Four Facilities, One Secure Manufacturing Campus
Walkinshaw Group, Metro Group & ICT
- ICT Partner: Metro Group
- Victoria, Australia
- Automotive Manufacturing
- Protege GX
When Walkinshaw Group set out to consolidate multiple manufacturing facilities into a single purpose-built automotive production campus, security was a critical component of the vision.
The new 106,000-square-metre facility in Victoria would bring together vehicle production, warehousing, engineering, research and development, and corporate operations under one roof. It would also house multiple vehicle programs, engineering teams, and specialised operations that required strict separation, visibility, and control.
To secure the site, Walkinshaw partnered with long-time technology and security partner Metro Group to design and deploy a scalable, enterprise-grade security solution built around ICT's Protege GX platform.
The result is one of Australia's most advanced automotive manufacturing facilities, delivering centralised security management, compartmentalised access control, and a foundation for future innovation and automation.
Project Highlights
- Four facilities consolidated into one purpose-built manufacturing campus
- 116 access-controlled doors managed from a single Protege GX platform
- Around 145 CCTV cameras integrated through NX Witness for full site coverage
- 140-plus engineers working in R&D areas locked down with strict, approval-based access
- Zero outages reported since handover
“We want to keep challenging the norms. Can we do things better? Can we make things smarter? We want partners who help us push the boundaries of what's possible.”
Lee Webster — Head of IT, Walkinshaw Group
The Challenge
Walkinshaw's growth had outpaced its existing facilities.
Consolidating four production lines onto one site meant more than putting everyone under one roof. It meant keeping competing vehicle programs apart, protecting unreleased R&D, and running the whole campus from one centralised view.
"We had several sites scattered across Victoria and the idea was to build one super site to consolidate four production lines under one roof and get everybody together," said Lee Webster, Head of IT at Walkinshaw Group.
Metro Group — a trusted partnership
Walkinshaw turned to Metro Group, a technology partner that has supported the business for nearly 25 years. "We've had Walkinshaw on Metro's books for 25 years," says Shane Franklin, Managing Director of Metro Group. "We've worked with them since they were a business of around 100 staff. Today they have more than 1,200 employees."
Metro Group came in at the concept stage, well before construction began. "We completed the fibre design, Wi-Fi design, data network design, security design, CCTV design, integration and commissioning," Franklin says. "We worked alongside Walkinshaw throughout the entire process."
The Solution
The new 106,000-square-metre campus houses multiple vehicle programs running side by side for several automotive brands, plus a 140-plus person engineering and R&D team developing unreleased vehicle programs and protecting proprietary IP. The solution provides centralised oversight across the whole site, with strict separation between competing programs and production lines that couldn't be allowed to cross paths.
Each of the four production lines runs on its own independent security, CCTV, access control and network, while Protege GX keeps all of it unified under one centralised view. "Each line is configured independently," Webster said. "It's got its own security, CCTV, access control and network, so it can operate independently while still being under the same roof."
A proven platform
Metro Group built the security foundation around ICT's Protege GX platform, deploying 116 access-controlled doors across 11 controllers, integrated with approximately 145 CCTV cameras through NX Witness, mobile credentials and 24/7 guardhouse monitoring. The same compartmentalised approach locks down the engineering and R&D areas, where access requires approval and sign-off before anyone can enter.
Walkinshaw had already run ICT solutions across its other sites for more than a decade, so extending Protege GX to a campus two to three times larger wasn't a gamble. "It had already proven itself at our other sites, so it was a logical move for us," Webster said.
“They've got 144 dedicated engineers developing new vehicles and testing conversion programs. It's top secret work. The security system allows them to compartmentalise access and maintain strict control over who can access different areas.”
Shane Franklin — Managing Director, Metro Group
The Outcome
Metro Group delivered a single, unified security platform across one of the largest manufacturing facilities it has taken on. Thousands of employees, contractors and visitors move through the campus every day, competing vehicle programs stay separated, and the engineering and R&D areas stay locked down behind approval-based access, all managed from one centralised view.
“We haven’t had any outages. We haven’t had any issues,” says Shane Franklin, Managing Director of Metro Group. “We’ve simply taken a proven platform — Protege GX — and scaled it across one of the largest manufacturing facilities we’ve delivered.”
“We've got thousands of people going in and out every day and the system isn't struggling. It's running well.”
Lee Webster — Head of IT, Walkinshaw Group
Project Results
Centralised Operations
Four separate facilities consolidated into one purpose-built manufacturing campus.
Enterprise Security
116 access-controlled doors and approximately 145 integrated cameras providing comprehensive site coverage.
Secure Innovation
Highly restricted engineering and R&D environments protecting future vehicle programs and intellectual property.
Operational Flexibility
Independent security controls for multiple production lines and business units operating within the same facility.
Proven Reliability
Thousands of daily users supported by a platform that has delivered consistent performance across multiple Walkinshaw facilities for more than a decade.
Future-Ready Foundation
Infrastructure in place to support automation, mobile credentials, advanced integrations, and future security enhancements.
On site
Products & Services Deployed
Protege GXThe unified access control, intruder detection and building automation platform behind the campus. One interface manages 116 doors across 11 controllers, with each production line configured independently under a single centralised view.
NX Witness IntegrationApproximately 145 cameras tie directly into Protege GX, so an access event and its footage sit side by side. Operators verify what happened at a door without switching between two separate systems.
Mobile CredentialsStaff and contractors carry their credential on the phone they already have. Credentials are issued and revoked remotely, which matters on a site where thousands of people move through every day.
TSL Card ReadersReader hardware across the campus, from the perimeter gate pedestal to units recessed into the corporate fit-out. Encrypted and tamper-monitored, specified for both the production floor and front of house.
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