The networked locking system of the future

• With the new business platform exivo, the company wants to take another step into the digital future: from product manufacturer to digital service provider 

• Zühlke accompanies dormakaba end-to-end, from idea generation to realisation 

• Thanks to "exivo", specialist partners can plan, sell, install and maintain digital access systems 

In the era of the Internet of Things (IoT), what will the business platform for access solutions look like? Zühlke accompanied dormakaba from the initial idea to the implementation of the new exivo platform. With exivo, dormakaba were one of the first in their market to exploit the opportunities that arise from connecting machines, manufacturers and customers. Thanks to “Access Control as a Service”, the company has entered into a new, long-term customer relationship with their partners and users. 

Customer Benefits

• First mover: With exivo, dormakaba were one of the first in their market to exploit IoT opportunities, and provided their customers with decisive added value.  
• Speed: Thanks to Zühlke‘s agile workflows and the efficient exchanges between all involved, the common vision was implemented quickly and on time. 
• IoT from a single source: Thanks to Zühlke‘s interdisciplinary teams with experts from the areas of business innovation, software engineering and UX. 
• Partners on equal terms: Thanks to the experience gained in over 8,000 projects, Zühlke was on top of the business case from start to finish, and dormakaba had an innovation partner on an equal footing.  
• Reduced project risks: Thanks to Zühlke, dormakaba was able to scale resources quickly and simply.  
• User experience: The iterative analysis enabled the rapid development of prototypes and created an optimal experience for both user groups. 

Reinventing access control

Who is allowed in? Who only conditionally? Who no longer? Businesses that want to secure buildings and know-how need reliable access solutions. dormakaba is a leading global provider of security and access solutions. With the new exivo business platform, the company wanted to take a further step towards the digital future: from a product manufacturer to a digital service provider. 

Zühlke was selected as the innovation and development partner for the new platform – a typical Internet of Things application connecting physical products, manufacturers, service partners and end customers with a cloud service. Thanks to «exivo», specialist partners are able to plan, sell, install and maintain digital access systems. The user-friendly system is easy to operate and monitor, allowing users to assign themselves access rights dynamically, for example. Zühlke supported dormakaba with all the necessary skills for a successful IoT project: innovation know-how, business expertise, engineering competence, user-experience design, and agile project management.

Secure and intuitive platform

Over 16,000 employees worldwide, years of experience, strong customer orientation: dormakaba is a leading global provider of security and access solutions. The company is active in the fields of security technology, locking technology, locking systems, and access control. The cornerstone of the exivo web solution is the Swisscom cloud. Customers and end users obtain the required functionality as a service («Access Control as a Service»). 

Two user groups, two requirements: For specialist partners, exivo is the simple planning and support tool which they use to offer systems to SMEs. For users, exivo is the digital locking system with which they manage the security of their buildings. Independently and without specialist support, they assign access rights or delete them again. For Zühlke a clear cut case: The IoT platform required the highest safety standards and a fully intuitive user experience. 

Achieving a solution with integrated IoT expertise

Without teamwork no IoT project succeeds. Zühlke accompanied the innovation process at exivo from A-Z, from idea generation to implementation. 

The result is the exivo platform: Simple, clear and powerful. Specialist partners can easily plan, configure, order and install the access system. Users can freely assign access rights or order service and maintenance work with additional functions. 

The agile approach and close collaboration between dormakaba, Swisscom and Zühlke were key to the project’s success. Interdisciplinary teams and Zühlke project management ensured efficient implementation. Experts from numerous areas such as business innovation, software engineering and user experience – including usability, prototyping and testing – as well as from visual and interaction design all pulled together. No matter if they were working on or off-site.