Aurora Cannabis Inc.

The challenge

Aurora Cannabis Inc. (Aurora) is a global leader in the cannabis industry serving both the medical and consumer markets. Headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta, Aurora is a pioneer in global cannabis dedicated to helping people improve their lives. With previous security systems coming to end of life, Aurora had an opportunity to consolidate and standardize.

To manage this process, Aurora brought on Mike Soberal as their Senior Director of Corporate Security who has over 30 years' of experience in the security industry, and took charge of searching for the ideal access control solution. Soberal and his team created a comprehensive document to vet competing systems. Included in this were several mandatory requirements, such as simple user interface, alarm and video management integrations, and the ability to comply with presence management requirements across multiple facilities.

Furthermore, Health Canada requires that cannabis companies produce reports of a Security Cleared Individual’s (SCI) presence aligned with video documentation. To comply with this regulation, Aurora needed a complete data synchronicity system that included cardholder, event, and configuration data. In addition, they required their solution to have the ability to configure reports in real-time or by set schedules, available from all locations.

Why Gallagher

Gallagher met every requirement outlined by the vetting document Soberal and his team created. “Gallagher hit every mark and truly exceeded our expectations in ways we had no idea was possible,” says Soberal.

Presence management and alarm integration provide Aurora the ability to track SCI’s and visitors alike, while alerting relevant individuals of system events. Gallagher’s Milestone XProtect® integration backs presence management data with video authentication. The system also has an automated report generator with customized real-time and scheduled reports sent out through various methods. These solutions provide Aurora the ability to meet all security regulations required by Health Canada.

When asked to describe the transition process, Soberal described it as: “The smoothest installation and every one of the guards and managers put in front of Command Centre were blown away.” From curb to core, Aurora standardized their security solution while meeting Health Canada regulations across multiple facilities.

Soberal described his pleasure in working with Gallagher’s technical support team and processes. “The customer service experience we received was awesome. You didn’t need to be at a specific level to solve a problem. There was a situation at an outdoor facility and Gallagher worked the problem through in 10 minutes. It is brilliant!”