Management is key

Depending on the size of the property, keys are everywhere and there usually is plenty of them. From electrical rooms, storage cabinets, low traffic doors to vehicles and remote site locks everything has a key and requires the safe-keeping of these keys. With a key management solution, exactly that is possible. Specific keys can be assigned to specific cardholders, ensuring they cannot operate a vehicle they are not certified to or enter areas that they are not authorized to access.

The beauty of key management is that it can be entirely rule based, for example expiring the users access rights for a specific vehicles key upon the expiration of their certification for the operation of said vehicle. It also creates an audit track of who signed the last key out and allowing for certain tracking of the keys in the event they are not returned.

Through a full integration with and access control system, a key management system is easy to administer and does not require additional credentials to be operated. The same card, fingerprint or PIN used for access throughout the building, will allow access into the key management enclosure as well. Managing keys allows for process management, as well as control over access and equipment operation. Lockout/Tag out procedures can be further strengthened with a key management solution by ensuring the keys can only be checked out by qualified personnel. Now the solution not only reduces the risk to the facility but also the on-site personnel.

With the dawn of smart keys, our key management solutions have a full integration, allowing the full audit log of the key to be downloaded and entered into the access control system automatically. It also charges the key and can re-assign access based on the person that is signing the key out. This can all seamlessly work in the background, again, minimizing workload and maximizing management potential for the entire key system throughout the building.

The key management solutions can be taken a step further with fully managed locker systems. These lockers work on the same principle, only allowing access based on the assigned profile to the person. Lockers can be taken a step further by monitoring their contents and ensuring personnel has checked out all necessary equipment required to access the facility. Only then will their credential activate to be able to access the facility or restricted area.

These solutions protect equipment and the premises, while greatly reducing the risks for human error throughout the facility at the same time. Safety and security should be a priority and by managing keys and equipment storage for the entire organization, both areas are further protected from the every day risks.