There are many reasons why a commercial business needs to prioritise security, and access control systems have advanced sufficiently to provide a robust technological solution for this issue. But access control systems offer far more functionality than simply enabling entry for authorised personnel, and can now offer various practical uses that bring real benefits for the business.
Security is important for a business because the employer has a fundamental duty to protect their employees and provide a safe and comfortable place to work. After that, naturally the business needs to protect its buildings and its assets, while also safeguarding materials, product and equipment from theft or vandalism. A business also needs to protect its intellectual property and may have internal access systems which protect product specifications, formulas or other types of confidential information from being accessed by unauthorised personnel.
How an access control system can be used
There are many different types of access control system, and they all vary in terms of the functionality they offer, but in principle, a good system will be able to offer the following benefits:
- Security – restricting access to authorised personnel only to protect people and buildings and safeguard the business from theft, trespass and vandalism of physical and digital assets
- Monitor – access control systems can give a readout at any point in time to show who is on site and what time they arrived. So this is useful in the event of a security breach, but can also be used for HR attendance records, health and safety monitoring, disciplinary issues and insurance purposes.
- Regulate – in businesses where many people arrive at the same time, such as a shift changeover or an event company, an access control system is able to regulate this process and slow it down so authorisation is controlled and safe.
- Productivity – a business can monitor who is in what part of the building and for how long, whether people are arriving late or leaving early. This allows employers to monitor productivity and efficiency to improve the business.
- Personnel – an access control system can be automated and therefore unmanned, so can work 24/7 and avoid the need to employ front of house personnel.
- Integration – most modern access control systems can be linked to other technological systems to offer more visibility and comprehensive control. This includes security alarms, fire alarms and CCTV.
Contact EM-B for more information on how to use an access control system
The huge variation in access control systems means any business can tailor the technology to meet their requirements in terms of the number of personnel on site, the inherent security risks of the site and how you want to manage authorisation (ie. with a keycard, a unique PIN number or using biometric features).
At EM-B we can talk you through all these options and explain the pros and cons to suit your individual business, so contact our team at EM-B today and we can work with you to safeguard your business in 2024.
