SPECIAL REPORT: IT “Initially we do a soft version. We let people through but highlight the
contradictions,” he explains. “Then, after a while, we sit down with the customer and straighten these out.” Questions of authority in various areas also have to be taken into
account. Areas under the direct control of the TSA may have different requirements than others controlled by the airport authority, an airline or another stakeholder. “We can partition different rules in the TSA area, the inside area for
retailers, airline operations et cetera,” says Turley. “At some airports the conflicts between the TSA and the city are so great that you have two different systems, two card readers at the door.” He stresses flexibility and connectivity as key points for security set-ups. “The security environment is so dynamic. It keeps changing. It’s not just
the terrorist threat,” he says, adding that the system chosen has to meet an airport’s current needs and allow integration with other systems; it has to allow the airport to pick different kinds and breeds of technology and tune them to its needs. To date, most systems are designed to allow or deny access based on a
set of rules fed into a central database and to react to violations. The aspect of actively tracking employee movements with a view to improving productivity is not much of an issue, although some airports have used their video technology to identify bottlenecks and allocate resources accordingly. “We do not track on a day-to-day basis, although we have the ability to do
so,” says Reiter. When it comes to vehicle management, the picture is quite different,
at least in Paris CDG, anyway. For Sodexi, the express handling division of Air France Cargo, has fully embraced XOPS, a real-time management system for vehicles. Accessed through an Internet portal or local area network, it tracks all
connected vehicles through a combination of data capture and transmission resources, from GPS and video transmission to RFID and barcodes. The unit plugs into the vehicle and monitors its location as well as elements like fuel level, passenger transfers and baggage. First and foremost XOPS was developed for more efficient fleet
management, monitoring the location of vehicles and allowing instructions to be sent from the central monitor station. This means that equipment can be moved around quickly in response to
changes in flight schedules or gate changes, says Jean-Francois Bouilhaguet, managing director of Sodexi and president of a consortium formed to market XOPS, developed by Sodexi in co-operation with technology providers from the basis of an existing fleet management tool. Recently Sodexi signed a co-operation agreement with Tsingua Beijing
University and the XOPS consortium for a two-year R&D programme on new video supervision technologies. In addition to the fleet optimisation aspect, there is also a strong security
of the requirements specified in the access rules is not met (for instance, if the cardholder is late with his drug test update), access to the area in question will be denied. Updates can be performed purely within the Cardax FT system or through links
to other databases, such as an airport authority’s human resources department. Not surprisingly, the initial set-up is quite time-consuming. At Sea-Tac, the
biggest issue with the implementation of biometric security elements was getting everybody affected – some 20,000 badge holder – into the system, each with his/her particular access points and areas, recalls Reiter. As Gallagher takes in all the rules given by its client, it is not uncommon for conflicting rules to appear, says Turley.
element in XOPS, says Builhaguet. For one thing, the system issues an alert if a vehicle shows up in the wrong place. Moreover, it keeps track of both vehicle and driver. “The system detects
automatically if the wrong driver is on the wrong vehicle,” Bouilhaguet says. From the express handling division, XOPS has spread to other mobile
units at Paris CDG and is now used there by a number of operators, including Air France, handling firm Worldwide Flight Services and Flybus. According to Bouilhaguet, Sodexi has reduced the number of its vehicles
on the ramp by one-third since the implementation of the system. “The system has the potential not only to revolutionise airport handling
operations at Paris CDG, but also at all airports and other industrial sites employing fleets of mobile units,” he enthuses.
AIRPORT WORLD/OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2010 AW 65
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