Uhlmann & Zacher develops, produces and distributes electronic locking systems. The company offers customers everything that belongs to a modern digital access organization, from electronic locking cylinders, door handles and wall mounted readers to the associated software and the appropriate infrastructure.
Interview with Sven Teichmann, Business Development Manager at Uhlmann & Zacher.
Price: tell us something about the costs from a ROI perspective?
Sven Teichmann: With the basic idea of replacing an analog locking system with an electronic one, the initial additional costs are offset over time. This is mainly due to the fact that there are practically no longer any key losses, because lost transponders are simply blocked in the system and a new one is handed over.
Furthermore, this way you have much greater flexibility when making changes. If something changes in a traditional system, the investment will be higher over time. Investing in an electronic locking system is an investment to the future for providing flexibility and ease to manage.
What about the costs for maintenance / future upgrades etc.
S.T: At Uhlmann & Zacher there are no costs at the moment for future FW upgrades. When it comes to maintenance, our locking units need the typical maintainance like a normal door. Basically the units require a battery change after defined battery life time and in relation to the usecase.
Quality: tell us something about the quality behind your products / solutions.
S.T: When it comes to quality, it is definitely worth mentioning that we produce in our headquarter near Wuerzburg (Northern Bavaria) in Germany. We have controlled and automated / partially automated production processes, but there is still a lot of manual work behind our products.
With regard to the topic solutions, we are customer-oriented and respond particularly to customer-specific requests as far as possible.
Characteristics: what important features should clients search and what features do your products / solutions offer?
S.T: The most important thing customers should pay attention to is the flexibility that an electronic locking system offers.
The retrofit topic should also be mentioned here: The idea behind our stuff is that your existing mechanical system can be quickly and easily converted to an electronic one. This is ensured by the fact that our electronic locking units can be used in almost any door.
Functionality: tell us something about ease of use, integration with other solutions or other innovative features of your products / solutions?
S.T: With regard to the ease of use, it should be said that our products are totally simple because you present a credential in front of the unit and in case you have the according access rights the door will unlock. Our products are also compatible with all mobile devices. That means in addition to typical transponders, the knobs and handles can also be opened with a smartphone or tablet.
Another important topic is integration: With the Clex public system, we have a product line that can be integrated practically anywhere, into any system. Therefore, we offer different ways of integration. From very easy to highly engineered on a FW library level.
Comparison: what key features do your products / solutions have compared to others on the market?
S.T: It should definitely be mentioned here that our products are battery-operated and therefore work wirelessly! We also have a relatively long battery life.
We have our own, proprietary solution. However, we tend to take the approach that we can also go in integrated. In other words, a customer can completely control the behavior of our electronic locking units themselves by developing an own custom Firmware.
We are the ones who offer this integration most deeply. Our customers basically have all the options.
Another key feature that should be mentioned is that, despite partial automation in production, we still produce a lot by hand. Our locking units are not mass-produced products from the assembly line, but rather real manufactured products.
Feedback: what was the feedback from clients about your products / solutions?
S.T: The design comes first, our knobs and handles look really great! Our design fits very well into every door.
The service life should also be mentioned here. If a part works, it works. If our products are used as intended, they function reliably.
Are there any “buy-back”, upgrades or other opportunites available?
S.T: We have a very flexible and customer-oriented sales department. For example, if a system needs to be renewed, we will definitely find a solution.
They are also always interested in offering customers the latest.
What purchasing advice do you have for clients in your fields of activity?
S.T: It’s about quickly securing buildings electronically because of digitality. This means you have user management and can assign user structures.
We have a wide variety of customers and they in turn have a variety of reasons why they choose an electronic system.
Uhlmann & Zacher GmbH
Gutenbergstr. 2–4 97297 Waldbuettelbrunn, Germany