Are You Getting The Most Out Of Your Access Control System?

If you’ve got an access control system in place on your business’s premises, it’s important to ensure you’re getting the most out of it. A good system can be costly to implement, and if you’re going to invest that money, you’ll want to get the most out of it.

So what can be done to improve your access control system and get the most out of it each and every day? We’re going to answer that question today by giving you 6 useful tips and pieces of advice that’ll serve you and your access control system well.

1. Understand Your Physical Risks First

If you’re going to put in place an appropriate and effective access control system, you first need to understand the kinds of physical risks that might be present. What are you trying to prevent and protect against by putting the access control system in place to begin with?

That’s the question you need to be able to answer before you can create the system that’s going to be right for you. Each organization is different and will have a different set of needs and priorities, so this is something only you can think about and find answers to.

2. Make Sure You Have Strong Physical Barriers

Having good physical barriers in place that stop people who don’t have authorization to enter your premises from doing so is certainly important. That first line of defense needs to be effective. Things such as gates, high hedges and fences can all play their part.

Even good landscaping creates a physical barrier between the street and your building. Strong windows and doors with good locking systems are all vital physical barriers as well, and you should certainly make sure that you have these in place before going any further.

3. Add Door Readers

Door readers are the cornerstone of just about every access control system that you could possibly put in place. They allow authorized personnel and authorized personnel only to gain access to the building. This is usually done via some sort of card or fob system.

These systems mean that the door is locked to everyone who doesn’t have a card or fob to let them in, ensuring people who shouldn’t be there can’t even get through the door. Of course, a buzzer system can be used to let in scheduled visitors and the like.

4. Make Sure All of Your Employees Are Set Up with Phone Credentials

For employees who are going to need to come and go from the building very regularly, it might not be the best idea to give cards and fobs to get in and out. Those things can get lost or forgotten pretty easily, and that only leads to a whole host of other problems.

That’s why you should get all of your employees set up with phone credentials, allowing them to get in and out of the building with the use of their smartphones. It’s a much more advanced and streamlined way to manage entry to your buildings and it makes sense for employees to have this option.

5. Use a Visitor Management System

A good visitor management system will help you to track in real time who’s coming in and out of the building. Of course, you know employees come and go, but it’s more important to track visitors closely in terms of when they arrive and leave.

You want to know who is in the building at any one time in case something happens, such as an emergency and you need to evacuate. Or if something goes missing and you need to explore legal investigative avenues to understand who may be responsible.

6. Pair Your Access Control System with a Good Video Management System

Finally, you should think about pairing your access control system with a good video management system. That way, you’ll be able to not only control access but also ensure movement in and out of the building is recorded in case it needs to be looked back upon at a later date.

Linking these different systems together will result in a more comprehensive and effective approach to security overall, and that’s what this is all about after all.

As you can see, there’s a range of different steps that can be taken to improve your access control system if you currently feel that it’s lacking. Identify which of the ideas above are going to be most effective for you and then work to put them into action.