Five signs you should upgrade your building security

Your organisation works hard to stay at the forefront of your field, and there are few things more gratifying than to see that dedication rewarded by growth and advancement. Yet, alongside the passage of time, business progression can often render your building security less effective than it should be, which a developing company can ill-afford.

If your access control system no longer seems to meet the needs of your organisation, it may only be a matter of time before a chink in the armour turns into a full-scale security lapse. Here are five signs you should look to upgrade your building security without delay.

You can’t remember when you last updated your access control system

When your organisation implemented your current security system, it was more than likely one of the best on the market. But if this was several years ago or more, chances are there have been improvements to access control technology that could greatly enhance the physical safeguarding of your premises, especially if yours is a high security site. You may have even noticed that system elements like door controllers, key card readers and intercoms are less reliable and responsive than they once were.

Upgrading an entire access control system can seem like a monumental task, but in many cases, a system can be brought back up to date through purposeful upgrades in key areas, without the need for a completely new solution.

You have new high value assets to protect

Organisational developments can often result in the addition of new equipment or resources on site. Maybe you now have a server room, a store of sensitive or restricted material, or a space where cash is deposited or staff possessions are kept. New assets can drastically change your organisation’s security requirements in terms of what you need to protect.

Preserve the security of any new and valuable resources from the moment you acquire them by ensuring your access control system is functioning as it should.  

Your organisation has expanded since your access control system was installed

An access control system is only as good as its capacity to meet the specific needs of your organisation. Growth is a core business objective for most enterprises, but it can be easy to under-prioritise your building security on the road to organisational evolution. A greater number of employees and/or visitors through the door can quickly clog up an already struggling access control system. A lack of new key cards, user permissions or access rights make induction or admittance processes frustratingly inefficient.

In many cases though, expansion can be the perfect time to readdress your organisation’s security credentials. A new site location or facility consolidation as a result of an acquisition or merger provides a great opportunity to standardise your access control to the highest standard throughout.

You are still relying on locks and keys

A dependence on heavy keychain access control is perhaps the most patent indication of a need for up to date building security. Traditional locks and keys may have offered adequate security in years gone by, but putting your faith in these methods today can leave your organisation open to all sorts of risks and inefficiencies, from key loss and theft, to time wasted sorting one key from another.

What’s more, access control solutions are capable of much more than simply managing who can and cannot gain entry to your organisation’s buildings. With options to integrate with CCTV and/or time and attendance systems, produce ID badges, assign individual permissions and more, access control technology can help you streamline every aspect of the daily running of your site. 

You have experienced a security breach

It’s a worse-case scenario, but a real-world threat or lapse in security really highlights the need for access control improvements. In the aftermath of such an event, thoughts often turn to keys lost or unreturned, incomplete access records and all the other security risks that could have left you vulnerable.

Of course, pre-empting security failures is infinitely preferable than dealing with the reality of a break-in or theft. A high-spec access control system can give you more than just peace of mind; you’ll also gain complete visibility of your organisation’s ongoing security management.     

Don’t wait if any of these signs sound familiar. Talk to us today about our access control systems and how they can bring your building security right up to date.