How to Decide If Your Business Needs an Access Control System

Whether your company is looking to expand, you’re moving to a new location, or you want a complete overhaul of your existing security system, having an access control system fitted is not as big a deal as you might think, and the long-term benefits are many and varied. However, if you’re unsure as to whether an access control system is right for you and your business, the following advice and guidance should help you come to a decision:

Ask yourself some important questions about your environment and doors before talking to a security expert, such as a commercial locksmith:

• What are the doors made of? Wood, metal or glass?
• What is the total number of doors you want to manage access for?
• How many floors are there in your office or building?
• Can you talk to a local door vendor about having new doors fitted with electronic access infrastructure?

Try your best to define your businesses access policies:

• Do you need the main door to your business to remain locked or open during working hours?
• How many people will need to access your business space?
• Do different employees/guests/visitors have different access requirements?

Try to define the full scope of the enhanced security project:

• How quickly do you need the access control system to be installed?
• What are your budgetary constraints, if any?
• Is it important what the system looks like? Does it need to match your existing security hardware?
• Who will you be putting in charge to manage the project? If it’s not you, be sure to delegate someone so that when the locksmiths arrive to do their work, they can gain access to relevant areas of your business.
• Do you have an IT manager to set up and manage the new access control system? If not, you’ll need to allocate one. 

Once you’ve conducted a thorough review of all the above points, you should be closer to being able to make a decision as to whether the cost and responsibility of having an access control system installed at your business, is worth it. For those of us who work within the security industry, we know that an access control system will quickly prove its worth and most businesses who have them installed, soon find themselves wondering how they managed without one before. However, the decision is ultimately, yours.

If you’d like further information about access control systems, and would like to have a qualified locksmith assess your business and its security needs, simply call up your local locksmith today, or drop in and seem them in-store.