Security is important for any business in terms of asset protection. That is the safety of its people in terms of employees, visitors and members of the public, but also the safety of its buildings, materials, stock and equipment. All businesses have security issues in this respect, but they also have important data to protect in terms of personal records, product information and financial data, so every business has a duty to take security seriously, for its own benefit and for the benefit of those the business serves.
However, some businesses have more specific security issues where different systems are required, and this is where access control becomes a big factor in how the business operates. A good example of this is a hotel.
People book a hotel room with a primary expectation that safety and security will be taken care of so that they can enjoy an experience of comfort and luxury, and even if your hotel stay is just for business reasons, this still applies. Essentially, the hotel is your home for the night, so you want the hotel and the room to feel as safe and secure as your home does.
Safety and security is crucial for a business
In this sense, people need security for when they are asleep, but also when they are out of the hotel and their belongings, and potentially work data, are left in the hotel. A hotel is also a good example of a business where people are moving in and out of the building all day, and depending on the size, location or nature of the hotel, these could be guests, employees, visitors, delivery drivers or just regular members of the public attending a function or using the bar.
So a hotel needs to be able to monitor who is on site and it needs to closely control, authorise and restrict who is on site. Access control enables this, and also means the hotel can operate efficiently as a business. Access control systems come in the form of digital key cards or key fobs, password or code entry, increasingly, mobile phones and advanced systems use biometric controls such as fingerprints, eye or face recognition.
The benefits of these for hotels is that they can be quickly issued and there is no need for the customer to use a key which could be lost, or is slow and awkward to use when opening a door – for example when you arrive home with an armful of shopping bags or having enjoyed one-too-many – access control is quick and simple for the user. But these systems also improve security in that they can’t be duplicated like a key can. Cards and fobs can be configured to gain access to the building itself and then to open just one door, and biometric systems can work this way also.
The benefits of access control for a hotel business
Another benefit of access control to the hotel, is that digital systems can also keep a constant record of who is on-site. This can be useful if there is a security breach or an incident of some sort and you need to trace who was on-site at that particular time. This enhances security and provides data which can also be manipulated to monitor footfall and customer trends in terms of movement around the hotel and which facilities are most used, and this data is also safe and secure in the event of fire or theft, where as a traditional log-in book is vulnerable to this. Hotels specifically have a requirement for short term access control as a guest will generally check out within a few days and so it is important that whatever method is used for access, it can also automatically expire on check out regardless of whether the card or token is returned.
Every business now needs to have robust systems in place for data security, but also for the safety and security of their own people and assets, so access control systems can provide practical and effective solutions, whatever kind of business you are operating. So if you contact EM-B today we can work with you to find the best security solution to suit you.
