Say goodbye to keys

Access control systems are more than just a key replacement system. In fact, replacing keys is a secondary functionality of an access control system. The primary focus should be on the word access. Whether a building has several tenants or just a single company occupying the space, there will be people that should have access to certain areas and be denied access at other areas. Further, these roles could change over time and managing all of this with a traditional key system is not only tedious but also highly expensive.

That is where an access control system comes in. Access control does exactly what it says, control access through doors. Whether these doors are pedestrian doors, vehicle access doors or even loading bays, all doors can be protected. Where an access control solution excels are the additional features that come with the system, such as scheduling, assigning access on a per door basis and keeping an audit log of all activity.

In a traditional key-based setting, imagine the following scenario. One person quits their position, while another is promoted to another position on the same day. This would generally create some workload for whomever assigns keys and keeps track of them. Very worst case, the person that has vacated their position retains access to the building, because it was forgotten that they had a key. Additionally, the person that was promoted did not get their new key, because it has to be cut first or it also was not recognized that a key would need to be issued. This means a huge security risk and several hours wasted work-time to get the keys sorted out. Now, enter an access control system. As the HR software is updated with the promotion and quitting events, the access is automatically assigned and removed, consecutively. No manual action is required, no time is wasted and most of all no security risk is created.

Access control systems are a security tool, but also aid in convenience significantly. It allows for access through a door without fumbling for the correct key. It also protects the door at the same time from unauthorized access by monitoring the door status at any given time. Providing new access to a contractor or new member of the team is made easy via predefined access level templates and best of all, the access can be set to expire as the task at hand is completed.

In short, there are an infinite number of reasons why an access control system is the most logical solution for any higher traffic or high security door. Whether to simply keep an eye on the comings and goings or to further protect the premises, an access control system will save time and thus money for any organization.