Access control systems, as the name implies, control access to a resource, typically a door or series of doors within a building. By installing a door access control system, you can manage who is granted entry to your physical address and when they can come in and out. Access control solutions increase the safety of your facility and offer superior protection compared to traditional locks and keys.

Locks and keys have been used for decades, but when keys are lost or stolen, businesses bear the inconvenience and expense of changing locks and reissuing keys. Additionally, keyed entries come with their own unique risks — keyholders can easily create copies, resulting in additional security risks. On top of that, lockpicking can be easily learned, and keyed entry cannot be monitored or controlled. By comparison, a card reader or biometrics security system can offer a smarter and more secure option to physical locks.

Don’t leave your school or company’s security or your customers’ or employees’ safety to chance, merely hoping for the best.

Instead, reap the following benefits of an access control system:

• Audit trail– With an access control system, you’ll have a record of every opening and attempted opening of each door or physical address. That helps resolve employee issues like time and attendance disputes and allows business owners to have peace of mind regarding their facility’s safety during non-business hours.
• Time/day restrictions– Have employees that should only be there at certain times and days? If your business relies on janitorial staff or shift workers who only come in a few times a week, it makes more sense to restrict their access to those times than to give them a key that allows access at any time or day. An EAC system (electronic access control) can provide that selective access.
• Protection beyond doors– Traditional locks and keys typically only work for doors. Video surveillance can monitor premises. Advanced access control solutions can be integrated to work with other entry points such as gates, fences and other barriers. For example, businesses can utilize access control I.D. cards to allow employee access to parking garages in addition to doors.
• No more lost or stolen keys– When keys are lost, stolen or not returned by former employees, it is an expensive process to get a new lock for each door. But leaving them as-is creates a security risk. Modern access control solutions allow you to easily remove access by deactivating the I.D. badge or other security credentials for a physical address, in turn saving your business time and money and preventing losses.
• Remote access control– Many access control systems allow for control of all the business’s locks from one main system. With these systems, you can easily and quickly lock down your business, as well as add or remove credentials, in an emergency.
• Event notification– The access control system can send email or text notifications when a particular event occurs, such as a door being propped open or an invalid or unusual credential attempt.
• Alarm integration– Many access control solutions can be integrated into existing life safety systems such as fire alarms and intrusion alarms. In the event of a fire, remote access control solutions can unlock all doors to allow for evacuation. In the event of an intrusion, access control systems can be programmed to lockdown certain areas within facilities, offering protection to building occupants.