Dispute process: obtaining access to a site

Access to a zencontrol site should normally be provided by the current site owner.

If you need access to a site, your first step should be to contact the current site owner directly and ask them to add you. This is the preferred and fastest way to obtain access.

If you are the building owner, property manager, facilities manager, or authorised representative of the site, you should instruct the current site owner to add the required person, integrator, contractor, or service provider.

First step: contact the current site owner

Before raising a dispute with zencontrol, the requesting party should make reasonable attempts to obtain access directly from the current site owner.

This may include asking the current site owner to:

• Add you to the site
• Add a new integrator or contractor
• Change the site owner
• Add the building owner, property manager, or facilities manager as a site owner
• Remove access for parties that are no longer authorised

In most cases, this should resolve the issue without zencontrol needing to intervene.

When can zencontrol intervene?

zencontrol may be able to intervene where access cannot be obtained directly from the current site owner.

This process is only intended for situations where there is a genuine access or ownership dispute. It is not the standard method for adding users to a site. Access is controlled by the site owner and may be subject to their contractual obligations to their customer.

zencontrol does not act as the arbitrator and may refuse to provide site access at its discretion

Because site access may involve secure building information, control systems, operational data, and customer records, zencontrol must complete appropriate checks before any change can be considered.

Raising a site access dispute

To dispute ownership or request intervention, you must create a support ticket through the zencontrol support website.

This must be done directly and not through a third party, as zencontrol needs to establish a clear chain of trust and verification. The best approach is for the integrator requesting access to contact zencontrol directly using the email address they have set up and verified with zencontrol. They should also forward all correspondence with the client or customer directly to zencontrol, including the client’s or customer’s contact details, as zencontrol may need to contact them directly. This is required to verify that the request is genuine and that the client or customer has the correct authority to approve access.

The support ticket must include:

• The site name
• The site location
• The reason access is being requested
• The party requesting access
• The relationship of the requesting party to the site
• Evidence that supports the request

The site name and location must match zencontrol’s records.

Evidence required

A request for access must include just cause.

Just cause may include, but is not limited to:

• A letter from the physical building owner
• An email from the building owner or facilities manager
• Written authority from the property manager
• Evidence that the requester is responsible for managing the site
• Evidence that the current site owner is no longer authorised to control access
• Other documents showing that access should be changed

zencontrol typically considers the physical owner of the site, facilities manager, building owner, or authorised property manager to be the party responsible for determining who should have access.

Requests that may fail

A request for access may fail if zencontrol cannot verify the request.

This may occur where:

• The request cannot be verified
• The requester has not contacted zencontrol directly
• zencontrol cannot establish a clear chain of trust
• The requester is not contactable
• The site name or location does not match zencontrol’s records
• The requester cannot provide sufficient evidence of authority
• The current site owner raises a valid dispute
• There are unresolved contractual, warranty, security, defects and liability period (DLP), or non-payment issues

Email chains forwarded by other parties may not be sufficient on their own. The requesting party must contact zencontrol directly so that zencontrol can establish a reliable chain of trust.

What happens after a dispute is raised?

Once a dispute is raised, zencontrol will review the information provided.

If the request appears valid, zencontrol will contact the current site owner on behalf of the requester and ask them to respond to the access or ownership request.

The current site owner may respond in one of the following ways:

• Allow access
• Add the requested person or organisation to the site
• Transfer ownership
• Remove the control system or systems from their site
• Dispute the change
• Not respond within the required response period

Current site owner response period

The current site owner will normally be given 14 days to respond.

If the current site owner does not respond within 14 days, zencontrol may grant access where the request has been verified and the evidence provided is sufficient.

This is an account recovery process and, due to commercial and security requirements, it must follow the correct due diligence process. In some disputes, zencontrol does not act as the arbitrator and may refuse to provide site access at its discretion. Access is controlled by the site owner and may be subject to their contractual obligations to their customer.

If the current site owner disputes the request

The current site owner may dispute the request.

A dispute may be raised for reasons including, but not limited to:

• Outstanding invoices
• Contractual obligations
• Warranty obligations
• Active maintenance or support agreements
• Data loss prevention requirements
• Security concerns
• Legal or commercial disputes
• Responsibility for the performance or compliance of the system

If the current site owner disputes the change, they must provide a written response explaining the reason for the dispute.

This response may be provided to the claimant so that the relevant parties can resolve the matter directly.

When zencontrol cannot grant access

If zencontrol determines that the reason for the dispute is valid, zencontrol cannot grant access until the dispute is resolved.

zencontrol cannot override valid commercial, contractual, legal, security, warranty, or data loss prevention concerns without the required authority or conditions being satisfied.

Important security note

Site access is a serious security matter.

A zencontrol site may contain information and controls relating to a live building or facility. For this reason, zencontrol must verify the identity, authority, and reason for access before making any change.

The dispute process is a last resort and should only be used when access cannot be obtained directly from the current site owner.

Summary

The correct process for obtaining access is:

1. Contact the current site owner directly.
2. Ask the current site owner to add the required person or organisation.
3. If you are the building owner, property manager, or facilities manager, instruct the current site owner to add the required party.
4. If access cannot be obtained, raise a support ticket with zencontrol.
5. Provide the site name, site location, reason for access, and evidence of authority.
6. zencontrol will review the request and contact the current site owner where appropriate.
7. If the current site owner disputes the request and the dispute is valid, access cannot be granted until the dispute is resolved.