Almost everyone can identify with the feeling of being locked out of a location they need to get into. The frustration hits in two parts, as not only are you unable to gain access to where you need to go, but you also must deal with replacing the locks to make sure the lost key cannot be misused.   

From a business perspective, a lost key may seem like a minor inconvenience, but it can cause significant workload for managers as well as health and safety risks, disruption to business processes and ultimately a cost that cannot be recouped.  

Physical v’s Electronic Access Control  

Hardware keys are perhaps the simplest form of physical access control and can still be found in use across many businesses today. Whilst the impact of lost keys may have less impact on smaller businesses, there are still many pitfalls associated with the use of this type of access control.  

Consider a commercial office as an example of a typical lockout scenario. These situations often involve employees using keys to access the perimeter of a site, then again to access a building and then once more to access their office. If the keys are stolen or lost, there may be no way of knowing who may have picked these up. The result? Multiple locks will need to be replaced and new keys will need to be distributed to all those that require access to the building.  

Not only does a lost or stolen key incur significant costs to the business, but for some businesses it may have more serious impact on health and safety and site security. If a business needed to restrict access to areas that are either potentially dangerous or commercially sensitive, there could be further risk of injury or breaches to confidential information should the unauthorised person then go on to enter these areas. With physical hardware keys, there is also no way of providing an audit trail or any form of traceability as to who may have accessed these areas.  

Centralising Control  

To those businesses who suffer the downside of these types of access control, the answer lies in technology. At its core, the latest access control technology offers a system that can operate at all levels in a building, from the perimeter to individual rooms, and give centralised control to building managers. That means that when there is a breach in security, such as a lost key card, administrators can remove stolen cards from the system and issue new cards with no disruption and all for the cost of a single replacement card/ fob.  

Integrated access control systems, for example, those that make use of CCTV, add another layer of sophistication. Should a lost card be used before it is removed from the system, the business would be able to utilise the camera technology to determine who may have entered the restricted area. In the case of when a stolen card is used, system administrators will be alerted immediately in conjunction with an audible alarm.  Not only does this facilitate the extension of security but also provide critical audit trail information to access points throughout the company.  

Transform Your Building Security Today  

Using the latest technology, TouchStar ATC can provide an access control system that is effective, easy to use and offers a simple solution to lockouts.  

TouchStar ATC can deliver:  

• Efficient management of building security.
• Effective security for the building perimeter.
• Door monitoring (door forced/door left open).
• Personnel monitoring (identifying in the event of an incident).
• Traceability (biometrics allows for full traceability at both perimeter and door level)   

 

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.