How Access Control Can Help Your Business

Many businesses in the Clarkston, GA region already employ electronic access control systems to protect their property from unauthorized access. This includes businesses from many different types of industries, including large shopping centers, medical facilities, and restaurants. Any time you want to limit access to certain parts of your commercial property, access control can be the perfect solution. Security is one of the most important concerns you should focus on when running your business.

While lock and key access systems have always been popular, in recent years, electronic access systems have dominated the market of secure. There are many reasons for this change, including more convenient systems, lower price points, more features, and better technology. While an access control system is an investment for your business, it’s one of the bests you can make considering the payoff in security protection. By optimizing your commercial property’s security, you’ll ensure that your hard work, assets, and employees are protected for many years to come.

A locksmith can assist you in determining what type of access control would best benefit your business and fit your budget. An access control system can be as simple as protecting a few door locks with keypads or as complicated as running a large, 100+ employee establishment on one secure system. For now, read on for more information to familiarize yourself with access control systems, and to learn how they could potentially enhance your business’s security.

Types of Access Control

Different types of access control exist to suit the needs and specifications of a variety of businesses. Each has their pros and cons, as well as specific features that should be taken into consideration when attempting to choose the right one for your commercial property. All types of access control have one goal in common, which is to restrict access to a building or specifically designed areas of a building to those with the appropriate credentials. The type of control system refers to the type of credentials used to operate it.

Other Biometric Entry Systems:

• Keypad Locks: Keypad locks feature a 10-digit keypad interface into which the person inputs a unique number, such as an employee ID number or pin code.
• Key Card Readers: Key card readers are used by swiping or scanning a card with the employee’s information encoded onto it. Many hospitals and hotels, as well as shopping centers, use key card readers due to the convenient ability to provide many employees with cards and to connect many doors with different access levels to the same system.
• Alarmed Systems: These are usually restricted to certain types of emergency exits or off-limits areas. The door is equipped with a door alarm in case the door is accessed without proper authorization. These can usually be programmed so that the alarm functions during certain times and is deactivated during others.
• Fingerprint Scanners: Fingerprint scanners use each authorized person’s unique fingerprint as an electronic key. As such, fingerprint scanners are extremely secure and effective at preventing an area against unauthorized entry.
• Other Biometric Entry Systems: Fingerprint scanners are one type of access control system in a category known as biometric entry systems. Others in this category are retinal scanners and facial recognition scanners.

When considering an access control system, you want to take into account all the potential factors that go into one, including those listed above, as well as who will be accessing certain areas, how much monitoring you’ll want to have done, and how you’ll want that monitoring handled.

Why Your Business Needs Access Control

Access control has been adopted by numerous businesses from all different industries because of the many benefits it can provide those businesses. Access control increases your commercial property’s security significantly over traditional door locks. While some very small businesses with only a few employees that are low-risk may not need an access control system, the vast majority of businesses would benefit greatly from adopting an access control system. The bigger the business or the more business it does on a daily basis, the more essential access control is. Access control allows you to easily manage the privileges of a large staff of people.

Access control is crucial because it allows you to not only restrict access of your property to only authorized employees, but also to track activity on your commercial property. It’s imperative not to ignore the potential for criminal activity on your property. Thefts, burglaries, and other criminal activities are an unfortunate reality of today’s world. Protecting confidential information and restricting access to sensitive materials is also a critical part of running some businesses. An access control system can greatly assist you in giving your commercial property the optimal protection it needs to thrive in the marketplace, whatever industry it may be a part of.

Using an Access Control System

An access control system has a database that can be programmed to allow access for only certain members of your staff to use different doors. All the access control panels are linked to the same system. Some more complex access control systems can be programmed to grant or deny access to a door depending on times, such as during business hours. Most access control systems are convenient to use and easy to program depending on the credentials you need to give. If you have a high turnover of employees, this can be very convenient.

When the wrong information is entered, or the person trying to open the door doesn’t have the right access level, access will be denied. Some access control systems have monitoring features that allow you to track all comings and goings from your controlled points, including whose credentials were used and at what times, as well as noting any times that access was denied. Usually, there is a light or a tone that signifies whether access is given or not.