Mitigating the threats of damage, theft, crimes and other security breaches is essential to business success and that’s why organizations make workplace security a top priority.
For example, a 2014 Ponemon Institute study puts the average cost of a corporate data breach at $3.5 million per annum. This is just one from a long list of negative statistics behind the corporate security industry.
Therefore, in the quest to provide adequate on-premise security, businesses avail themselves of a combination of security solutions, of which Access Control Systems are at the forefront.
Access Control is the security technique used to regulate who can gain entry or make use of facilities and/or resources within an environment. Basically, there are two types of access control; physical and logical. Physical access control restricts access to rooms, sites, premises etc. while logical access restricts access or connections to virtual systems such as computers, networks etc.
Through the use of details such as biometric scans, magnetic cards, passwords amongst others, access control systems perform identification, authorization and accountability of entities within a corporate setting.
However, the types, functions, features and specifications are way too broad that making an informed decision on which access control system to buy could leave you at the crossroads. This article provides you a headway. So, here are 4 key factors to take into account when choosing a worthwhile access control system.
Corporate Needs
The first point of call is to analyze your individual corporate needs and determine the main objectives for installing an access control system.
Is it mainly to improve the security of the premises? Or will it additionally serve as a time management suite thereby ensuring employees are always on time? Or do you have some other functions that are unique to your corporate setting you might want to incorporate?
Before the search for an access control system begins, these are some of the questions you need to answer.
A good access control system can be modified to meet your corporate needs and will support other related office management functions for seamless integration.
Scalability
Secondly, the features and scalability of an access control system need to be given core consideration. Remote access is top-of-the-list in this regard. Top-notch access control systems are interlinked such that multiple entry points can be managed from one location within the premises.
Raising the bar further, some access control systems not only manage entry points within a site but multiple sites within a city or country. This means access control to various sites can be granted and monitored right from your head office. Additionally, a single database is maintained effectively ruling out multiple re-entering of employees’ details.
Technological Sophistication
A third factor to consider is the level of technology that will be employed across the board. An appropriate access control system will factor in accessibility hierarchy.
Important areas of an office require higher security configurations and should not be accessible by all staff. Bio-metric controls such as fingerprint scanners, retinal scanners and voice recognition gadgets should be installed in areas with restricted access.
Also, integration of other technologies such as video surveillance, telephony systems and exit controls might be necessary. This guarantees the access control system can be fully reflective of your risk management framework.
Codes and Regulations
Lastly, there are codes and regulations that govern the types of access controls that can be installed. Generally, equipment should meet the requirements of the British Standard for Electronic access control systems (2015). Speak with your potential access control system solutions provider on this.
Summarily, choosing the best access control system is hinged on numerous technical factors that could leave you well confused. The factors outlined above can serve as a guide and will make the whole process a lot easier.
