Security Insights

What are the benefits of an access control system

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What are the benefits of an access control system

Preventing unauthorised access to a site helps protect premises and the people and assets within them, mostly from damage or theft.  At the same time, it may also act as a safety measure, preventing people from going near a potentially dangerous area or equipment.

This blog will cover:

  • Why is access control important?
  • What are the benefits of access control?
Access Control System infographic

Whilst a lock and key are the simplest and lowest cost form of access control and remains by far the most popular door security, it’s a low security and low-tech option.  Keys can be copied on any high street and locks are vulnerable to picking.  Furthermore, when you have a large number of people and a large number of locked doors, key management becomes challenging to say the least.

There are so many access control systems on the market, with an even wider selection of features and functions. At the bottom end of the market, you have basic keypad systems requiring users to enter a PIN number and swipe card systems where you swipe a plastic card with a barcode through a reader. Other solutions include proximity systems, where you present a card, tag or RFID technology at a reader without needing to touch it.

What Are the Benefits of an Access Control System?

  1. Protection - by preventing unauthorised access to a site helps protect premises and the people and assets within them, mostly from damage or theft.
  2. Restrict access - at the same time, it may also act as a safety measure, preventing people from going near a potentially dangerous area or equipment (even if they shouldn’t be there in the first place).
  3. Highly flexible -  access control systems are highly flexible. You can programme them to only permit individual’s access to particular doors at set times.
  4. Control access - with electronic access control, a single-entry device grants access to every door that person is authorised to access, so there's no chance of forgetting the key for a door – or being weighed down by a set of keys!
  5. No physical key - If you are using proximity systems and the device is lost by an individual, it’s a far easier situation to manage as you have full control over the system and can instantly revoke access to that device. If a physical key is lost there is no way to block it or be sure that it has not fallen into the wrong hands. The only way of blocking access to the lost key would be replacing the original lock – costly, inconvenient and unsustainable.
  6. Record history of entry - an additional benefit of electronic access control is complete history logging. This can be an invaluable tool when investigating vandalism or theft, or for tracking response times or technical activities internally. Furthermore, when an outside contractor or visitor needs access, the door can be opened remotely without any effort.

Protect your business

An access control system is by far the more practical solution, making it an important asset to any organisation. By investing in the latest access control technologies, businesses will benefit from a system that will help protect assets and create a safe environment for employees and visitors.

If you have any questions or would like to implement an access control system into your business, please get in touch or click below link for further information.

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