed to enter the company premises or rooms. The bookings made at a time recording reader (such as clock-in, clock-out and wrong reason bookings) are then transferred to SAP via the BAPI handler and processed there.

By exchanging files, the values calculated in the SAP system, such as vacation status, balance or overtime, can be written back to the MTZ Business Solution database.

If required, the values are displayed on the time recording terminal to the respective employee who has clearly identified themselves with a booking card/chip.

Hotline support

For service issues, Stadtwerke Flensburg relies on the support of the Miditec hotline. Erhard Jahn particularly appreciates the fast response times:

"When converting the original MTZ 4000 to MTZ Business Solutions and thus from wire to Ethernet, a number of questions arose that were answered quickly and competently via the hotline"

reports Jahn.

"If an answer cannot be given immediately, a callback is made promptly."

An extension is planned for the future. Modules for simplified visitor management and badge creation are to be added to the system. At present, visitors still have to register at reception and receive a visitor badge issued by hand.

This will later be handled by MTZ Business Solutions. The application will then be made online so that reception can issue a visitor pass with the required access rights in advance.

However, the creation of ID cards via MTZ Business Solutions will not only be used for visitors, but also for employees of Flensburger Stadtwerke. The system provides the employee data so that the municipal utilities can print employee ID cards on blank ID cards themselves in future.

"Compliance with security standards is extremely important, especially for such important utility companies as Stadtwerke. With this access control system, the company now has a comprehensive overview of who enters which premises and when"

concludes Tammo Berner, Head of Sales and Marketing at Miditec Datensysteme.