Access Control Systems play a key role in helping safeguard, monitor and optimise operations. Whatever building you many manage, whether it is within Healthcare, Education or Retail, Warehousing and Commercial, these systems help keep staff, visitors, and premises both safe and secure.  

When it comes to security in particular, key fobs and cards are still the most popular type of door system in use today. Not only are these systems convenient, but they are also cost effective and easy to manage. So, which is the better option, key fob, or card? Do these systems work for all business types and premises?  

The answer really depends on the business objectives. Different organisations will have differing objectives in mind; a school or university may be driven by a need to safeguard students and staff, while a warehouse or manufacturing company may be more interested in creating security and audit trail touchpoints via access control.     

Key Fob v’s Card?  

Both options provide a great way of giving centralised control to a business. Administrators can customise access rights, remove stolen cards/fobs and issue new ones with little cost and disruption to the business. These systems also provide an effective mean’s of providing audit trails or traceability within an operation.  

At a basic level, key fobs are ideal, these provide an extremely portable coin-sized security token, that can be easily kept in a pocket or on a key ring. Perfect as a cost-effective alternative for accessing multiple doors, they remove the need to carry around bulky keys.  

One of the main downsides to fobs and cards can be when they fall into the wrong hands, whether it is use of a borrowed card, or misuse of a stolen card – if the administrator is not notified immediately, there can be a big risk of a security or health and safety breach.  

The use of a physical ID cards is a good way of providing an additional level of security. Most access key cards can be personalised, which means they can double up as an ID badge.  Furthermore, for businesses that need to differentiate between staff, visitors & contractors, plain, pre-printed, and personalised lanyards can be easily attached to ID or Access Control cards/fobs for an easy visual identification.    

Existing Infrastructure  

Whatever the scenario, you must have a clear understanding of how it would work with the existing infrastructure and personnel.   

Whilst key fobs or key cards may work well for some businesses, there is no one size fits all. For example, if you have a high throughput of people through your premises, or reduced security operatives, you may find yourself asking the question, “when was the last time I checked an ID badge??”. For any business where there is a high level of risk, it may be worth considering the use of other technologies such as biometrics or a fully integrated access control/CCTV system to lighten the load and provide an additional security measure.  

Transform Your Organisation Today

Transform your organisation’s security today with TouchStar. Our in-house team offer a complete end to end management service from specification through to project management, implementation, and post-sales support.  We are proud to deliver reliable and robust cutting edge security solutions that transforms operations across numerous industries. To find out more about our access control systems and how they can transform your organisation, get in touch today.      

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR – LYNDEN JONES

Lynden joined Touchstar ATC (formally Feedback Data) in a sales role for Access Control in 2010.  Prior to joining the company, Lynden held both Production and Account Manager roles, gaining wide technical and commercial experience within the electronics market.

In 2013 Lynden was promoted to Sales Director and in 2017 he took overall responsibility of the business as Managing Director. As well as running Touchstar ATC, Lynden still remains extremely active in the sales and key account management aspects of the business. When not involved in the business, Lynden is a keen performance car enthusiast.