A Cutting-Edge Office & Lab Facility – Security Meets Convenience
TÜV SÜD has moved into a new location in Singapore. Security and conference systems from Bosch are making it a great place to work
The new TÜV SÜD office in Singapore is a state-of-the-art building with a floor area of 18,900 square meters spread over seven stories. Although the opening won't be celebrated until fall, the approximately 600 employees have already moved in. TÜV SÜD is a global safety and quality assurance service company active in the testing, inspection and certification (TIC) sector, with around 1,000 offices worldwide. The new building houses over 60 labs as well as a Digital Service Center of Excellence undertaking pilot projects in support of the Singapore Smart Nation initiative. The experts working there promote the development, incubation and market launch of innovative projects with partners in the public and private sectors. The new building in the city state is the company's largest-ever investment outside of TÜV SÜD's headquarters in Munich. It is fitted out with cutting-edge security systems as well as audio and conference systems, all of which were planned and installed between September 2019 and November 2020.
Every TÜV SÜD employee can use their smartphone to access the building.
Access cards replaced by an app
Bosch technology ensures convenience and security as soon as employees enter the building. They no longer require an access card to enter the building, and instead simply use an app installed on their smartphones. The Bosch team has installed the eVisitor management system, which is its very latest access control system. The system uses near-field communication (NFC) as an interface, which is a wireless technology that is used to transfer data over short ranges – in this case between smartphones and the receiver in the front door. Every TÜV SÜD employee can use their smartphone to access the building. All that is a security clearance and a special app.
Well-connected in web meetings
Video conferences are becoming increasingly important in daily business. This is why the new TÜV SÜD building in Singapore has ten conference rooms all equipped with screens and webcams. Bosch provided the technology used to connect the rooms, and installed a state-of-the-art reservation system. “It's very easy for employees to reserve the conference rooms using their email program, or use the tablets located at the respective rooms to sign up for spontaneous meetings,” says Joel Sua, Project Manager at Bosch. The ten conference rooms feature wireless connections, making them even more convenient. If, for example, an employee enters a conference room with a laptop, the device is automatically connected to the large screen installed in the room.
Coordination using video clips
Bosch worked on the project with a team of around 15 associates. The biggest challenge proved to be the COVID-19 pandemic, which made face-to-face meetings and site visits with the customer impossible. Nonetheless, the Bosch team found a solution: It filmed the progress of installation work in the building with a video camera, and then discussed the recordings in web conferences with the customer. This allowed the project to be completed on time despite the complications.