Midlands Enterprise Awards 2020

38 | Midlands Enterprise Awards 2020 Sep20335 Best Identity & Access Control Solutions Provider - East Midlands Established in 1998, ID Card Centre is a Northampton-based company run by Ben and Nicola, that provides innovative access control solutions, smartcards, ID and name badge production services, badge or card printers and consumables, accessories and related technical services. Having been in business for more than twenty years, this family-run enterprise is now a trusted supplier of honest and independent advice for all identity and access control requirements. As one of only two ISO9001:2015 accredited companies in its market, ID Card Centre boasts an unparalleled range of technical services. The team of experienced consultants provide expertise to organisations that rely on their access control, ID badge or card provision, such as universities, hospitals, hotels, events and festival managers, retailers and many more besides. ID Card Centre acknowledges the high standards and accountability their services have compared to organisations that subcontract their technical services. ID Card Centre is therefore a trusted, knowledgeable supplier, and the regular recipient of positive feedback and referrals. Their customer service is second to none, despite primarily being an e-business. The cause-before-profit lines of business have gained tremendous recognition for this forward- thinking team. Ben and Nicola only recruit people who share and support their strong business ethics and vision to help improve their community and protect the environment. For example, their ICEtags are an exclusive range of tiny, affordable cards that contain medical information and emergency contact details. In addition, many of the ID Card Centre team feel strongly about the local homeless community and as such have leveraged the company’s position to work with individuals to help turn their lives around. ID Card Centre was the first to launch an incentivised, secure recycling service in the ID card/access control field in response to data protection regulations and the plastic pollution crisis, an issue that is very close to both Ben and Nicola’s hearts. Smartcard technology already means that cards can be multifunctional. Access control, cashless catering, printing, library and many other on-account services can be handled by a single card. If it is lost, it can immediately be deactivated online, and self-service ID card- printing booths means producing a replacement becomes super-easy. The centre expects that more campuses will adopt multifunctional cards that also contain rewrite panels, to reduce plastic waste. Covid-19 is also playing a major role in how the centre is adapting its offering, as it sees institutions using technology to aid social distancing, hygiene and the efficiency of new related practices. ID Card Centre donated ID badges to a local hospital so that patients can still connect with a smiling face when the medical staff’s faces are obscured by PPE. The centre has also expanded their access control solutions with technologies that automatically detect masks and high temperatures in entrances. To assist the NHS Test and Trace service, the centre’s visitor management software, various ID cards and access control systems provide all the information required by those tracking down people who have been in direct contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. Looking ahead, it is likely that infection prevention will continue to be a point of consideration in the products and services offered by ID Card Centre. They will also adopt and offer new innovations that reduce the environmental impact of access control systems and membership and ID card production. Ben and Nicola will continue to develop ID Card Centre as a family-friendly employer. They have fostered a supportive working environment, that encourages staff development through courses and shadowing. As such, everyone is made to feel a part of this close-knit team, nobody is left out. Everyone contributes by helping to identify new opportunities so that the company as a unit can grow and continually evolve to maintain its competitive edge. In return, Ben and Nicola support flourishing younger members of staff in designing succession plans, so that ID Card Centre can look forward to a long future of serving its community. Contact: Nicola O’Brien Company: ID Card Centre Ltd Web Address: www.idcardcentre.co.uk ID Card Centre is a leading supplier of access control solutions, innovative ID and name badge production services, smartcards and much more besides. A family-run business that has been operating since 1998, ID Card Centre has become a trusted provider of honest, well-informed advice on all identity and access control requirements. We spoke to Ben and Nicola O’Brien to find out more about their work and how they are using their resources to serve the community of the Midlands and beyond.