Top 8 Reasons Your Business Needs an Access Control System

By Randy Mann

05/10/18 · Last Updated 05/10/18 ·

4

minutes to read

Building security is a common concern for businesses. And yet, many business owners may not realize they need or value of an access control system.

Oftentimes, business owners recognize they have access problems and they want to make their lives easier. But what they might not realize is that the answer often lies in access control.

Why Businesses Need an Access Control System

So, how do you know if you need an access control system? Here are some of the most common reasons Nashville businesses call us looking for help with access control:

1. People can access the building without your knowledge.

Although this doesn’t sound like a big deal, you might not want your employees, customers or vendors to be able to enter the building at any time. Unmonitored activity inside your business can lead to all sorts of issues.

We often hear from business owners who are frustrated because employees were entering the building on the nights or weekends without their knowledge, which can lead to all sorts of issues, especially the next item.

2. Reduce employee theft.

No one wants to think their employees will steal from them. And yet, statistics show that 75 percent of employees will steal from their employer at least once.

Although access control can’t completely prevent theft, it can definitely hinder it by prohibiting employees from accessing the building during off-hours or outside of their shifts.

3. Overcome employee negligence.

Although no one means to forget to lock doors, it happens to the best of us. The problem is that it can put your employees, property and assets at risk. Relying on people’s memory for such an important task as locking doors at night or on the weekends can hamstring your company’s security efforts.

4. Prevent employees from getting locked out.

On the flip side of the coin, businesses without access control systems in place struggle with employees being able to enter the building when needed.

Maybe an employee arrived to work early and has to wait on someone with a key to unlock the facility. Or perhaps an employee ran out to their car to get something and found that the door was locked when she wanted to get back in the building. This kind of issue can be both frustrating and time consuming for your team and management.

5. Rekeying doors is expensive.

Whether someone lost her keys or an employee was fired and you didn’t give the keys back, you need to rekey the doors to keep your business safe. The downside is that routinely rekeying the doors to your business can cost you.

Not only can rekeying doors be expensive, but it can also be a hassle to redistribute keys to the right team members.

6. Better tracking.

Sometimes, employers want to get a better handle on who is accessing the building and when. For instance, a manager might want to know if an employee is habitually late to work. Or perhaps you’re struggling with employee theft on the weekend and you want to know who was working during that time.

Access control can give you better data about when and where people are entering your facility and how they are using it.

7. Control entry to various parts of the building.

If your facility has offices or rooms with sensitive information, you might not want your entire workforce to have access to them. Or perhaps you don’t want all of your employees to access the supply room.

Either way, access control can help you make certain areas of your business off-limits.

8. Increased automation.

Many businesses call us because they want their doors to automatically open at 9 a.m. and lock at 5 p.m. Taking this basic measure can reduce hassle and heartache for many business owners.

And if you want to take it a step further, you can tie in your lights and temperature into your access control system. That way lighting, heating, and air can turn on at designated times when employees and customers are in various parts of your facility. This level of automation can make things simpler for your business while also reducing energy costs.

How Access Control Sytems Can Help Your Business

So, how can an access control system help?

Essentially, an access control system is a security measure used to regulate entry into your facility. Access control systems allow you to restrict who enters your building, where they can go in the building and what times they are allowed to go there.

The solutions will vary depending on your specific needs, but access control can help you build layers of security around your business. For instance, you can add gates to secure the perimeter of your business. Then, you can further secure your building with front door card access. And, then you can even make floors, suites or even individual offices restricted to certain individuals and at designed times.

The best way to determine exactly what you need is through a thorough site assessment. A good security integrator will be able to spot your needs and help you design a customized access control system that will improve your security and solve the issues you are facing in your business.

It’s time to simplify your life and improve your security. Access control can help you with both. Ready to get started? ACT can help. Click here to get your free site assessment today.

When planning for security, building owners and operators need to find a way to address risks and protect against vulnerabilities, all while staying within their budget and not inconveniencing their teams or users. So, why is access control important in this goal?

Security is the main reason why access control is important. Its aim is to protect a building and its occupants, data and assets by reducing the risk of unauthorized intrusion, while making access convenient for authorized users and approved visitors. 

These techniques can provide other important benefits, too. In this article, you’ll learn the top five reasons why access control is important for building security.