Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden (SBB)

A boost in sustainability for the Nordic’s largest real estate company

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Case Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden (SBB): A boost in sustainability for the Nordic’s largest real estate company

With the aim of becoming the most sustainable property company in the Nordics, SBB turned to iLOQ for a digital locking solution that would simplify access management.

The Nordic’s largest real estate company for residential and social infrastructure chooses battery-free digital locking to boost sustainability.

Founded in 2016 to address the housing shortage in Sweden, the Samhällsbyggnadsbolaget i Norden (SBB) owns and manages rent-regulated residential housing and develops social infrastructure properties in conjunction with municipalities. SBB’s property portfolio consists of some 1,600 modern and sustainable buildings across the Nordic region.

Modernizing locking systems

Each SBB locality, which can include a number of properties, forms a limited company. Until 2020, these all had mechanical locking systems chosen locally. In total, there were between 30 to 50 different locking systems in use at SBB. This made access management inefficient and even troublesome. When, for example, keys were lost, which is not uncommon, this would inconvenience builders, tenants and property managers, but also incur costs for new locks, new keys and service expenses. With the aim of becoming the most sustainable property company in the Nordics, SBB turned to iLOQ for a digital locking solution that would simplify access management.

“We are very satisfied with the iLOQ system and technology. The conversion from mechanical locking to digital access management has been painless. We intend to continue to replace mechanical locks with iLOQ’s solution until we are fully digital,” states Jan Kans Technical Manager for the northern region, SBB.

Standardized access management, with a sustainable solution

SBB chose iLOQ’s battery-free digital access management solution. The iLOQ 5 series, brought to the market in 2020, is a highly intelligent solution that requires no batteries or cables. The power needed to confirm access rights and open locks comes from the motion of inserting the key into the lock. SBB began testing the iLOQ 5 series in Sweden in 2020 and have decided to convert their entire property portfolio to digital locking. In collaboration with Göthes Säkerhet, a master access management system was developed for SBB. With iLOQ’s solution, access rights can be centrally managed and updated through an easy-to-use software platform. For SBB the transition from mechanical locking to digital access management will be ongoing for a number of years; converting premises as resources allow. Eventually, the total number of SBB properties with the iLOQ 5 series locking system will run to thousands.

Getting things in proper order

When converting from mechanical locking to digital access management, the most important thing is good planning. To ensure a successful outcome, iLOQ collaborated closely with Göthes Säkerhet who designed their master solution with great skill and care. With one master system for the entire property portfolio, SBB gets a total overview of access management: a simple management process, full transparency into costs and higher security. The quality and the sustainability of the locking system is assured with future-forward technologies. As iLOQ systems require hardly any maintenance, the system’s lifecycle costs remain surprisingly low. The operating costs are reduced even further when there is no need to change lock cylinders or the entire locking system whenever individual keys are lost. Access rights to lost keys are easy to cancel with new keys issued in a matter of minutes to ensure a smooth user experience. When it comes to secure locking and sustainable access management at SBB, things are now in good order.

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